Manila Standard - 2023 August 5 - Saturday

Inflation slows further to 4.7%

Now at 16-month low, but Statistics Authority wary of rising rice prices

By Julito G. Rada, Charles

Dantes and Maricel V. Cruz

INFLATION in July 2023 eased further to

a 16-month low of 4.7 percent from 5.4 percent a month ago, pulled down by slower year-on-year increases in the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Friday.

“This is the sixth consecutive month of deceleration in headline inflation and the lowest since March 2022 with an inflation of 4 percent,” National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Dennis Mapa said in an online briefing. But Mapa said the agency would take a closer look at the trajectory of

PH-US joint patrols in WPS by yearend, NSC exec says

THE Philippines and the United States have agreed to mount joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea before the end of the year, the National Security Council (NSC) said on Friday.

In April, Washington and Manila agreed to resume joint patrols in the South China Sea, which overlaps with the West Philippine Sea, and struck a

deal to give US troops access to another four military facilities in the Philippines, on top of five existing Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites.

Meanwhile, senators have revived a previous suggestion to make former President Rodrigo Duterte a special envoy to China, following his meeting

Another big-time fuel price hike: P3.60 for diesel, P2.65 kerosene

By Alena Mae S. Flores

FOR the fifth straight week, consumers must brace for another big-time fuel price hike effective Tuesday, reflecting the movement of prices in the world oil market.

Industry sources told the Standard

diesel prices will likely go up by P3.40 to P3.60 per liter, kerosene by P2.45 to P2.65 per liter, and gasoline by P0.15 to P0.35 per liter.

This is based on the benchmark Mean of Platts Singapore trading and foreign exchange movement for the first four days of the week.

to dredge, desilt 3 rivers to mitigate floods

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

2 dead as missing Cessna found

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE search team found and retrieved the missing Cessna 152 aircraft in Luna, Apayao on Thursday, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines reported.

“After two days of Search and Rescue efforts, the wreckage of the aircraft has been located at Sitio Matad Barangay Salvacion, Luna, Apayao,” said CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio. The authorities also found two bodies believed to be the occupants of the train-

Inflation...

From A1

rice inflation in the coming months despite the downtrend in food inflation.

“Rice inflation in July 2023 stood at 4.2 percent from 3.6 percent in June 2023. Rice inflation has been increasing since February 2022. The weight of rice in the CPI (consumer price index) basket is around 9 percent,” he said.

“We will closely monitor this because it might be the main source of higher inflation in the future,” Mapa said.

The July 2023 inflation was also slower than the 6.4 percent a year ago, bringing the average inflation in the first seven months to 6.8 percent, still higher than the target range of 2 to 4 percent.

Inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages stood at 6.1 percent in July 2023, down from 6.9 percent in the previous month.

Inflation for housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels was 3 percent, down from 4.8 percent in June 2023.

Inflation for transport also declined to -3 percent, down from -1.2 percent in June.

Core inflation, which excludes selected food and energy items, also decelerated to 6.7 percent in July 2023 from 7.4 percent in June 2023.

Based on PSA data, Mapa said the price of regular rice in July 2023 increased to P41.50 per kilo from P41.20 a month ago.

PH-US...

From A1 with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last month.

NSC Assistant Director-General Jonathan Malaya said that among the country's key strategies in the West Philippine Sea is strengthening partnerships with other countries and allies while supporting a rules-based international order.

"Recently, [National Security Adviser Eduardo] Año met with the national security advisers of Japan and the US in a trilateral meeting. I think in the very near future we will have joint patrols, or joint sailing, the Philippines and the US. Let's wait and see,” he added.

“That is why the President went to the US, met with the President of the US, President Joe Biden, and reinvigorated our mutual defensetreaty. We also have good relations with Australia, we have a visiting forces agreement with Australia," Malaya said at a West Philippine Summit conference on Friday.

DPWH...

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traversing the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija.

In a radio interview, the DPWH chief said that water from rivers overflowed during heavy rains because river embankments burst due to the absence of trees that hold the soil.

Bonoan announced his department’s plans as another municipality, Lingayen in Pangasinan, declared a state of calamity due to the flooding caused by the enhanced southwest monsoon and Typhoons Egay and Falcon.

As of Aug. 4, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the death toll from the bad weather rose to 29.

Only two have been confirmed, while the remaining 27 are still for validation.

At least 11 people are still missing while 140 to 165 sustained injuries.

The number of total affected people breached 3,028,040 or 805,621, of which, a total of 57,226 people or 15,473 families are staying in 648 evacuation centers while 229,831 individuals or 57,000 families are taking shelter in other places, the NDRRMC said.

About 232 cities and municipalities have declared a state of calamity.

DPWH Region III Director Roseller

A. Tolentino said they already deployed dredging equipment and backhoes in Digmala River because it is heavily silted.

“We need additional equipment as we aim to desilt at least 4.4 kilometers of the 10-kilometer stretch of Digmala River,” he said.

The DPWH official said desilting is being undertaken to prevent the recurrence of river overflow that causes

ing plane owned and operated by Echo Air International Aviation Academy, Inc. Apolonio said the crash site is near the last known position presented by Philippine Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Center during the emergency briefing conducted by Cagayan Valley Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council last Tuesday.

Well-milled rice also increased to P45.50 in July from P45.20, while the price of special rice stood at P54.60 per kilo from P54.40 a month ago.

PSA data also showed that compared with their previous month’s inflation rates, higher annual increments were noted in the indices of corn at 5.0 percent from 4.6 percent; and vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses at 17.3 percent from 12.8 percent.

Prices of vegetables could rise further in the coming months due to the impact of typhoons.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said the current disinflation trend could be slowed down by higher minimum wages in Metro Manila, which could lead to higher prices of other affected goods and services.

“The recent increase in local rice prices, which account for nearly 10percent of the inflation/CPI basket, would also slow down the easing trend of inflation... at the very least,” Ricafort said.

He said some storm damage recently, especially in Northern Luzon, which is a major producer of rice, corn, and other food agriculturalproducts, would lead to reduced output that would lead to some pick up in agricultural prices.

Global crude oil prices which are hitting 3.5-month highs could drive up pump prices and overall inflation, he added.

The July 2023 inflation of 4.7 percent

During his weeklong visit to China, Duterte reportedly told Xi that China should "look kindly on the Philippines" on the WPS.

China claims most of the strategic waters as part of its territory.

The Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam, and Malaysia also have overlapping claims.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri shared this with the media on Thursday, quoting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who hosted Duterte at Malacanang on Wednesday night before meeting 22 senators for dinner shortly afterward.

Malaya said the joint patrol with the US would not necessarily aggravate the situation in the general South China Sea region—which China claims in its entirety under its so-called nine-dash line -- if international law is strictly followed.

The purpose of the joint patrol is simply to ensure freedom of navigation by keeping sea lanes open, he added.

"It's clear under international law what international seas are. Forus, we adhere

flooding in low-lying areas in the town of Bongabon and its surrounding areas.

“With the help of DPWH Bureau of Equipment, we can also create a natural dam or dike with three meters in depth and 20 meters in width that can temporarily hold the flood water and give ample time for the flood waters to subside,” he added.

Silt deposits washed down from the mountainous sections of Aurora and Nueva Ecija to Digmala River led to a decrease in water depth, thereby increasing the risk of overflow and flooding.

When completed, the desilting of Digmala River will protect the low-lying villages not just of Bongabon, but also other flood-prone areas near the Pampanga River. The Digmala River is one of the allied rivers and tributaries of the 260-kilometer Pampanga River.

Bonoan said that DPWH also needs help from local governments and the environment department to strengthen reforestation because soil erosion contributes to flooding.

“Soil in the mountain slopes in Bulacan is very loose. Eroded soil goes down to the rivers and makes the riverbeds shallower,” Bonoan added.

The lack of comprehensive drainage programs in some subdivisions and towns is making the situation worse, Bonoan said.

"Of course, water from the rivers will remain in their area if they have no drainage plans. Again, I think the land use program is also very important so we could see the drainage system and where developments should be located so that we can prevent flooding. We already know which areas are flooded easily and yet, sometimes, we still allow subdivisions to be built," Bonoan said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

The aircraft, with registration number RP-C8958, left the Laoag International Airport at 12:16 p.m. and was supposed to arrive at Tuguegarao Airport at 3:16 p.m. It was bound for Cauayan Airport for a touch-and-go activity then to its final destination at Tuguegarao Airport.

“The aircraft transmitted its last position report approximately 32 nautical miles northwest of Alcala, Cagayan at around 1 p.m.,” said Apolonio.

The latest case involving a Cessna plane happened more than five months following the same incident in Isabela province, and the other one was found near Albay.

was within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ forecast range of 4.1 to 4.9 percent for the month, consistent with the overall assessment that inflation would gradually decelerate back to the target range by the fourth quarter in the absence of further supply shocks.

“The balance of risks to the inflation outlook continues to lean towards the upside owing to the potential impact of additional transport fare increases, higher-than-expected minimum wage adjustments in other regions, persistent supply constraints of key food items, El Niño weather conditions, and possible knockon effects of higher toll rates on prices of key agricultural items.

“Meanwhile, the impact of a weakerthan-expected global economic recovery remains the primary downside risk to the outlook,” BSP said in a statement.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the latest inflation number supported the likelihood that inflation “might be within the 2 to 4 percent target range by the fourth quarter.”

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary ArsenioBalisacan said despite the continued downtrend in inflation, there must be vigilance amid the increasingly volatile weather disturbances as oil price increases and trade restrictions on food.

The Department of Budget and Management welcomed the lower July inflation rate.

"We interpret this as a highly encour-

with the UNCLOS. Whatever UNCLOS says where the international law allows us to sail, that's where we will sail,” hesaid.

When asked about the prospect of having a joint military exercise with China, Malaya said there is no legal basis at the moment. The NSC has also yet to receive any proposal on this.

“Well, for us to have joint military exercises. we must have a Visiting Forces Agreement with China. That is the really big problem,” the official said.

On Duterte representing the country, Senator JV Ejercito said: "That would be a good suggestion, making him a superenvoy to China."

He said it is important that "lines are open with regards to our maritime dispute with China."

"Personally, I don’t like what China is doing, but (diplomatic) ties are important," said Ejercito.

Keeping lines open between the two countries is included in the recently-approved Senate Resolution 178, which condemns China's incursions on PH territory and harassment of Filipino fishermen, the

‘Join...

From A1 luncheon on Wednesday for the Supreme Court’s 44 officials and employees who are the 2023 recipients of the Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE).

In his message, Gesmundo cited his 38 years of service as a public servant. He was appointed Chief Justice by then-President Rodrigo Duterte on April 5, 2021.

“What kept me working in government, despite the pay, despite those long hours, and perhaps despite an occasional disenchantment or two, was, more than the lure of learning, the sense of purpose it immediately gave me. Instantly, all my hard work found direction in that solitary goal of public service,” the top magistrate shared.

“Even when I was just starting, I knew that, in my own little way, I was doing something big, not for myself, but for others—for the greater good, for the benefit of the public, and for a purpose higher than pecuniary recompense,” he said.

“Our remuneration is in the fulfillment that comes with the knowledge that by having done our work efficiently, we have made the system work, for the public good. Indeed, public service is demanding but it is rewarding if done with utmost dedication and integrity,” he added.

“Your legacy is in leaving behind an office better than you found it, in working and giving your best for the public good, and in making yourselves examples of selfless and dedicated service to those who continue the work,” Gesmundo said.

The PRAISE awards, which started in 2002, were given to those who retired in 2022 and those retir-

In March, a Cessna 206 plane with six people on board went missing in Isabela province on Jan. 24 and was found with no survivors.

Four people also died after the Cessna 340 plane they were in crashed into Mayon Volcano in February.

Aside from these, CAAP listed three other air accidents this year, including the case of two helicopters last month and in March.

CAAP commended the successful search operations conducted by the composite team from the Armed Forces, national police, local government units, and other civilian volunteers.

aging development. Our economic team is anticipating a sustained decline in our national inflation rate. We assure our fellow citizens that we remain unwavering in executing strategies to maintain the inflation rate well within our target range," Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said.

Pangandaman attributed the continued decline in the inflation rate to the effectiveness of the current administration's economic strategies.

She said the whole-of-government approach being implemented is “indeed demonstrating efficacy.”

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda welcomed the July 2023 inflation rate, saying the country's economy is on track.

"At my last economic briefing for investors last July 26, I projected that inflation will be at this level, and will continue to decline to below 3 percent by the end of the year," Salceda, who chairs the House ways and means committee, said.

"Clearly, that projection holds, and we are on track to meet the BSP's 2-4 percent target band as early as October," he added.

Salceda said one positive sign is that apart from slower inflation,"we are actually seeing disinflation or negative price growth in certain areas, including livestock—which means we should also see promising numbers in agriculture and food output for the Q2 GDP."

He noted that transport costs are also cheaper this year than last year.

Philippine Coast Guard, and Philippine Navy.

It is "an open book" that Duterte is very close to China, Ejercito said.

Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go, Duterte's longtime assistant, said he agreed with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano that Duterte has a good relationship with China's president.

"They are friends, they understand each other, and they can easily talk to each other," Go added.

Cayetano, who was Foreign Affairs Secretary under Duterte, said there's no doubt the former President "is one of the best representatives of the country when talking to the Chinese government because of his relationship with Xi."

"If ever we know someone who can go to the highest levels of theChinese government that the Chinese government trusts and the Filipino trusts, it's President Duterte. But then we have to come out with a strategy that is both comprehensive and that will work in the short and long term," he said. Macon Ramos-Araneta (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

ing this year.

The award “gives recognition, motivates the pursuit of excellence, promotes awareness, and enhances the productivity of Supreme Court personnel.”

The SC’s Public Information Office said that all SC justices, officials, and employees, as well as officials and employees of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, Philippine Judicial Academy, Judicial and Bar Council, and Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Office—whether under optional or compulsory retirement schemes— are qualified to receive the service award.

To be eligible for the award, the retiree must have rendered at least 15 years of service in the government and is at least 60 years old at the time of retirement.

The awardees were given cash incentives and a plaque of appreciation.

The awardees are Atty. Jesusa Jean D. Reyes, Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Office; Atty. Carissa

C. Parel, Office of Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting; Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria, Philippine Judicial Academy; Atty. Librada C. Buena, Office of the Division Clerk of Court, First Division; Gislaine C. Juan, Medical and Dental Services; Florence J. Bautista, Office of the Court Administrator—Financial Management Office; Paulino Ruben

D. Doringo—Office of Administrative Services; Marissa A. Garrovillas

– Fiscal Management and Budget Office; Loida Y. Zapanta – Judicial and Bar Council; Maria Sara M. Marquez

– Office of the Court Administrator

– Legal Office; Minerva C. Briones –Philippine Judicial Academy; Marissa

P. Mariano - Philippine Judicial Academy. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Senators to grill officials involved in ferry tragedy

By Macon

Ramos-Araneta

SENATORS will demand accountability from the officials responsible for the sinking of the passenger ferry M/B Princess Aya at Laguna Lakenear Binangonan, Rizal last week, which claimed the lives of 27 persons.

Sen. Robin Padilla underscored the promise after sending help to families of the fatalities in the tragedy in Binangonan last July 27.

The Philippine Coast Guard expected the result of an investigation into the capsizing incident Monday this week, but so far the Philippine National Police has yet to release its findings.

“Let’s wait for the result of the investigation team. As of now, our Station Commander in the area has been relieved,” PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said during the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

The relief will give way to a “fair, honest, and transparent investigation,” PCG Commandant, Admiral Artemio Abu said on Thursday.

Padilla said it is unacceptable that there are many cases of maritime tragedies. He vowed the Senate probe into the Binangonan tragedy would patch the loopholes in the law, as well as focus on addressing overloading, vessels' seaworthiness, and training of personnel in the maritime industry, as well as their preparedness to respond to emergencies.

Members of Padilla's office, with actress Nadia Montenegro, visitedbarangays in Binangonan and Jala-Jala in Rizal to bring aid to the families of the victims.

Padilla stressed the need for a speedy investigation of the tragedy as well as efforts to make sure officials and personnel of agencies tasked with ensuring maritime safety, including the PCG and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), fulfill their duty.

He likewise sought the speedy release of the results of the probe by the MARINA's Marine Safety Investigation, as well as the early resolution of cases lodged against the owner, operator, and captain of the vessel.

"I emphasize that like the victims, many Filipinos travel by sea daily to return to their homes in island barangays. Our responsibility is to make sure their trips are safe and free from threats," he said.

Another...

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In the last four weeks, diesel prices have risen by P6.80 per liter, gasoline by P5.35, and kerosene by P5.90.

Rodela Romero, Department of Energy director for the oil industrymanagement bureau, confirmed the impending oil price hike for next week.

"Oil prices jumped after Saudi Arabia said it would extend its unilateral voluntary cut of one million barrels per day into September adding that the cut could be extended or extended and deepened," Romero said.

On August 1, oil companies implemented an increase of P2.10 per liter for gasoline, P3.50 per liter for diesel, and kerosene by P3.20 to P3.25 per liter. These price adjustments resulted in a year-to-date net decrease ofP0.10 per liter for kerosene. Gasoline and diesel prices, on the other hand, have a net increase of P11 per liter and P3.10 per liter, respectively.

President...

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Quiroz as the GCG chairman, while Brian Keith Hosoka will serve as Gideon de Villa Mortel's replacement as GCG member.

Corpus formerly worked as an undersecretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government for Public Safety during the Aquino administration.

Meanwhile, Hosoka was the spokesperson and chief of the Supreme Court Public Information Office before his recent appointment.

The GCG, created by virtue of Republic Act 10149 or the GOCC Governance Act 2011, oversees different government-owned and controlled corporations across the country.

The GCG's jurisdiction includes 118 GOCCs, consisting of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, local water districts, and research institutions.

Hosaka previously served as PIO chief and Supreme Court spokesman under three chief justices — Lucas P. Bersamin (the current Executive Secretary), Diosdado M. Peralta, and the current Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo.

Before his designation as PIO chief of the Supreme Court, he was a founding partner of Paner Hosaka & Ypil Attorneys-at-Law. He also once served as deputy general counsel of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. Charles Dantes and Rey E. Requejo

IN BRIEF

Malls hold off sales for FIBA World Cup MALL and shopping center operators have agreed with the proposal of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to tentatively close shop as the country hosts the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup on Aug. 17 to Sept. 10.

The MMDA made the proposal as part of its overall traffic management plan to ease traffic flow in Metro Manila during the FIBA games.

“The postponement of mall sales is for the smooth flow of traffic on EDSA where FIBA delegates and players will pass to the playing venues,” said MMDA chairman Romando Artes.

The mall operators agreed to be cooperate with the agency’s request.

“This will help to prevent people from flocking to the malls during FIBA and avoid the heavy flow of traffic on EDSA,” Artes said.

The MMDA was also considering implementing a moratorium on road diggings along EDSA during the same period to further ease the flow of traffic.

At present, the Department of Public Works and Highways - National Capital Region Office is conducting road repairs and reblocking on the stretch of EDSA Bus Way from Gil Puyat Ave. in Makati City to Munoz St. in Quezon City. The non-stop and week-long road works will be made starting 10 p.m. Friday (Aug. 4) until 5 a.m. Aug. 9. Joel E. Zurbano

LTO favors special plates for e-vehicles

THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Friday welcomed a proposal by a party-list representative to produce special plates for e-vehicles.

LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II said he would consult with Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista with regard to the House Bill 8570, which was filed by Malasakit at Bayanihan Rep. Anthony Golez Jr.

Under the measure, the LTO would be mandated to create special plates for e-vehicles in order to encourage more Filipinos to own one as part of the global effort to protect the environment.

A number of car dealers has already started releasing hybrid vehicles in the country and one of the perks of owning such a type of vehicle is the exemption from the number coding scheme of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Rio N. Araja

New homes for Kalibo families due to airport

TRANSPORT and aviation officials on Friday led the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kalibo International Airport (KIA) resettlement project to address the housing needs of families affected by development programs at the airport.

The project initiated by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) was made possible in partnership with the local government units of the Province of Aklan and the Municipality of Kalibo.

DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said the resettlement project encompasses the essential land development and construction of housing units for the displaced families. Joel Zurbano

MMDA: Street vendors also banned from taking shelter under flyovers

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Friday stated that ambulant and street vendors are also covered by its new policy prohibiting the taking of shelter under footbridges and flyovers during heavy downpour.

Meanwhile, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

Secretary Rex Gatchalian has sought the assistance of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to provide temporary shelters to street individuals and families who are most vulnerable to inclement weather.

“The vendors, we are going after them because they have no permits to do it (illegal vending) in any public spaces. That is really prohibited,” said MMDA Traffic Enforcement Group chief Victor Nuñez.

“One of our departments monitors and operates against illegal vendors,” he added.

The MMDA at present operates against illegally parked vehicles and vendors in line with the government’s campaign to clear the streets and sidewalks of all obstructions to further ease traffic flow in the metropolis.

The agency on Aug. 1 started penalizing motorcycle riders using footbridges and flyovers as shelters during heavy downpour. During the first day of implementation, nine riders were caught, issued citation tickets, and fined P1,000 each for road obstruction along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA).

The MMDA issued the order following a meeting with representatives of motorcycle ride-hailing firms - Grab,

PNP: Peace, order situation nationwide improved in 2nd quarter

By Vince Lopez

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) says the peace and order situation in the country is considerably improving as indicated by a decrease in crime incidence during the second quarter of the year.

Citing a report by the Directorate for

Investigation and Detective Management’s Crime Research Analysis Center (CRAC), the PNP said crime rates for the period covering April 24 to July 30 of 2023 went down compared to the same period last year.

According to the report, the overall Peace and Order Indicator (POI) saw

a promising decline of 6.69 percent, or 3,737 incidents less compared to the 55,900 registered during the comparable period last year.

Both Luzon and Mindanao regions experienced a significant decline in crime rates, with decreases of 10.51 percent or 3,300, and 9.51 percent or 1,326,

respectively. Conversely, the Visayas regions saw an increase of 8.42 percent or 889 reported incidents.

PNP Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., noted that the decrease in crime rates was a positive indication of the efforts made by the national police to maintain peace and order throughout the nation.

Angkas, Joyride, Toktok, Transportify, Maxim Riders Food Delivery, and Move It at the agency’s main office in Pasig City.

MMDA officials said they understand the plight of motorcycle riders who have to find shelter and wait for the rain to stop. They, however, explained that taking shelter underneath the footbridges and flyovers, occupying two to three lanes, is dangerous and causes traffic, especially when there is zero visibility on the road. The MMDA was also planning to meet with gasoline station operators about installing tents in their EDSA branches that could serve as shelter for the riders.

Caloocan raid yields P30-m spoiled goods

By Joel Zurbano

and

Vito Barcelo

GOVERNMENT agents have confiscated some P30 million worth of expired meat and other frozen goods in a raid at a warehouse in Caloocan City.

The raid was conducted by a team from the Bureau of Customs with the assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS). Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said the agency’s commitment to protecting the country’s borders in accordance to the directive by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“Our agents work tirelessly to protect our borders and all local industries, including livestock, poultry, and meat. Not only is the local distribution of expired/spoiled meat detrimental to the health of our citizens, it also endangers our local livestock because of the possible entry of pathogenic diseases,” Rubio said.

The BOC inspection team, headed by Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy said that raid on the warehouse yielded P 30 million worth of spoiled frozen meat and other products, such as ice cream and meat balls, among others.

BFP to look into collapse of Binondo power posts

THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has ordered the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to investigate the collapse of several electric posts in Binondo, Manila Thursday afternoon.

In a statement, DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said he directed the BFP chief Louie Puracan to immediately look into the incident that

injured three persons and damaged eight vehicles.

Abalos added that the BFP has likewise been instructed to coordinate with the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), owner of the electric posts, to assist the affected individuals and help to clear out the area.

“All local government units (LGUs) are enjoined to inspect electric posts,

construction sites, billboards, and other similar installations that may collapse during heavy rains. A memorandum circular will be issued regarding the matter to ensure compliance and prompt action,” Abalos said.

As of 7:20 p.m. on Thursday, the Manila public information office (said Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz opened to motorists. Vince Lopez

Loyzaga orders revamp of DENR regional offices

DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary

Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga has ordered a minor revamp in the agency’s regional offices following complaints of inefficiency and complacency in the discharge of their duties of some DENR officials.

Loyzaga announced the reassignment of several regional executive directors

(REDs) and officials of two regional offices of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB).

Given new assignments were Lormelyn Claudio, who was designated as regional executive director of Eastern Visayas (Region 8), Arturo Fadriquela named as officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Zamboanga Peninsula (R-9), Felix Mira-

sol Jr., also as OIC of Mimaropa (R-4B), Ronald D. Gadot as OIC assistant regional director for technical services of Northern Mindanao (R-10), Cesar Odi as OIC of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) of Romblon, and Arnold Blaza Jr. who was assigned to the Office of the regional executive director in Mimaropa.

SEARCH FOR OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERS. The 2023 search for outstanding volunteers rolls out during a press briefing at the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Quezon City presided by (from left) PIA) director-general Jose Torres Jr.,  Civil Service Commission chairman Karlo Nograles, and

POGO raid: 20 Chinese charged

By Rey E. Requejo

TWENTY Chinese workers were among the 100 charged out of the almost 650 persons arrested and rescued by government law enforcers during the raid of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Pasay City this week, the Department of Justice said Friday.

Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said the charges were filed during the inquest proceedings done at Rivendell Global Support, Inc. at the SJ Mobile Building in Pasay City, where the raid took place.

Ty, who is in charge of the InterAgency Council Against Trafficking

AGRI pushes ‘corporative farming’ bill

By Maricel V. Cruz

AGRI party-list Rep. Wilbert T Lee on Friday pushed for the passage of a proposal that would provide rice allowances to workers in the private sector.

Lee appealed to the Congress leadership to support his House Bill 1296, or an act promoting corporative farming and providing incentives for its effective implementation.

“Corporative farming allows us to implement a measure that benefits not only private sector employees but also our farmers,” Lee explained.

The bill defines corporative farming as a portmanteau of corporate and cooperative farming.

It proposes to establish partnerships between farming organizations and communities with domestic corporations. Under such an agreement, farming organizations would supply labor, expertise, and/or their landholdings, while private companies provide the necessary capital and guarantee the purchase of the harvest.

Under the bill, the corporations/ partnerships that engage in corporative farming agreements shall be required to provide a minimum of 600 kilograms of rice/corn per employee per year or 50 kilograms per employee per month. Any excess produced would be sold to the National Food Administration (NFA) at prevailing market prices.

“The rice allowance will help employees cope with the rising cost of goods, while farmers are given a sure market and this guarantees that their crops will be bought at fair value,” Lee stressed.

IN BRIEF

2 PMA cadets guilty of Dormitorio hazing

(IACAT) headed by the DOJ, could not say immediately what charges were filed against those subjected to inquest proceedings.

But he admitted that the charges were filed, and those charged were 20 Chinese nationals and more than 80 Filipinos.

Ty said that the government authorities conducted a raid Tuesday night, Aug. 1, against Rivendell where “around 650 individuals were found in the establishment.”

“Around 180 are foreign nationals and the majority of them are Chinese,” he said.

The DOJ official said that one of those arrested during the raid was a Filipino who was rescued from human trafficking abroad.

“We were saddened to know that one of those was a Filipino previously rescued in Myanmar but was found working in the POGO facility in Pasay,” he lamented.

He noted that the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) “provided the initial intelligence that we used to secure the search warrant.”

“We received information that this POGO is a registered service provider,” he said.

However, during the raid it was discovered that most of the rooms were engaged in online scams, he added.

“A few rooms were still engaged in illegal gambling,” he said.

“We suspect that these gambling rooms were presented whenever there is an inspection but this is just a small part of the operation,” he added.

PH ties with Vietnam, Laos now stronger—Manalo

VIETNAM has vowed to support President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s priority on food security, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

The commitment was made during the two-day official visit of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo to Hanoi from Aug. 1 to 2.

Manalo also assured Laos of the Philippines’ support in its efforts to establish institutions that will address vari-

ous challenges it is facing as a nation.

Manalo said the Philippine government will back Laos’ intent to build resilience among its people by forming institutions and seeking various forms of cooperation, such as health, education, and climate.

Citing the changing landscape of global security and challenges, the agency said Manalo’s visit to both countries paved the way for the two states to explore new areas of cooperation such as digital econo-

my, renewables, and food security.

“Vietnam reiterated its existing support to the Philippines and pledged to continue working with the Philippines to enhance trade and investments between the two countries, and will continue to support President Marcos’ priority on food security,” the DFA said.

In 2022, the Philippines imported 3.218 million metric tons of rice from the Southeast Asian state. Rey E. Requejo

DEMAND FOR ALLOWANCES.

Healthcare workers rally in front of the Department of Health headquarters in Sta. Cruz, Manila, demanding the agency release their health emergency allowances that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to give to healthcare workers who have been at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19. Norman Cruz

A BAGUIO City court has found two Philippine Military Academy cadets guilty of slight physical injuries in the case of Darwin Dormitorio, who died due to alleged hazing in September 2019.

In a 92-page ruling, Baguio City Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 1 Judge Roberto Mabalot sentenced Julius Carlo Tadena and Christian Zacarias to 30 days in prison.

He ordered them to each pay the Dormitorio family P100,000 in moral damages and P50,000 in attorneys’ fees.

Zacarias, initially charged with less serious physical injuries, allegedly kicked the right side of Dormitorio’s body on the morning of September 17, 2019, after Dormitorio failed to follow his instructions to get up from the bunk bed and stand straight.

Dormitorio had been holding his stomach and was in pain after he was allegedly maltreated by other cadets in the previous weeks.

Tadena, on the other hand, was initially charged with serious physical injuries for allegedly using a taser on Dormitorio’s scrotum in the evening of the same day.

‘Place power, telco lines underground’

A LAWMAKER on Friday recommended to the Department of Energy and the National Electrification Administration to formulate and implement a long-term plan for the underground laying of electricity power lines and telecommunications cables that should be done gradually over the next 15 years.

Bagong Henerasyon Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera said underground power lines and telecoms cables that include satellite internet should be central to ensuring post-disaster continuity and survival, especially in the most calamity-prone localities.

Herrera said the feasibility of laying cables and power lines underground could be studied.

“This multiyear undertaking is, I believe, the appropriate solution to end the repeated isolation of coastal towns and remote islands often in the path of typhoons—as we have just experienced with Super Typhoon Egay,” she said.

QC offers veterinary internship to schools

QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte has launched an internship program for veterinary medicine students from different universities and colleges in Luzon.

“Part of the veterinary medicine curriculum is exposure to off-campus learning experiences. Through our comprehensive internship program, we hope to provide valuable hands-on and actual experience to soon-to-be veterinarians,” she said.

“Our Quezon City Veterinary Department will serve as their training ground until they graduate and practice their profession. Actual practice is different from theories. Students can learn more from training,” Belmonte added. Rio Araja

House HR panel chair cautions vs. applying anti-terror law to Teves

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE chair of the House of Representatives committee on human rights on Friday expressed concerns over the possible “misapplication” of Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 202.

At the same time, Manila Rep. Bi-

DEPUTY Minority Leader and Basilan Rep.

Mujiv Hataman has sought a congressional inquiry into the “frequent and incessant” power outages in his province, a large part of which he believes can be attributed to the operations and management of the local power cooperative.

Hataman filed House Resolution 1157 urging the appropriate committee at the House of Representatives to look into the Basilan Electric Cooperative (BASELCO), whose franchise to operate will be revisited by Congress when it expires in 2028.

He said power outages have really caused huge economic losses in our province.

In fact, the Basilan lawmaker said, the delivery of goods and services to Basileños, including

envenido Abante Jr. urged the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee to look into the designation of Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. and 12 others as “terrorists” to ensure that the anti-terror law is properly applied and utilized effectively to prevent terrorism.

public services and government programs, have been affected by the frequent power outages.

“Imagine the operations of hospitals, dialysis centers, birthing clinics, and other health institutions in a situation where almost every two to three hours, there is a power failure,” Hataman, a human rights advocate, expressed.

According to HR 1157, BASELCO’s franchise to operate will expire in 2028, and “there is a need for Congress to decide whether or not to renew its franchise for another 50 years … or to look at other options such as the creation of a separate electric cooperative for Isabela City or granting the franchise to a private Distribution Utility.” Maricel V. Cruz

“While we in Congress support all government efforts to address terrorism and to prevent acts of terror, it is our responsibility to ensure that the laws we pass, including RA 11479, are used properly and for the purposes for which they were intended,” said Abante.

The legislator stressed: “We want justice for the late Gov. Roel Degamo and the innocent civilians slain when he was brutally and brazenly assassinated––and I believe Rep. Teves should come home and answer allegations that he masterminded this heinous crime.”

GEARING UP FOR SCHOOL. Customers are seen buying school supplies in Divisoria, Manila, on Friday. The Department of Education has announced that the opening of classes in public schools for School Year 20232024 will be on August 29. Norman Cruz

Hataman calls for probe of ‘frequent, incessant’ power outages in Basilan

CRASH TRAINING. Different rescue units attend to an airplane crash site as they rescue possible victims in the exercise organized by the Airport Emergency Response Organization (AERO) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Friday. Norman Cruz

PH, China don’t have identical foreign policy

IT CAN be said that Philippine foreign policy was somewhat handed to us by the US as a consequence of the country’s colonization at the turn of the 19th century.

For that matter, the country was sold by Spain for $20 million and the sale marked the formal turnover of the country by geographically demarcating the boundaries that comprise the area in the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898.

The Treaty was the first formal agreement indicating the boundaries as within the territory of the Philippines as colony of the US and areas outside, particularly areas facing the South China Sea.

When the US and Spain signed the Treaty, it meant the areas demarcated outside were outside the Philippine territory or by the treaty limits.

The Philippines as a colony faithfully observed the boundaries demarcated in 1898.

Almost all countries, except Malaysia, Vietnam and this country, began to violate the treaty.

It was the Philippines that first claimed some of islands off the coast of Palawan when an alleged Philippine sailor Tomas Cloma claimed to have discovered a group of islands.

He called it “Freedom Islands” not knowing that they have long been occupied by Chinese fishermen.

Logically, areas outside the demarcation line are presumed to be not part of the Philippine territory.

It is the US navy that squats deep inside China’s territorial waters, yet the US shouts to whole world that China is a threat to their freedom of navigation

To prevent Cloma from claiming ownership of his newly discovered islands, then President Marcos issued a presidential decree to prevent him from claiming ownership of the islands as his private property.

The rationale of the decree proclaiming Kalayaan Island a municipality of the Province of Palawan was justified by their proximity to the province which is within the 200- mile limit of the expanded exclusive economic zone (EEC) of the newly-approved UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) in 1984 to which both the Philippines and China are members and ratified the convention.

Second, the Treaty of Paris set the first geological boundaries demarcating the Philippine archipelago from the rest of the countries in the South China Sea, to particularly segregate the island of Taiwan, which was closest to the archipelago, and to the countries littoral in the South China Sea, namely: the southern province of China, the whole of the Vietnam peninsula, Japan through some of the islands in Okinawa and later Malaysia after it gained independence and later formed a federation only to stretch its territorial sea to avail itself of the 200-mile limit under UNCLOS.

They all added as claimants to some of the islands in the South China Sea.

The important item is that Philippines’ claim over the Kalayaan group of islands is the said islands are within the 200-mile under UNCLOS but outside the Treaty signed in 1898.

The Philippines took advantage of the fact that China has not officially claimed the islands.

China then was a weak nation, and this is the reason why the Philippine wanted to claim Scarborough Shoal, an island 230 kilometers from the province of Bataan considered as the traditional fishing ground by Filipino fishermen and now contested by China.

It was only when US President Obama officially said China is an existential threat to the US and issued a policy called “Pivot to Asia” did the Philippines begin to look at China as the country’s potential enemy. The US, from then on, made a vigorous political campaign against China insisting Taiwan can maintain its status as a separate state, a deviation

WASHINGTON, DC—Donald Trump’s historic indictment for trying to overturn the 2020 election paints a picture of a former president so determined to hang on to power that he put the very foundations of American democracy at risk.

Trump’s legal troubles have thrust the United States into uncharted territory, but the latest charges from special counsel Jack Smith are in a different league. While two previous indictments focused on hush money payments to a porn star and hiding secret government documents, this one lays out in compelling detail a complex plot with half a dozen conspirators to effectively overthrow an elected government.

Adding even more weight to the case is the fact that the 77-year-old real estate tycoon is seeking to recapture the White House and holds a commanding lead in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

“The indictments of Trump are truly historic in the sense that no US president or former president before Trump has been indicted, much less charged with spreading lies regarding an election,” said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond.

Richard Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, singled out the unique nature of the legal case against a former commander-in-chief in stark terms.

“It is hard to overstate the stakes riding on this indictment and prosecution,” Hasen wrote on Slate.com. “It is perhaps the most important indictment ever handed down to safeguard American democracy and the rule of law in any

from the original declaration the US recognizes only “one China,” and Taiwan is an integral part of China.

This is part of our original declaration when we extended diplomatic relations to the People’s Republic of China in 1975.

A twist in US policy against China was accelerated in the election of President Trump who was alarmed by the huge trade deficit against China reaching more than $800 billion.

This was followed by the imposition of tariffs.

In reality, the tariff resulted in taxing Chinese goods made by American importers.

The trade war escalated and intensified with the US avoiding direct confrontation.

For instance, the US once made a declaration it will not come to our side should China attack any of those islands claimed by us.

In fact, it relayed the message to our navy which was about to be blocked by the Chinese navy at the mouth of the Scarborough Shoal.

That resulted in a month-long standoff with our naval ships leaving the area with China from thereon guarding the area. This strange and unusual conduct of the US is seen and interpreted today as a careful maneuver by the US to push the country into war with China over some of the disputed islands in the SCS and with Taiwan with the US avoiding direct confrontation.

It always gives itself a legroom to escape any tense situation.

On the other hand, China continues to enjoy trade preferences all because the US continues to manipulate the value of the dollar against other currencies through quantitative-easing or the unabated printing of the dollar to artificially increase its value and profit which today resulted in the rush to de-dollarize the currency challenging the dollar as the world’s international currency reserve.

Since 2016, the Philippines adopted hook, line, and sinker the US policy against China, and slowly we are losing many of our economic and developmental projects and export of our agricultural products which have all the markings of goodwill and friendship extended to us by China.

We maintain our loyalty to the US at the expense of the developmental projects because of the agitation of their erstwhile communist organization now working for the US interest.

There is no existing policy of the Philippines against Taiwan.

Yet, we have conflict against China because we happened to recognize Taiwan at the instigation of the USA.

We maintain our faith the US will keep their obligation to assist us against any country they have fostered as our enemy.

We added nine military bases under EDCA when there is no provision in our agreement the Philippines is obligated to defend Taiwan against China.

Even the US already made a declaration it will not come to our rescue should China invade any of those islands in the SCS.

Up to now, people wonder why the Philippines filed a case against China before the Permanent Arbitration Court.

Reviewing the provisions of the Treaty of Paris, the Philippines failed to cite a clear violation by China of our territorial waters.

What happens is the mere intrusion of Chinese fishing boats fishing in areas they believe as part of their territorial waters as they believe is an area belonging to them having been demarcated by the US and Spain as outside our territorial waters as far as the Treaty of Paris is concerned.

In fact, the US made a fuzz on the decision of the Philippine claim over China.

But what joy is there for the US to celebrate when it is not even a party or claimant to the disputed area in the South China Sea?

The most intriguing part of the PAC’s decision is the Philippines has joined the chorus of American subalterns in denouncing alleged harassment of ships allegedly for violating our right to freedom of navigation.

It is the US navy that squats deep inside China’s territorial waters, yet the US shouts to whole world that China is a threat to their freedom of navigation.

(rpkapunan@gmail.com)

THE two typhoons and the heavy monsoon rain over Luzon and the rest of the country in the past two weeks will certainly make an impact on the prices of goods and commodities.

The incessant rain and the floods that submerged many rice fields in Bulacan, Pampanga and parts of Pangasinan are an ominous sign that prices of rice, vegetables and other basic crops will increase because of production deficits. Vegetable farms in Benguet province and other producing towns, in particular, were also destroyed by heavy rain. The damage to roads and bridges will hamper the transportation of crops to Metro Manila and other urban capitals, and unsurprisingly raise the cost of the farm produce.

Bulacan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Bataan and the rest of Central Luzon are known as the rice bowl of the Philippines. Any damage to rice farms and and a disruption in the transportation infrastructures in this region will cause a spike in the prices of rice, corn and vegetables.

Timely rice importations and the delivery of commodities from regions that suffered less from the typhoons and heavy rain could ease the pressure on prices

Initial estimates show that Super Typhoon Egay left P1.54 billion in farm damage as of July 30, 2023. Reports from the regional field offices of the Department of Agriculture in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos provinces, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon,

CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Western Visayas and Caraga showed that damage and losses in the agricultural and fishery sector affected the livelihood of 99,272 farmers and fisherfolk.

Among the agricultural commodities that sustained damage were rice, corn, high value crops, livestock and poultry, and fisheries. The damage to crops could increase further as Typhoon Falcon induced heavy monsoon rain in the past few days and flooded more areas in Central Luzon.

The flood and heavy rain over this key agricultural production region will begin to exert upward pressure on the inflation rate, which the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has been trying to rein in for months. The inflation rate in July eased to a 16-month low of 4.7 percent from 5.4 percent in June but the weather disturbances in the latter weeks of the month for sure will manifest their effect on prices in August and the succeeding months.

Timely rice importations and the delivery of commodities from regions that suffered less from the typhoons and heavy rain could ease the pressure on prices. For the most part of the coming months, however, we have to tighten our belt and bear the spike in prices of certain commodities.

Sons and daughters of Ignatius

ST. IGNATIUS Loyola’s feast day is celebrated on July 31, the day he passed away in 1556. Inigo de Loyola, a Basque courtier and soldier, suffered serious injuries during the battle of Pamplona in 1521. While recovering from his wounds, he underwent a profound spiritual transformation that marked the beginning of his unwavering dedication to God and service.

Inigo Lopez de Loyola, the youngest among 13 siblings, was born in Espitia at the castle of Loyola in Spain to Don Boutran and Donna Marina.

Tragically, his mother passed away shortly after his birth, and he was raised by Maria de Garin, the wife of the local blacksmith.

As Inigo matured, he developed a strong fascination with military pursuits and an intense longing for glory.

He admired tales of valiant knights who achieved triumph over adversaries, gaining riches and love.

At the age of 17, he enlisted in the army, where he was known for his stylish attire, skillful dancing, womanizing tendencies, and ability to avoid punishment for violent acts committed with his priest brother during carnival time, using his privileged status.

After a year in the army, he served under the military leader Antonio Manrique. Inigo excelled in his military duties, fulfilling his lifelong dream and earning the title of “servant of the court.”

Over the next 12 years, he engaged in numerous battles, until his military career came to an abrupt halt at the Battle of Pamplona in May 1521.

During the battle, a cannonball struck a nearby wall, severely injuring Inigo’s right leg. He underwent multiple surgeries to repair the leg, but it left him with a permanent limp for the rest of his life.

This challenging period marked a profound transformation in Ignatius’s life.

Unable to access his beloved books on knights and romances during his recovery, he redirected his focus to religious literature, igniting a significant spiritual awakening.

Following his injury and spiritual transformation, Inigo went on to establish the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and became renowned as St. Ignatius of Loyola. He emerged as a prominent figure in the Catholic Church, emphasizing spiritual exercises, education, and missionary work. His spiritual journey and teachings continue to inspire people worldwide. Within the traditional Christian context, devout believers endeavor to comprehend God’s purpose

for their lives.

They diligently seek signs and guidance, and when clear indications are absent, they proceed to make decisions while seeking God’s blessing for the chosen path. St. Ignatius Loyola, drawing from his own personal experiences, devised a method of decision-making and discernment.

During his convalescence following a cannonball injury, he indulged in daydreams about his future and noticed distinct inner experiences.

He termed those experiences that brought joy to his heart and propelled him toward a particular direction as “consolation.”

Conversely, he labeled those inner experiences that left him feeling restless, empty, or dissatisfied as “desolation.”

Unable to access his beloved books on knights and romances during his recovery, he redirected his focus to religious literature, igniting a significant spiritual awakening

He recognized that consolation typically originated from the Spirit of God, touching his heart and thoughts, whereas desolation arose from what he perceived as the evil spirit, the adversary of human nature.

Empowered by this awareness of divine guidance, Ignatius crafted a set of guidelines for individuals seeking to discern God’s calling in their lives.

He referred to these guidelines as the “Rules for the Discernment of Spirits.”

These rules are intended for significant life decisions, such as choosing a life path, aligning with a suitable occupation that matches one’s gifts and talents, making career changes, deciding on family planning, purchasing a home, selecting a college for a child, or determining the best living arrangement for an aging parent.

These decisions involve evaluating competing

Indictment puts Trump, democracy on trial

US court against anyone. “It’s not hyperbole to say that the conduct of this prosecution will greatly influence whether the US remains a thriving democracy after 2024.”

Smith, the special counsel, linked Trump’s actions following his November 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden directly to the attack two months later on the US Capitol, which he called an “unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy.”

“It was fueled by lies,” Smith said. “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.”

‘Darkest hours’

Historian Jon Meacham, whose biography of former president Andrew Jackson won a 2009 Pulitzer Prize, said the charges against the twiceimpeached Trump stem from what he called one of the “darkest hours” in American history.

“What we haven’t had before is a person so powerful that they can bend the Constitution to the point of breaking,” Meacham said on MSNBC.

“(Trump) put fundamentally his own appetite, his own ambition, ahead of everything else.”

The 45-page indictment brought by Smith charges Trump with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy to deprive Americans of a civil right -- their votes.

The “criminal scheme,” as Smith described it, meticulously outlines the various efforts taken by Trump and his unnamed co-conspirators to overturn the election results using accusations

that they knew were untrue. “The purpose of the conspiracy was to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election by using knowingly false claims of election fraud,” the indictment says. “Despite having lost, the Defendant was determined to remain in power.”

The plot allegedly included repeated attempts to pressure vice president Mike Pence into throwing out Electoral College votes at the January 6 joint session of Congress.

When Pence told Trump during a January 1 meeting he had no constitutional authority to do so, the president reportedly responded by saying “You’re too honest.” Trump and his co-conspirators are also accused of submitting fraudulent slates of

electors to Congress in a bid to reverse the results in seven key states won by Biden.

Trump allegedly sought to enlist senior Justice Department officials in his plot, telling them at one point to “Just say that the election was corrupt and leave the rest to me and the Republican congressmen.”

The efforts culminated in a fiery speech by the president near the White House on January 6 and the subsequent attack on the US Capitol by his supporters, who were seeking to block the certification of Biden’s victory.

Trump, who has denounced the indictment as politically motivated, is expected to make his first court appearance to answer the charges before a US District Court Judge in Washington on Thursday.

Campaign coffers emptied

Meanwhile, some say Trump has been burning through millions of dollars as he faces an onslaught of legal bills from the investigations threatening his presidential election bid -- with some sources of funding drying up fast.

Trump is hardly strapped for cash, as his joint fundraising committee brought in $54 million during the first half of 2023 -- more than any of his Republican primary rivals in next year’s election.

But critics say new financial filings demonstrate how his spiraling legal woes are making a significant dent in a war chest that could be going to TV spots, rallies and other campaign events as he bids for a second term.

The Save America political action committee Trump founded disclosed this week that it was

goods rather than making choices between good and bad options.

Despite not attaining the splendid military triumphs he once envisioned during his youth, Ignatius is revered as a genuine soldier for Christ.

As the patron saint of soldiers, particularly Catholic soldiers, he fulfills the role of an intermediary, seeking protection and safety in times of peril, while also serving as a constant reminder to every soldier that their ultimate mission is to serve God.

Perhaps the essence of Ignatius’ life can be best encapsulated in his renowned saying: “ad majorem Dei gloriam” — which translates to “all for the greater glory of God.”

In 1541, Ignatius was elected as the first superior general of the Jesuits, a position he held for the rest of his life, guiding the order’s path.

Throughout his leadership tenure with the Jesuits, Ignatius passionately exhorted his brothers to be brave and resolute, all for the greater glory of God.

He would encourage them to “go forth and set the world on fire.”

Nearly 500 years later, the Jesuits are still living that mission.

From a peak of around 36,000 Jesuits in the 1960s, the number of Jesuits is down to less than 15,000 globally and in the Philippines there are less than 300.

But as Fr Robert Rivera SJ, until recently president of Ateneo de Naga University and the homilist last Sunday during the Province-wide Eucharistic celebration on the Feast of Saint Ignatius last Sunday, said this was not something to fear as all of us who work with the Jesuits, and there are thousands of us, are sons and daughters of Ignatius of Loyola and this is our prayer: “Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding,and my entire will, All I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will.

“Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me.”

down to its last $4 million by the end of June— loose change in campaign finance terms—after spending more than $20 million on legal fees.

Trump has a wide berth to spend vast sums on lawyers, and there is no question of criminal wrongdoing in doing so, but Washington watchers have questioned whether campaign donors should be expected to pick up such tabs.

“If you’re sending Trump money, it’s almost exclusively going to his personal legal fees,” said attorney and conservative political writer A.G. Hamilton.

“Which also means they are going to have practically nothing left over for spending on turnout efforts to compete with Democrats in key states.”

Trump’s latest indictment over his push to overturn the 2020 election will further strain resources, with legal bills now his PAC’s largest expense as the billionaire faces indictments in Florida, New York and Washington.

78 felony counts

The Republican National Committee covered most of Trump’s legal bills until November last year but stopped when he launched his 2024 election bid.

His various political operations have around $32 million cash in the bank heading towards January’s Iowa caucus—the first nominating contest in the primary season.

Most of the money Trump raises goes directly to his presidential campaign, with just 10 percent going to Save America, which has been covering legal expenses for almost any figure in Trump’s orbit ensnared in the investigations. AFP

(Trump) is due to go on trial in New York in March next year over allegations he covered up ‘hush money’ payments to a porn star

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

WORLD

Not guilty, Trump pleads to election conspiracy cases

WASHINGTON, DC – Former president Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday (Friday, Manila time) to criminal charges he conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election and defraud the American people.

Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, entered his plea during a nearly 30-minute hearing at the same Washington courthouse where hundreds of his supporters have been convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

“Not guilty,” Trump said after magistrate judge Moxila Upadhyaya read the four criminal counts -- and the potential maximum prison sentences -- in the 45-page indictment brought by special counsel Jack Smith.

The 77-year-old has already been charged in two other criminal cases, and the new conspiracy charges raise the prospect of his being further embroiled in legal proceedings at the height of next year’s election campaign.

Speaking to reporters at Reagan National airport before leaving Washington on his private plane, Trump said the cases brought against him were “persecution of a political opponent.”

“This is a very sad day for America,” he said. “This is the persecution of the person that’s leading by very, very substantial numbers in the Republican primary and leading (President Joe) Biden by a lot.

“So if you can’t beat him, you persecute him or you prosecute him,” he said. “We can’t let this happen in America.”

Later on Thursday, Trump quipped on his Truth Social account that considering he had to journey “to a filthy, dirty, falling apart & very unsafe Washington” for his arraignment, “it was a

Two US Navy men nabbed, suspected spying for China

LOS ANGELES, USA—Two serving members of the US Navy have been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, the Department of Justice said Friday.

The men are suspected to be selling secret information to Beijing that included manuals for warships and their weapons systems, as well as blueprints for a radar system and plans for a huge US military exercise.

“These arrests are a reminder of the relentless, aggressive efforts of the People’s Republic of China to undermine our democracy and threaten those who defend it,” said Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, which was involved in the sting.

China “compromised enlisted personnel to secure sensitive military information that could seriously jeopardize US national security.”

In a press release, the Department of Justice said sailor Jinchao Wei, who served on the amphibious assault ship the USS Essex in San Diego, had handed over dozens of documents, photos and videos detailing the operation of ships and their systems. These included technical and mechanical manuals that dealt with the weaponry of his own vessel.

The 22-year-old, who is alleged to have been paid thousands of dollars for the information, faces possible life in jail if convicted. AFP

very good day!”

The judge set the next hearing in the high-stakes case for August 28 before US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan, who will preside over the eventual trial.

“I can guarantee to everybody there will be a fair process and a fair trial,” Upadhyaya said.

Security was tight around the E. Barrett Prettyman federal courthouse where the hearing was held, with metal barricades blocking access and police patrolling the perimeter.

Small groups of demonstrators holding placards milled about outside along with curious tourists.

“Jail Trump Forever,” read one sign.

“Trump 24,” read another.

“We wanted to see it,” said Dave Werner, 52, of Houston, Texas, who was visiting the capital with his son Liam, 12. “It’s a little bit being part of history.”

The accusations that Trump and six unnamed co-conspirators plotted to upend the 2020 election are the most serious of the cases threatening to derail his White House comeback bid.

Biden, for his part, was asked during a bike ride while vacationing in Delaware if he would follow the arraignment. His response was a curt “No.”

Smith, a former war crimes prosecutor at the Hague, has charged Trump with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding and attempting to disenfranchise voters with his false claims that he won the election.AFP

Lebanon marks 3 years since catastrophic blast

BEIRUT—Lebanon on Friday marked three years since one of history’s biggest non-nuclear explosions rocked Beirut.

Yet nobody has been held to account as political and legal pressures suspend the investigation.

On August 4, 2020, the massive blast at Beirut’s port destroyed swathes of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring at least 6,500.

Authorities said the disaster was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where a vast stockpile of industrial chemical ammonium nitrate had been haphazardly stored for years.

Three years on, the probe is virtually at a standstill, leaving survivors still yearning for answers.

The main activist group representing families of those killed has called for a protest march on Friday afternoon, converging on the port.

“This is a day of commemoration,

mourning and protest against the Lebanese state that politicizes our cause and interferes in the judiciary,” said Rima al-Zahed, whose brother was killed in the explosion.

“The judiciary is shackled, justice is out of reach, and the truth is shrouded,” she told AFP.

The blast struck amid an economic collapse that the World Bank has dubbed one of the worst in recent history and which is widely blamed on a governing elite accused of corruption and mismanagement.

Since its early days, the probe into the explosion has faced a slew of political and legal challenges.

In December 2020, lead investigator Fadi Sawan charged former prime minister Hassan Diab and three ex-ministers with negligence.

But as political pressure mounted, Sawan was removed from the case. His successor, Tarek Bitar, unsuc-

cessfully asked lawmakers to lift parliamentary immunity for MPs who were formerly ministers.

The powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah group has launched a campaign against Bitar, accusing him of bias and demanding his dismissal.

The interior ministry has refused to execute arrest warrants which the lead investigator has issued.

In December 2021, Bitar suspended his probe after a barrage of lawsuits, mainly from politicians he had summoned on charges of negligence.

But in a surprise move this January, Bitar resumed investigations after a 13-month hiatus, charging eight new suspects including high-level security officials and Lebanon’s top prosecutor, Ghassan Oueidat.

Oueidat then charged Bitar with insubordination and “usurping power”, and ordered the release of all those detained over the blast. AFP

Russia: Ukraine attacks thwarted on Black Sea naval base, Crimea

MOSCOW—Russia’s defence ministry said Friday it had thwarted overnight Ukrainian attacks on a naval base in the Black Sea and the Crimean peninsula.

“Tonight, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with the use of two unmanned sea boats, attempted an attack on the Novorossiysk naval base of the Russian Armed Forces,” the ministry said on Telegram.

Russian ships destroyed the naval drones, it said.

The Black Sea port of Novorossiysk hosts the terminus of a pipeline that carries most Kazakh oil exports through Russia.

The fuel artery’s operator Caspian Pipeline Consortium said it was continuing to ship oil to moored tankers at the terminal, Russian state media reported Friday.

Niger junta threatens quick response to any ‘aggression’

NIAMEY, Niger—Niger’s newly installed junta has threatened an immediate response to any “aggression or attempted aggression,, as the clock ticks down on a deadline given by its neighbors to reverse last week’s coup.

It also made diplomatic swipes against international condemnation of the putsch, scrapping military pacts with France and pulling its ambassadors from Paris and Washington as well as from Togo and Nigeria.

On Sunday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) gave the junta a week to reinstate democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who was toppled by his guard

on July 26, or risk a possible military intervention.

Regional military chiefs are in Nigeria’s capital Abuja to discuss the possibility of a such an intervention, but Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Thursday told the bloc’s delegations to do “whatever it takes” to reach an “amicable resolution”.

Niger’s junta warned it would meet force with force.

“Any aggression or attempted aggression against the State of Niger will see an immediate and unannounced response from the Niger Defense and Security Forces on one of (the bloc’s) members,” one of the putschists said in

a statement read on national television late Thursday.

This came with “the exception of suspended friendly countries”, an allusion to Burkina Faso and Mali, neighbouring countries that have also fallen to military coups in recent years.

Those countries’ juntas have warned any military intervention in Niger would be tantamount to a “declaration of war” against them.

Nigeria, West Africa’s pre-eminent military and economic power, is the current ECOWAS chair and has vowed a firm line against coups.

The bloc has already imposed trade and financial sanctions on Niger. AFP

Russian opposition leader Navalny faces 20 more years

MOSCOW—Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was scheduld to face trial again Friday to hear whether he has been found guilty of a series of extremism charges that could see him spend 20 more years behind bars.

He is already serving a nine-year sentence in a maximum-security prison for “embezzlement”, a charge that his supporters say was trumped up in retaliation for challenging President Vladimir Putin.

Navalny said he expected the court to hand him a lengthy, “Stalinist” prison sentence of about 18 years, and called on his supporters to resist Putin’s rule in a statement Thursday.

“Please consider and realize that by jailing hundreds, Putin is trying to intimidate millions,” he said.

Navalny has a huge following on social media, where he has posted videos exposing alleged corruption among Russia’s elite and mobilized massive anti-government protests.

His court hearing on Friday will be held behind closed doors at the IK-6 penal colony, a maximum-security prison some 250 kilometers east of Moscow, where the 47-year-old has been serving his sentence.

Prosecutors allege that Navalny created an organization that undermined public security by carrying out “extremist activities”.

His Anti-Corruption Foundation, that investigates graft among Russian officials, was banned for extremism in 2021. AFP

But “a temporary ban has been established on the movement of ships in the port”, said the company, as quoted by Interfax news agency.

Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has been targeted since the beginning of Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine more than a year ago, but attacks have increased in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has visited a combat zone in Ukraine to inspect a command post and meet senior military officers, the army said Friday.

Shoigu got an update on the situation on the front and “thanked commanders and soldiers... for successful offensive operations” in Lyman in eastern Ukraine, it said, without mentioning when the visit took place. AFP

N. Zealand military ‘not in a fit state,’ says government

WELLINGTON, New Zealand— Facing aging equipment and difficulties recruiting personnel, New Zealand’s military needs a revamp, the government said Friday.

The South Pacific nation’s roughly 15,000-strong defense force “is not in a fit state to respond to future challenges”, according to a policy review presented by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Defence Minister Andrew Little.

According to the review, New Zealand’s military is designed for a “relatively benign strategic environment” rather than the region’s current predicaments, including climate-fueled challenges and intense strategic competition between China and the West.

Little said New Zealand needs to invest in a “combat-capable” force and cannot count on being protected by its remoteness.

“The changes in the domestic and international security environment mean our response and preparedness must change too,” Little told reporters Friday “We must be prepared to equip ourselves with trained personnel, assets and material, and appropriate international relationships in order to protect our own defense and national security.” AFP

TRUMP ARRAIGNED. Former US President and 2024 hopeful Donald Trump arrives at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia Friday, after his arraignment in court. The 77-year-old Trump pleaded not guilty to four historic charges he led a criminal conspiracy seeking to defraud the American people by trying to overturn the 2020 election. AFP

CONTINUING CULTURE. People perform Ukrainian folk dance at Saint Volodymyr Hill in downtown Kyiv, on Friday amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP

POST BLOCKADE. A burned truck remains on a road in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico the other day. Armed men set fire to 12 cars in different parts of Acapulco following a blockade by public transport workers after the arrest of a man and the search of a house by the authorities. AFP

Stocks, peso plunge on rising crude prices

reductions may be on the way.”

PSEi August 4, 2023

TOP GAINERS

By Jenniffer B. Austria and Julito G. Rada

LOCAL stocks and the peso plummeted Friday amid massive sell-off as investors worry over escalating global crude prices despite the softening local inflation.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index lost 125.92 points, or 1.91 percent, to close at 6,450.84, while the broader allshares index went down by 51.88 percent to settle at 3,447.61.

TOP LOSERS

MOST ACTIVE

China Bank Capital managing director Juan Paolo Colet said even as the July inflation rate eased to 16-month low at 4.7 percent from 5.4 percent in June, investors were worried that upward pressures were building up especially for socially-sensitive commodities like rice and oil.

Philstocks Financial Inc. research analyst Claire Alviar said there were also concerns over increased US bond yields after a credit downgrade.

“The selling pressure was strong this time as the net market value turnover was recorded at P6.52 billion, higher than this year’s average of P5.11 billion,” Alviar said.

The peso aso retreated to its lowest in

more than one month, pulled down by higher global oil prices, weaker local stock market and the expected tail-end of the seasonal increase in remittances from overseas Filipino workers. The local currency lost P0.22 to close at 55.74 against the greenback Friday from 55.52 Thursday. It was its weakest level since settling at 55.77 on June 23, 2023. Michael Ricafort, chief economist of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said the dollar’s strength was noted “after global crude oil prices lingered at among 3.5-month highs recently, after Saudi Arabia extended its unilateral production cut of 1 million barrels per day by another month and hinted that deeper

China relaxes visa, urban residency rules to bolster growth

BEIJING—China will allow some foreigners to obtain visas on arrival and rural residents to settle more easily in cities as part of a series of measures aimed at boosting its flagging economy.

The relaxations aim to “promote the free movement” of “people, vehicles, information and data”, an official from the Ministry of Public Security said Thursday.

China’s post-Covid recovery has run out of steam in recent months, dragged down by sluggish consumption and a real estate sector in crisis.

GDP growth increased by just 0.8 percent from the first to second quarter of the year, and youth unemployment has reached record highs at over 20 percent.

In response, the ministry announced 26 new measures on Thursday, including a new visa policy for foreign business people. Those who come to China to participate in trade negotiations, expos, conferences or to invest will be able to obtain visas on arrival, provided they present the necessary documents.

Previously, travelers had to apply for a visa at a Chinese embassy or consulate in their country of departure.

Also announced Thursday was a further relaxation of the controversial permanent residence system, or “hukou”, which for decades has classified Chinese people as either “urban” or “rural”.

Chinese citizens are entitled to settle,

live and work in any location across the country.

But because of the residence system, they can only benefit from certain public services, including health insurance and education, where they are registered -generally their place of birth.

This arrangement, which is nominally aimed at avoiding unbridled urbanization, in practice causes many Chinese to give up settling in the city due to the difficulties of attaining full access to public services.

To soften these restrictions, China will “further relax registration requirements” and “encourage people from the countryside who have the ability to work and live in the cities to settle there with their family.” AFP

Amazon, Apple beat earnings forecasts, commit to investing more in AI tech

SAN FRANCISCO, United States

—Amazon and Apple on Thursday reported earnings that topped market expectations, aiming for even better days ahead with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).

“Inside Amazon, every one of our teams is working on building generative AI applications that reinvent and enhance their customers’ experience,” chief executive Andy Jassy said during an earnings call.

Apple views AI and machine learning as “core fundamental technologies that are integral to virtually every product that we build,” company boss Tim Cook told analysts while discussing the iPhone maker’s quarterly earnings.

“It’s absolutely critical to us,” Cook said of AI.

He cited crash detection and other iPhone features as technologies that “wouldn’t be possible without AI and machine learning.” Crash detection presents a user with a prompt for an emergency call if a handset senses a collision.

“We’ve been doing research across a wide range of AI technologies, including generative AI for years,” Cook said.

“We’re going to continue investing and innovating and responsibly advancing our products with these technologies.”

Apple reported modestly higher profits in the recently ended quarter despite another dip in revenues, as a record performance in services offset lower iPhone sales.

Executives spotlighted increased sales in China and several key emerging markets that helped to compensate for declines in the United States where the iPhone sales have ebbed in a saturated smartphone environment.

Profits for Apple’s third fiscal quarter were $19.9 billion, up 2.3 percent from the year-ago period. Revenues again declined, this time by 1.4 percent to

$81.8 billion, the third straight quarter with a year-over-year decline.

Bright spots for the tech giant included an “all-time high” in services revenue, comprised of the App store, Apple pay and Apple TV and other subscription services.

AI for all?

Amazon reported a quarterly profit that trounced market expectations, driven by strong sales helped by its annual Prime discount event.

The e-commerce giant said it made a profit of $6.7 billion in the recently ended quarter, eclipsing earnings forecasts.

“It was another strong quarter of progress for Amazon,” the company’s chief executive Andy Jassy said in an earnings release.

The e-commerce colossus boasted of having its “biggest Prime Day event ever” in July, with subscribers to the Amazon service worldwide ordering more than 375 million items.

Order delivery speeds in the US were the fastest ever, with Amazon continuing to work on optimizing efficiency and lowering costs at fulfillment centers, according to the company.

Jassy in March laid out a plan to cut 9,000 more jobs from the online retail giant’s workforce, following the 18,000 that were axed in January.

Jassy told his workers at the time that the extra layoffs were necessary as the company seeks a way to downsize after years of sustained hiring by the Seattlebased company.

“The peso also weakened after the latest decline in the PSEi by -125.92 points or 1.6 percent to close at 6,450.84, new two-week lows since July 11, 2023…,” he said. Ricafort said another factor that contributed to the peso’s weakness was the “tail-end” of the seasonal increase in OFW remittances for tuition and other school opening-related payments, to be followed by the seasonal increase in importation in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Asian markets were mixed Friday at the end of a volatile week, with a fresh spike in US Treasury yields weighing on Wall Street and traders still concerned about the Federal Reserve’s interest rate plans. With AFP

US slaps $300m fine over huge robocall ‘scam’

NEW YORK, United States—US officials issued Thursday a record $300 million fine over a robocall scam that placed more than five billion unsolicited calls to targeted consumers over three months. Operating under different names across multiple countries including Hungary, Panama and the United States since at least 2018, the enterprise executed an extraordinary number of unsolicited calls, including to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, the Federal Communications Commission said. US officials had announced the proposed $300 million fine in December, giving the accused 30 days to response. When the FCC received no response, it announced Thursday’s action.

If the parties do not pay the fine, the case will be referred to the Justice Department for collection, the FCC said.

The operation violated federal spoofing laws by using more than one million different caller ID numbers to trick people into answering the phone.

Key players in the scheme, which involved “the false and misleading claim of selling auto warranties,” were Roy Cox, Jr. and Michael Aaron Jones, both of whom were under lifetime bans against making telemarketing calls following earlier government enforcement actions.

“We take seriously our responsibility to protect consumers and the integrity of US communications networks from the onslaught of these types of pernicious calls,” said FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan Egal. AFP

New York couple plead guilty to bitcoin laundering

NEW YORK, United States—A married couple from New York dubbed “Bitcoin Bonnie and Crypto Clyde” pleaded guilty on Thursday to laundering billions of dollars in stolen bitcoin, prosecutors announced.

Ilya Lichtenstein, 35, and Heather Morgan, 33, were arrested in February last year after the US government seized 95,000 bitcoin then valued at $3.6 billion.

Prosecutors said the pair stole the bitcoin in 2016 using “advanced hacking tools.” Authorities recovered the funds from wallets controlled by the duo.

Since their arrests, the government has seized another approximately $475 million tied to the hack, the Southern District of New York said in a statement.

In total, the couple admitted to laundering conspiracies arising from the theft of approximately 120,000 bitcoin from Bitfinex, a global cryptocurrency exchange.

“The upturn in Amazon’s commerce business is an encouraging sign for the back half of the year,” said Insider Intelligence principal analyst Andrew Lipsman.

Revenue taken in by the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing unit increased to $22 billion in a year-overyear comparison, but costs climbed as well, resulting in a lower operating income than in the same period in 2022.

“Our AWS growth stabilized as customers started shifting from cost optimization to new workload deployment,” Jassy said.

“AWS has continued to add to its meaningful leadership position in the cloud with a slew of generative AI releases.” AFP

The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors said that Lichtenstein, at times with Morgan’s help, “employed numerous sophisticated laundering techniques.”

That included using fictitious identities to set up online accounts and utilizing computer programs to automate transactions.

They deposited the stolen funds into accounts in a variety of darknet markets and cryptocurrency exchanges and then withdrew the money, which confuses the transaction history.

They couple also converted bitcoin to other forms of cryptocurrency and even exchanged a portion of the stolen funds into gold coins, which Morgan then concealed by burying them. AFP

FOOD SECURITY. US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (right) and Food Systems for the Future president and chief executive Ertharin Cousin listen to APEC Secretariat executive director Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria (center) speak during a food security meeting on the sidelines of the the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Ministerial Meeting in Seattle, Washington on August 3, 2023. AFP

BUSINESS

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Department of Transportation said Friday

the Japan International Cooperation Agency pledged P125.7 million to create a 30-year railway masterplan for Metro Manila and surrounding regions.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the 30-year plan to be formulated by the government with technical cooperation from JICA “would certainly enable us to build more than just a thousand kilometers of rails.”

“This time, our railway personnel will have to adapt to new technologies

MORE Electric signs deal to promote green energy

MORE Electric and Power Corp. said Friday it signed a tripartite agreement with the Energy Regulatory Commission and the Iloilo City government to promote renewable energy resources that will make electricity more affordable for consumers in Iloilo.

The agreement allows MORE Power, Iloilo City’s power distributor owned by businessman Enrique Razon Jr., to establish a one-stop shop to offer RE technologies such as net metering and distributed energy resources which provide consumers with more choices of lowering energy consumption.

MORE Power president and chief executive

Roel Castro said the agreement with ERC and Iloilo City LGU supports the national government’s thrust to contribute to the global commitments to lower greenhouse gas emissions by popularizing the use of renewable energy resources.

“One of the obligations under the agreement is to have a one-stop shop where applicants and interested parties can come. Our collaboration with the city government has been active for the past three years, and we warmly welcome the involvement of ERC. Being the first in the Visayas to enter into this agreement showcases our strong support for the government,” said Castro.

The ERC will provide the technical and regulatory expertise to streamline the documentary submission, installation, payment and permitting processes of net-metering program.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Coin deposit machines collect over P18.8m

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday its coin deposit machines deployed at various shopping malls accepted more than P18.8 million worth of coins with over 10,900 transactions as of July 31, 2023 after they were launched on June 20.

It said coins deposited into the machines were mostly credited to customers’ e-wallets, while a portion was exchanged for shopping vouchers.

The BSP said with the continued increase in deployments in key retail establishments, it expected more Filipinos to enjoy the benefits offered by the CoDMs. CoDMs allow customers to conveniently deposit legal tender coins and have the equivalent amount credited to their GCash accounts. The BSP is also working to onboard Maya, providing more e-wallet options to the public.

CoDMs located at Festival Mall in Alabang and SM Malls may also exchange coins for shopping vouchers that can be used at any SM Store nationwide. CoDMs accept all denominations (1-, 5-, 10- and 25-sentimo; and 1-, 5-, 10- and 20-piso) of the BSP Coin Series and the New Generation Currency Coin Series. The project is in line with the BSP’s Coin Recirculation Program which aims to flush out idle coins from piggy banks and jars and put them back in circulation to support the currency needs of the growing Philippine economy.

G. Rada

Julito

Ayala’s IMI to divest 80% interest in UK company

INTEGRATED Micro-Electronics of the Ayala Group is selling its entire 80-percent stake in UK-based electronics manufacturer STI Ltd. to Rcapital, a private investment firm based in London for GBP2.2 million (P156 million).

IMI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Friday the divestment is in line with the group’s ongoing strategy to sharpen its portfolio, focusing on its growth and profitability within core markets. “The rationalization of IMI’s operations will allow for tighter management focus and capital allocation as the company navigates today’s challenging macroeconomic and geopolitical environment,” the company said.

STI is primarily engaged in providing electronics design and manufacturing solutions for the aerospace, defense and security sectors. It has two factories in the United Kingdom and one in Cebu. It also operates a design center in London.

IMI acquired an 80-percent interest in STI in 2017 as part of its move to expand into the aerospace and defense markets, while strengthening the industrial segment in manufacturing and technology development and engineering. Jenniffer B. Austria

and modern equipment. No one else can lead this railway renaissance,” Bautista said.

Under the masterplan, the government of Japan, through JICA, will continue to invest in the country’s railway infrastructure expansion and will cover areas in Metro Manila, Central Luzon

and CALABARZON for 30 years or until 2055.

The masterplan is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2026.

DOTr Undersecretary for railways

Cesar Chavez said the 30-year plan was “unheard of, and treated as a voyage to the future like a mission to Mars.”

“This masterplan, for example, will transcend five presidencies, and I am sure that it will contain a blueprint so viable, and a vision so compelling that succeeding administrations will have no choice but to follow it,” Chavez said.

“With 150-year experience in rail development, with 30,000 kilometers of

rail, with 25 billion riders a year, there are no better senseis than these kind, compassionate, generous, hardworking and honest people,” he said.

Chavez said he is “confident that the masterplan that will be drafted will not end up in some dusty archives, but will be a living document.”

The master plan aims to rapidly expand the railway infrastructure network and sustainable urban development, increase rail passenger trips and double the average distance of all trips within one hour during peak rush hour by 2055.

The plan also aims to enhance the learning and planning capabilities of the

Gov’t, JICA to develop 30-year railway plan IN BRIEF

DOTr through technology and knowledge transfer from JICA.

It is also expected to strengthen the DOTr’s institutional capacity and increase the knowledge of staff in transportation planning, project development and proficiency in industry-leading transportation planning software.

Japan has one of the most extensive rail networks in the world and pioneered bullet trains with top speed of more than 300 kilometers per hour.

Japan is also extending official development assistance loans for the NorthSouth Commuter Railway and Metro Manila Subway project.

By Alena Mae S. Flores

CUSTOMERS of Manila Electric Co.

may enjoy lower generation charges in August on reduced demand, an executive said Friday.

“While we have yet to receive the final billings from our suppliers, we expect a possible decrease in the generation charge this month. We’ve seen reduced demand in the last supply month, which likely led to lower WESM [Wholesale Electricity Spot Market] prices,” Meralco vice president and spokesman Joe Zaldarraiga said.

AMPLEON’S INVESTMENT. Trade Undersecretary and Board of Investments managing head Ceferino Rodolfo (left) meets with Ampleon chief executive Vincent Gerritsma to discuss the company’s ongoing operations in the Philippines and insights on recent incentives regime and Philippine investment climate. Ampleon, the top 3 among 8 global key players in radio frequency power products is headquartered in Nijmegen, The Netherlands and has a plant in Cabuyao, Laguna which employs around 1,100 skilled workers.

Dutch electronics manufacturer bullish on PH operations

By Othel V. Campos

DUTCH company Ampleon, the world’s third biggest manufacturer of safety radios and navigation equipment, expressed confidence on its continuing operations in the Philippines.

Ampleon chief executive Vincent Gerritsma met with Trade Undersecretary and Board of Investments managing head Ceferino Rodolfo discussed the company’s local operations during the Department of Trade and Industry’s two-week Europe Investment Roadshow last month.

Gerritsma said among the key con-

siderations for their decision to do business in the Philippines are the availability of young, skilled and highly trainable talent, competitive labor cost in the ASEAN region and geopolitical stability.

Ampleon provided invaluable insights on how to strengthen the incentives regime and how the Philippines could become more competitive in the electronics and semiconductor industries.

Its wholly-owned unit in Cabuyao, Laguna is the second strategic facility next to the mother unit based in Nijmegen, Netherlands. It operates similar

manufacturing plants in Europe, the US and China.

The company’s Cabuyao plant is 100-percent powered by renewable energy and has been operating since 2016. It is considered Ampleon’s second most important site globally as it employs around 1,100 skilled workers, their biggest hub in terms of manpower. Ampleon has been designing and manufacturing RF power products for over 50 years. Its innovative portfolio offers products and solutions for 4G LTE and 5G NR infrastructure, industrial, scientific, medical, broadcast, navigation and safety radio applications.

PSE INDEX CLOSING

Friday, August 4, 2023

-125.92 PTS.

6,450.84

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2023

Currency UnitUS DollarPeso United States Dollar 1.00000055.3880

Japan Yen 0.0070160.3886

UKPound1.27160070.4314

Hong KongDollar0.1280987.0951

SwitzerlandFranc1.14364163.3440

CanadaDollar0.74900841.4861

SingaporeDollar0.74604641.3220

AustraliaDollar0.65500036.2791

BahrainDinar2.652661146.9256

Saudi Arabia Rial 0.26678014.7764

BruneiDollar0.74327341.1684

IndonesiaRupiah0.0000660.0037

Thailand Baht 0.0288431.5976

UAE Dirham0.27228715.0814

EuroEuro 1.09500060.6499

Korea Won 0.0007710.0427

ChinaYuan0.1394397.7232 IndiaRupee0.0120850.6694

MalaysiaRinggit0.21953912.1598

New Zealand Dollar 0.60780033.6648

TaiwanDollar0.0315761.7489 Source: BSP

WESM, the trading floor of electricity, posted a decline in prices in the first half of July by P0.60 per kilowatthour in the Luzon and Visayas grids, according to the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines.

WESM operator IEMOP attributed the lower spot market prices to reduced demand during the period as a result of the rainy season and tropical depression Dodong.

This will be the second consecutive month of lower electricity prices after Meralco reported a reduction of P0.7213 per kWh in July on lower cost of generation from the company’s suppliers.

“The quarterly repricing of Malampaya will also reflect the lower crude prices over the past six months. The peso appreciation, which affects suppliers’ costs that are mostly dollar denominated, will also help further pull down the generation charge,” Zaldarriaga said.

Meralco’s overall rate for a typical household amounted to P11.1899 per kWh in July and P11.9112 per kWh in June.

By Jenniffer

B. Austria

JOLLIBEE Foods Corp. said Friday it is bringing Singaporen food and beverage brands Tiong Bahru Bakery and Common Man Coffee Roasters to the Philippines via a P250-million joint venture partnership. JFC and Food Collective Pte. Ltd. formed a 60:40 joint venture company that will own and operate the two F&B brands in the country.

Converge

Converge ICT expects to double fiber prepaid subscribers this year on rising Internet usage

By Darwin G. Amojelar

CONVERGE ICT Solutions Inc. said

Friday it expects to double its fiber prepaid subscribers this year as it aggressively expands its services among lowincome groups in urban centers.

Converge, which launched its Surf2Sawa prepaid fiber internet product in Tondo, one of its top served urban settlements, said it was well on track to hitting its goal of reaching 120,000 subscribers by year-end from 60,000 subscribers today.

The community event was held at Sandiwaan Center, just across Smokey Mountain, in Manila.

“In Metro Manila, we are elated to see S2S prepaid fiber internet being the home broadband product of choice in dense communities in the city of Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan and Taguig. This is a sign that these urban settlements are leveraging our pure fiber connectivity to augment their livelihood and answer their entertainment, social and even financial needs,” said Converge chief executive and cofounder Dennis Uy.

“We are glad to enrich the digital lives of these neighborhoods and in our own way, help their socioeconomic development,” he said.

Converge launched S2S in November

2022 with presence in over 400 cities and municipalities across the country.

As of end-July, S2S was serving customers in 554 cities and municipalities from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

“For 2023, we hope to open in new areas in Luzon such as Kalinga and Occidental Mindoro, Visayas, including Negros Oriental and Leyte and Mindanao provinces like Sarangani, South Cotabato and Bukidnon,” said Converge senior executive vice president and chief operations officer Jesus Romero.

Converge strengthened its hold in key urban areas through a business model that recruited sales agents within the

community as retailers, providing much needed livelihood opportunities in these neighborhoods.

Surf2Sawa is a prepaid fiber-to-thehome plan with various top-up options for as low as P50 load for one-day service and up to P700 for a 30-day unlimited connectivity which is the most widely subscribed plan. The modem limits concurrent users to six devices, with an average speed of 25 megabits per second.

Converge, with more than 8 million ports deployed across the country as of March 2023, said it is well-positioned to capitalize on this prepaid opportunity with expansive digital infrastructure.

“We are excited to enter this joint venture with FCPL to own and operate the Tiong Bahru Bakery and Common Man Coffee Roasters in the Philippines. These brands will be a strong addition to JFC’s foreign franchised brands and will allow JFC to capture an even greater opportunity and strengthen JFC’s position for further growth in the Philippine market,” Jollibee chief executive Ernesto Tanmantiong said in statement to the stock exchange.

Tiong Bahru Bakery is famous for baked goods and coffee with 16 branches in Singapore, while Common Man Coffee Roasters operates an all-day dining cafe with five stores across Singapore and Malaysia.

Both companies committed to invest up to P250 million in the joint venture company, which will have its own resources. JFC will take the lead in the management and operation of the business. The joint venture company will be the franchisee of both brands in the Philippines. FCPL is a majority-owned subsidiary of Titan Lifestyle Holdings Pte. Ltd., which is wholly owned by Titan Dining LP where JFC has a 90-percent participating interest.

Jollibee bringing Singapore bakery, coffee chains to PH

Meralco expects lower generation charges in August

Roderick T. dela Cruz, Editor Alena Mae S. Flores, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

ICT Solutions Inc. co-founder and chief executive Dennis Uy leads the launching of Surf2Sawa (S2S) prepaid fiber internet product in Tondo, Manila.

Elma Muros leads launch of Women’s Run PH tilt

LONG jump great Elma Muros-Posadas served as special guest during the official launching of the Women’s Run PH, a brand new running event series for women.

Muros-Posadas a 15-time Southeast

Asian Games gold medalist and acknowledged as the country’s undisputed long jump queen, graced the event held at Kandle Café in Capitol Commons and led the ceremonial run participated by athletes, running enthusiasts, influencers, and sponsors.

Women’s Run PH is a series of running events created to celebrate and empower women through running and will hold its official run on October 1 at UP Diliman.

There will be two categories to be held, a 1km Kids Dash, and a 5km run exclusive for women.

Rizza Diaz, anchor at One News PH, emceed the event.

Muros-Posadas recounted her experiences as a lady runner, from how she first got into the sport in her province of Romblon all the way to her journey as one of the greatest Filipina athlete ever.

“Hindi pwedeng madehado tayo.

Kung kaya ng mga kalalakihan, kaya rin ng kababaihan,” said the athletic icon.

Women’s Run PH founder Nicole Dela Cruz also shared details of the exclusivefor-women running event including its inspirations, aspirations, and what it aims to become in the coming years.

“This event is very special to me, and I am very passionate about it,” said Dela Cruz, who is also an athlete.

She also expressed gratitude to Rio de la Cruz, president and CEO of Runrio, for supporting and guiding her in creating the event, and thanked sponsors Marie France and Shiv.

During the event, the official Women’s PH Run singlet and medal were also presented.

Tambalque, Villaroman eye top finish in JPGT Pradera

THE ICTSI 2023 Junior PGT Series moves to Lubao, Pampanga on Sunday (Aug. 6) with Round 3 of the 18-hole stroke play tournament for boys’ 13-14 and 15-18 age divisions and girls’ 1518 play at the sprawling Pradera Golf and Country Club complex.

The 48-player field set to vie for top honors and ranking points surpasses the 45-player cast in the last JPGT leg at Valley Golf Club in Antipolo, which featured the boys’ and girls’ 9-10, boys’ and girls’ 11-12 and girls’ 13-14 classes, as the series continues to gain traction while providing a new platform for these youngsters to hone and develop their talent and skills.

The JPGT series, organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and sponsored by long-time golf patron ICTSI, also includes the drive, chip and putt skills challenge.

Patrick Tambalque, the Round 1 winner at Mount Malarayat last June, seeks another top finish in the 13-14 division that also drew the likes of Tristan Padilla, Alex Crisostomo, Bien Fajardo, Gabriel Handog, Felix Saludar, Ramon Fabie, Santi Asuncion and Clark Bayani.

Zachary Villaroman, on the other hand, leads the chase in the 15-18 category that includes David Serdenia, Alonso Espartero, Zeus Sara, Rafael Manaol and Vasco Esquivel, while Angelica Bañez, Casey Frankum and Lee Ji Won banner the girls’ 15-18 division at the par-72 course, a regular venue of the Philippine Golf Tour and Ladies PGT circuits.

SLAMBALL,

ANYONE?

Bryan

Bell-Anderson #9 of Ozone dunks against the Slashers during a SlamBall game at the Cox Pavilion on in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

Stajcic to Filipinas: Stay together, be like family

By Peter Atencio

MEMBERS of the Philippine National Women’s Team have found encouraging words from former coach Alen Stajcic before he left for his new job.

Stajcic has inspired the Filipinas to stay together and be like a family when their new mentor comes aboard.

“Before he left, Alen has always made it feel like he is part of us. But we still have our team. And now, we’re excited as to who our new coach is going to be,” said Quinley Quezada, one of the team’s senior players.

Quezada and her teammates talked to scribes during a meet-and-greet with fans, organized Thursday at the adidas Store in Glorietta 3 Mall in Makati City.

The Filipinas arrived in Manila last Thursday without Hali Long and Tahnnai Annis.

Stajcic left the Filipinas this week and instead accepted the offer to coach A-League soccer club Perth Glory in his home country Australia.

“He encouraged us to keep our core values the same. Be together as a group and be a family,” said another squad member, Sofia Harrison.

Stajcic’s departure as coach of the Filipinas came after Team Philippines ended its campaign Sunday with a

0-6 loss to Norway in the group stage of 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand. Before the Filipinas bowed out of contention, Stajcic headed the Philippines

women’s national team for 20 months. During his time, the Filipinas won their first major international trophy in the ASEAN Football Federation women’s tourney last year, before scoring their first World Cup goal this year in a win over New Zealand. His successes included the time when he coached the Matildas between 2014 and 2019, during which the team made the quarter-finals of both the 2015 World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics. Other memorable moments Stajcic had with the Filipinas were their semifinal trip to the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup and their first-ever competitive bronze medal at the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi. Then, there was also the ASEAN Football Federation title conquest in Manila and the Filipinas having their highest FIFA ranking of no. 46.

UCI recognizes Tolentino, 3 other cycling-NOC heads in Glasgow gab

PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee chief

Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and three other national Olympic committee presidents who are also heads of their cycling federations were recognized by the International Cycling Union during its Congress on Thursday in Glasgow, Scotland.

Most prominent among the cycling and NOC heads was UCI president David Lappartient, who now leads France’s Olympic committee—a position the world sporting community believes is a prelude to the Frenchman succeeding Thomas Bach as International Olympic Committee president.

“It’s a rare and historic event and opportunity,” said Tolentino of the ongoing UCI World Championships where the sports’ governing

body packed the world championships in 13 cycling disciplines in 11 days in Scotland.

“This won’t be happening again soon,” said Tolentino, adding that next year’s world championships in Zurich would only feature road events. Also recognized alongside Lappartient and Tolentino were NOC and cycling head of Indonesia, Raja Sapta Oktohari, and Mauritania’s Abderrahmane Ethmane.

Their recognition was one of the agenda in the UCI’s 192nd Congress attended by the international federation’s 203 member countries in Glasgow. The UCI was founded 123 years ago on April 14, 1900. Tolentino also had the opportunity to get close and personal with Lappartient and former UCI president Pat McQuaid.

Arcilla puts winning run to test in Hagedorn Open

JOHNNY Arcilla returns to the site of one of his many victories, putting his win run and staying power to the test again in the Rep. Edward Hagedorn Open National Tennis Championships, which got going at the Karawatan PPS Playground in Puerto Princesa, Palawan Friday.

But while he brims with confidence coming into the week-long Group A championship following a sweep of the Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur Open titles last month, the 43-year-old Davis Cup veteran expects a stiffer challenge from a firedup slew of rivals raring to put an end to his remarkable streak.

They include Jose Maria Pague, Joshua Kinaadman, Vicente Anasta,

Eric Jed Olivarez, Eric Tangub, Jelic Amazona and doubles partner Nilo Ledama with the young but talented bidders also ready to spring a surprise or two, led by multi-titled junior champions Brice Baisa, Kendrick Bona and Vince Serna, along with Dave Mosqueda, Alexis Acabo and qualifiers Tristan Licayan and Jeff Manglicmot.

Over P500,000 are up for grabs in the Group A tournament that also features the men’s doubles, women’s Open doubles, women’s doubles 30s, mixed Open doubles and the men’s doubles combine age 100, 110, 120, 130 and 140, according to event organizer Bobby Mangunay.

Also on tap is the national Grand Slam juniors featuring the boys’ and

girls’ 18-and-under singles and doubles which is part of the country’s longest talent-search put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

But focus will be on the men’s Open with Arcilla seeking to nail another victory worth P50,000 with the 10-time PCA Open champion likewise seeking the doubles crown and the top P30,000 with Nilo Ledama in the tournament held in partnership with the LGU of Puerto Princesa City.

Arcilla toppled Ronard Joven, 6-4, 6-4, to capture the championship last year with the former stretching his title run to the current season, including in the recent Lanao series where he foiled Olivarez twice.

Riera U. Mallari, Editor

Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

Alen Stajcic

Elma Muros-Posadas

PHILCYCLING and POC head Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (center) shares a light moment with current International Cycling Union president David Lappartient (left) and former chief Pat McQuaid at the sidelines of the UCI’s 192nd Congress in Glasgow on Thursday.

Johnny Arcilla

Vermosa Estate is future-ready

Vibrant real estate scene at Lamudi Property Fair 2023

THE Lamudi Property Fair 2023, copresented by IKEA and Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), recently held a three-day run at the TriNoma Activity Center. Property seekers flocked to the biggest real estate festival in the country to inspect deals, discounts, and promotions for their dream homes.

The Philippines’ top real estate developers showcased their latest projects to interested property seekers. Representatives of the Land Registration Authority (LRA) partner Land Registration Systems Incorporated (LARES) also discussed the eSerbisyo Portal and its services during the threeday run of the property fair.

Pag-IBIG Fund explained the process of buying acquired assets to the property seekers present during the second day of the Lamudi Property Fair 2023.

Interior design inspirations on tap

Coming all the way from its Philippine flagship store in Pasay, IKEA featured interior design inspirations for attendees to spruce up their abodes. Moreover, the Swedish home furnishing brand also held various activities and mini-games, and featured Bjorn the mascot throughout the three-day housing festival.

IKEA’s first outlet in the Philippines is also its biggest global branch. Launched in 2021, the five-storey facility has over 8,000 products ranging from indoor necessities to outdoor furniture.

“At IKEA, our main goal is to create a better everyday life for many Filipinos through our well-designed and affordable home furnishings. We’re glad to be part of the Lamudi Property Fair to help Filipinos achieve their goals of having their dream homes,” Patrick Marcelo, Marketing and PR Manager of IKEA Philippines said.

Financial solutions for property seekers

Property seekers got the chance to discover flexible housing loan solutions through BPI. As one of the co-presenters of the property fair, the Ayala-led bank aims to encourage and educate attendees in financial literacy for a stable future.

Property ownership has been made easy through BPI’s housing loan services. Among its packages is BPI MyBahay, which provides an opportunity for

IT’S ALL systems go for the Vermosa Estate in Imus and Dasmariñas, Cavite as more amenities and major support systems for its projected business and residential community go up in succession this year. The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) is nearing completion of its 115 kV-34.5kV substation within the 752-hectare mixed use development along Daang Hari Road.

middle-class households to purchase a home.

On the other hand, BPI’s Step Up PayPlan allows interested applicants to plan and control loan payments every year, starting with low amortization in the first year. The client can avail of a minimum loan term of 10 years and choose to lock in their interest rate for three, five, or 10 years.

Property deals, discounts, raffle draw

The Lamudi Property Fair 2023 brought the leading developers of the country into one event in hopes of empowering families to choose a home together.

“My fiance and I are getting married this November so we are looking for a property that we can live in to start a family,” one of the Lamudi Property Fair 2023 attendees said.

In addition to property deals and discounts, attendees also won appliances and gadgets during the daily raffle draw and one lucky winner took home a brandnew iPad during the grand raffle draw. Upon registration, event-goers received discount grocery voucher codes courtesy of MetroMart and Pick.A.Roo.

Various property types showcased The Lamudi Fair highlighted different property types from condominiums to houses and lots located in key cities in the country.

Federal Land, joined the three-day fair to showcase its upscale condominium projects, The Grand Midori Ortigas and Quantum Residences, located on Taft Avenue.

Aboitiz Land presented different projects and promos. Meanwhile, Filinvest Alabang introduced its projects The Signature and Fortune Hill. RLC Residences highlighted their developments SYNC and Sierra Valley Gardens, as well as their other ready-foroccupancy (RFO) projects.

Ayala Land’s three real estate firms, Avida Land, Amaia Land, and BellaVita, showcased their various developments located in key locations across the country and offered attractive deals.

Solar Resources exhibited its project to the public and gave away goodie bags to lucky attendees of the three-day property fair.

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has received lot parcel in Vermosa from Ayala Land Inc. on which to build its second headquarters in the province of Cavite (Turnover

ceremony between ALI and PRC chairman Dick Gordon.

The Vermosa Red Cross headquarters will house the firstever blood center in Cavite that can do complete collection, testing, processing and dispensing.

It will ensure the ready availability of safe blood to Caviteños and nearby residents. Other government institutions that are part of the Vermosa master plan include a Philippine National Police (PNP)

and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) station office. More community support features will go up in 2024. The community parish, the Church of St. Sebastian, will ground break in 2024, while the awaited Sports Play Park opens in the second quarter of 2024. Retail outlets, the new Ayala Mall Vermosa and a Landers Superstore will provide consumer perks to residents and guests. A transport terminal is part of the community support system.

Green homes, e-vehicles courtesy of BPI

THE Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is ramping up its efforts to provide Filipinos with convenient ways to lead a sustainable lifestyle through its auto and home loan products. Green homes are said to be more durable because natural materials were used in their construction.

E-vehicles require lesser maintenance than conventional cars. “The green home

loan package has the same eligibility requirement as a regular housing loan,” said BPI RLG head Dennis Fronda. “Green home projects include renovation of an existing house, remodeling, or major repair of an existing property,” he added.

To know more about BPI’s green home and EV loan, visit https://www.bpi.com.ph/ personal/loans. At a recent Sustainability

Awareness Expo were (from left to right): BPI Head of Retail Loans and Bancassurance, Dennis Fronda; BPI Advisory Council Member Fernando Zobel de Ayala; Makati Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo; BSP Assistant Governor Lyn Javier; BPI Head of Consumer Banking Maria Cristina “Ginbee” Go, and BPI’s Chief Sustainability Officer and Chief Finance Officer Eric Luchangco.

Championing sustainability in Bataan

Coming back home CPA leaves corporate job to run family farm

By Patricia Taculao

ASIDE from the pristine, secluded beaches ideal for surfing, La Union offers another unique experience that allows visitors to get closer to nature and reap its bounty, specifically grape picking

In Barangay Urayong, Bauang, La Union, a family farm holds the distinction of being a pioneer in viticulture, the science behind the cultivation, protection, and harvest of grapes where the operations are outdoors.

Lomboy Farms began in 1972 through the efforts of the late Avelino Lomboy. Although employed in a rural bank, the family patriarch wanted to grow high-value crops as a challenge and augment their family income.

He eventually discovered the market potential of growing grapes. He began with ten cuttings from Cebu, taking him two years to research and develop the proper technique. Two years later, Lomboy’s efforts paid off when grapes began to grow on the farm. He sold the first bunches at only P25 per kilo.

Nowadays, the responsibility of running the farm has gone to his daughter, Gracia C. Lomboy, as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) registered the business in her name in 2007. She calls the instance destiny because of how timely things developed throughout her life, allowing her to follow in her father’s footsteps and uphold his legacy despite a niche industry.

Having graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree in business administration and accountancy in 2001, Lomboy is a certified public accountant (CPA) by profession. But at a young age, her father exposed her to the wonders of farming.

CCA Manila, DA-PhilRice, IRRI partner to develop Malusog Rice recipes

THE country’s top culinary school, CCA Manila, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DAPhilRice) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), is proud to announce a partnership to develop a range of recipes using Malusog Rice as the main ingredient. This collaboration aims to celebrate Nutrition Month and promote the nutritional benefits of Malusog Rice, a groundbreaking variety of rice developed to help address vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in the country.

Rice constitutes almost 40 percent of the Filipino diet. But as much as we adore this staple, it falls short in providing essential micronutrients, like vitamin A. Improving the nutritional content of rice could have a significant impact on the nutritional intake of rice-consuming countries like the Philippines, where dietary inadequacy remains high among all socio-

economic classes, compromising the health and potential of our children and families.

Malusog Rice, also known as Golden Rice, was developed by Prof. Ingo Potrykus and Prof. Peter Beyer, with the technology donated to developing countries like the Philippines. The Malusog Rice Program of DAPhilRice is leading the development, production, and deployment of Malusog Rice in the Philippines in collaboration with IRRI and other government and non-government agencies.

Malusog Rice has undergone rigorous biosafety assessments from reputable organizations such as Health Canada, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States of America, and the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry. It has been determined to be as safe, with the added benefit of betacarotene in the grain, which the body converts to vitamin A.

Malusog Rice offers significant benefits to the Filipino population. It can help improve children’s diets, often deficient in vitamin A, by providing 30 to 50 percent of the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for vitamin A. One cup of cooked Malusog Rice can supply as much beta-carotene as four cups of cooked kangkong (water spinach), a commonly consumed vegetable.

Moreover, Malusog Rice’s taste and cost are not significantly different from commonly available rice varieties. Initial taste tests have shown that participants could not distinguish between Malusog Rice and regular rice. Ongoing consumer sensory evaluation in the pilot provinces confirms that the taste of Malusog Rice is comparable to that of regular rice.

The partnership between CCA Manila and the Malusog Rice Program aims to develop recipes that highlight the versatility of Malusog Rice by utilizing various indigenous ingredients, cooking methods, and heirloom techniques from the Philippines. These recipes, accompanied by comprehensive nutritional value calculations, will be designed to feed a typical Filipino family of six at an affordable cost of P300.

“We are excited to partner with the Malusog Rice Program to develop Malusog Rice Recipes that not only showcase the versatility of this remarkable rice variety but also contribute to addressing the pressing issue of vitamin A deficiency in our country,” said Dr. Ma. Veritas Luna, Chancellor for Education of CCA Manila. “Through this collaboration, we aim to inspire mothers, cooks, chefs, and consumers, in general, to explore the vast culinary possibilities of Malusog Rice and enhance the overall nutrition of our nation.”

benta ng ubas,” Lomboy told Manila Standard Agiculture.

These experiences made her realize the type of work they do on the farm and the challenges they faced in the 40 years they operated.

Lomboy resigned from her fulltime job in Manila in 2017 and returned home for health reasons, allowing her to manage the farm under her father’s supervision.

“It’s fortunate I took that decision because, in 2018, my father passed away. It was a blessing in disguise because nakasama ko siya one year running the business para at least nakita ko ‘yung pasikot-sikot, kung ano kailangang baguhin, anong problema,” Lomboy said.

She added her father told her the legacy he wanted to leave with their family farm.

Lomboy finds fulfillment in seeing their grapes grow and how it empowers local farmers while bringing smiles to Filipinos who enjoy picking and consuming grapes.

Promoting viticulture

Although many Filipinos enjoy consuming grapes, the country’s tropical climate doesn’t make it endemic to the Philippines. It has roots in the Middle East and South American countries, but the trade and barter system eventually brought it to Philippine shores.

Modern farmers have since seen its potential in profitability.

“It’s an emerging high-value crop in terms of their revenue potential. Over the years, nakita namin ‘yung impact niya sa society and the communities. Malaki ‘yung changes in the socio-economic lives of the people in this particular industry,” Lomboy said.

Even though grape farming remains a niche industry in the country, Lomboy believes it can help local farmers, especially grassroots farmers, earn more from their usual harvest.

Malusog (Golden) Rice is a new type of rice developed through genetic engineering. It is infused with beta-carotene (a vital source of vitamin A) that gives the grain its radiant golden hue

The partnership between CCA Manila and the Malusog Rice Program signifies a significant step forward in combatting vitamin A deficiency in the Philippines. By combining culinary expertise with scientific innovation, the recipes will revolutionize the way Filipinos perceive and consume rice in their daily lives. For inquiries on CCA Manila’s programs, visit its website at http:// www.cca-manila.edu.ph. Email talktous@cca-manila.edu.ph or visit @ ccamanila on Facebook and Instagram.

For nagpacuttings, tumutulong sa harvest

. During summer tumutulong din ako sa pagbe-

“As early as two years old, mulat na ako sa work namin sa farm. Nung kaya ko na, tumutulong na ako sa maliit na bagay. For example, pot ng nag-aalis ng sira breaks,

The Lomboy family developed their grape production technique throughout the decades, allowing the production of different acclimatized grape varieties, including red cardinal, black ribier, and the Brazilian hybrid. Their watering, pruning, and other farming approaches enable them to harvest grapes three times a year, with the dry season as their most bountiful.

a Read the full story on manilastandard.net.

Innovative harvester synchronously reaps rice and the rice straw–omitting much greenhouse gas emission, much waste burning, and post-harvest loss

SEARCA ASEAN farm consortium to cut GHG emissions, raise farmers’ income

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) established an ASEAN farming consortium to generate carbon credit and cut greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) while raising farmers’ income.

SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio said the consortium would incentivize Asian farmers to adopt innovative technologies to reduce methane emissions from rice farming. It will generate carbon credits in the future.

Aside from solving a huge environmental problem, it will raise farmers’ income by at least 50 percent. It will generate rural jobs and produce an organic-type fertilizer.

“We will share the data (between Southeast Asian countries) and the experience from everyone. We will get funds together, and SEARCA will commit some funds to start it up,” said Gregorio at the “Sustainable Food and Agriculture Systems in Southeast Asia” roundtable discussion. SEARCA co-organized it with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

SEARCA will start with a few pilot sites, use these as models for replication, and do actual measurements (greenhouse gas emissions, income) as the scientific basis for reproduction.

Farmers will be organized, formed into communities, and incentivized to use the innovations.

“We’ll incentivize them and use these incentive systems as a policy that may be adopted by legislators. Using these technologies needs a new mindset,” said Gregorio.

Among climate-smart varieties to be popularized to farmers are short-maturing and high-yielding, tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses, highbiomass, drought-tolerant, submergence-tolerant, and salt-tolerant rice.

“We’ll make a model, make it work, and after a few years, once we see farmers benefitting, it will spread like fire,” said Gregorio. “Once the soil is rehabilitated, it will have health benefits. It will benefit all. We will use digital technology.

It’s a dream, but it’s reachable.”

In one technology to be adopted by the consortium, SEARCA has partnered with the UK-

based Straw Innovation Ltd for the “Rice Straw Biogas Hub.” The project also involves UK SME Koolmill and UK academic partner Aston University.

The project solves the huge problem of disposing of rice straw which becomes a waste material from producing rice. An estimated 750 million metric tons (MT) of rice straw is produced yearly. To dispose of the waste, an estimated 300 million MT is burned. The remaining 400 MT is left to decay in the fields, emitting a huge amount of methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more dangerous to the environment than carbon dioxide when emitted over 20 years, according to technology firm SIL. GHG emission is more than that of the entire global aviation industry.

However, SIL has developed a harvester enabling synchronous harvesting of both rice and rice straw. That omits the burning and disposal of much waste and significantly reduces GHG emissions.

Income for farmers is increased by 50 percent. The technology enables the production of fertilizer that stores carbon. The innovation brings jobs in rural areas, reduces post-harvest losses, and generates billions of dollars for the Philippines’ rice sector.

Other technologies to be popularized among Southeast Asian farmers are water-saving technologies like alternate wetting and drying of rice farms, soil, and nutrient management, and cropping and crop-animal system.

GHG-reducing soil and nutrient management techniques include nutrient-fixing legumes, chemical versus organic fertilizer, and methaneoxidating bacteria.

Cropping and crop animal systems that reduce GHG emissions include lowland agroforestry, crop-animal integration, and crop biomass and animal manure management.

The carbon farming system will improve the traceability of farms and agricultural products or the process by which market products at any stage in the supply chain can be traced to their origin. Such provides for food safety and transparency.

Lomboy Farms in Bauang, La Union is a family farm that promotes viticulture and encourages farm guests to enjoy grape picking

Throughout the decades, Lomboy Farms has developed the ideal technology to aid in their grape farming operations

Viticulture is the science behind the cultivation, protection, and harvest of grapes

Supercharged Lenovo Legion Slim 5i with AI: Exceptional gaming, premier content creation

By Riera U. Mallari

IF you’re the casual laptop user, content with just the usual tasks of sending emails, internet browsing, or even some occasional video and music streaming, look away. This ultra-powerful laptop ain’t for you. Well, maybe it is, too, if just for the bragging rights because it is something that is too cool not to flaunt. However, if you’re a serious creator looking to churn out amazing videos and graphic designs with ease, or an avid gamer, who wants to stay on top of his or her game, then the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is the right beast for you.

The latest generation of Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is powered by top-of-the-line 13th Gen Intel® Core™ processors and NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 40 Series graphics. This machine is perfect for anyone looking for the right laptop that can handle the demands of both hardworking professionals or students and massive gamers. And get this. It boasts of what is taking the tech world by storm– AI. Design

Overall, the build and design of the Legion Slim 5i scream “premium”, with a sleek aluminum lid and a base that extends a bit at the back. Our unit came in Storm Grey and looked stunning with its matte finish, accentuated by a glossy shiny Legion logo on the lid. Those looking for a lighter colorway might prefer the other option, Misty Grey.

The laptop’s thickness is at 25.2 mms on the more powerful RTX4070 GPUs and weighs around 2.30 kgs.

While some, who are more used to heftier gaming devices may be disappointed by its slim built, the Legion Slim 5i feels just right for someone like me, looking for portability and power rolled in one.

There are two USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 2) ports, two USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 2) ports, an HDMI 2.1 port with up to 8K 60Hz or a 4K 120Hz signal, an SD card reader, a LAN port, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

I particularly like the webcam’s shutter option which I can rely on in times when I don’t want to be seen wearing my pajamas during Zoom meets.

Display

The display selection of the Legion Slim 5i includes a base configuration with a 16:10 Full HD IPS 144Hz display. Its 100% sRGB color accuracy, 500 nits of brightness, with HDR 400 support,

KodeGo charts new course for

women in tech

KodeGo, the innovative online tech boot camp by Globe’s 917Ventures, is charting a new course for women in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields by providing opportunities that aim to address gender disparity in local employment.

The Philippines currently exhibits a 22% gender-based disparity in the STEM workforce, the largest in Southeast Asia, according to a study by professional networking platform LinkedIn. Although women make up 58.8% of employees in non-STEM fields, this figure dramatically falls to a mere 36.3% within the STEM sectors.

KodeGo’s mission to democratize education for all is proving to be instrumental in this context, equalizing opportunities for women in these rapidly evolving and highly sought-after disciplines.

The online boot camp has a curriculum patterned after in-demand tech skills and soft skills sought by companies. Shortterm tech-related courses include FullStack Web Development, UX Design, and WordPress Development.

KodeGo has seen an increasing number of women enrolling in its programs, with the number rising as KodeGo increased the number of boot camps it offers. Currently, women make up 26% of KodeGo’s student population, with a total of 572 as of June 2023– a testament to increased female interest in traditionally maledominated fields because of KodeGo’s dedication to offering accessible, gender-neutral education.

“KodeGo is deeply committed to addressing the glaring STEM genderemployment gaps in the country,” said Cristina Gervasio, Entrepreneur-inResidence at KodeGo. “By providing quality training, we aim to empower Filipinos, no matter what their gender may be so that they could be more competitive in the IT industry. We envision a future where the tech world sees equal representation of genders, fostering innovation, diversity, and resilience.”

can lead to enjoyable content creation and game playing. Its advanced Optimus automatically switches between the discrete and integrated GPUs without the need for a restart. G-Sync and FreeSync support is also present, for an even better gaming experience.

Specifications/features

The Legion Slim 5i we got our hands on has both the Alder Lake and Raptor Lake processors, with the Core i713700H. In terms of graphics, our model offers the RTX 4070.

The Legion Coldfront 5.0 setup keeps the machine cool even during intense gaming. This built-in thermal management system uses thermal compounds, larger copper heat pipes, and an increased air intake and exhaust, with liquid crystal polymer fans. This way, you can focus on gaming or content creation because the computer runs much quieter.

We tried out a couple of SpiderMan and DOTA 2 games and we are extremely pleased that Intel’s performance hybrid architecture delivered the kind of power needed for gamers who want to bring their a-game. We wish we had extra time to enjoy more games!

Artificial Intelligence

And for the most exciting part: AI!

The AI Engine+, powered by the Lenovo

With its exceptional build, quality, usability as well as its, stunning display, cutting-edge gaming performance, and elevated user experience with the integration of AI technology, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is an excellent choice.

LA AI chip, uses a softwaremachine learning algorithm to optimally tune the laptop’s performance. The chip uses software machine learning, deployed through the Lenovo Vantage, to help monitor ingame FPS and dynamically adjust for the highest performance output.

In a nutshell, when you play a game or edit a video, the AI in the Legion Slim 5i learns what your games and work or school deliverables need from the laptop’s system. As it learns your playing, working, creating, and streaming habits, it will intelligently control the laptop’s thermal performance, allocate wattage dynamically between CPU and GPU, and ultimately, provide you an overall better experience. We have been using our unit for almost a

Intel’s performance hybrid architecture delivered the kind of power needed for gamers.

week now and we’re already satisfied. We can only imagine what it would be like if we had the laptop long enough for it to analyze and customize our experience.

Verdict

Gaming laptops often cost an arm and a leg but if you want something that’s going to give you the best experience in many, significant fronts of your digital necessities, then making an investment will definitely be worth it with the Legion Slim 5i. With its exceptional build, quality, usability as well as its, stunning display, cutting-edge gaming performance, and elevated user experience with the integration of AI technology, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is an excellent choice.

Legion Ultimate Support

The investment users will make on Legion devices is made even sweeter with Legion

Ultimate Support. The brand stays true to its commitment to provide “Stylish Outside, Savage Inside” offerings through a one-stop shop that will propel gamers to the lead.

First launched in March 2021, Legion

Ultimate Support is the only gamer-centric support services among competitors that provides users 24/7 access via phone, chat, or email to technicians who are armed with gamer-centric knowledge such as hardware optimization, software assistance, in-game settings for some of the most popular AAA games and more. It also includes on-site sup-

port and fast repairs for those tricky problems and overall technical support to keep the device running in tip-top shape. Elite-level Lenovo technicians have a wealth of product knowledge to keep Legion devices at 100% performance, 100% of the time to help gamers maintain optimal performance all throughout the day and night with their device. This year’s Lenovo Legion devices are more than just the standard PCs and with the three-year Legion Ultimate Support, gamers are guaranteed the complete and ultimate Legion experience. Getting the best value for money when it comes to devices shouldn’t stop at great new features and specifications. With Lenovo, users not only get to enjoy a wide offering of powerful and innovative technology, but they also have the privilege of unparalleled, reliable Support Services that cover everything needed to keep the product running across its lifecycle.

Accidental Damage Protection

A Lenovo device is a valuable investment and the last thing any user would want is for untoward incidents to happen, thereby compromising the device and the data stored in it.

But Lenovo has its customers backs with its 3-Year Accidental Damage Protection offering in-person assistance on a wide array of laptop services, from accidental drops, spills and bumps to structural failures, including electrical surges. Lenovo’s trained technicians can perform comprehensive diagnostic tests on-site and make quick fixes using Lenovo-Qualified parts to reduce the need for more intensive repairs.

With Accidental Damage Protection, if the PC is not damaged beyond repair, the end users’ own PC is returned. If repair is not possible, the entire system will be replaced at no additional charge. The Legion Slim 5i is now available in stores starting P129,995.

Google launches Fact Check Explorer image search feature

GOOGLE continues to deepen its commitment to fighting misinformation and supporting fact-checking communities by announcing a new innovative image fact-checking feature to its Fact Check Explorer service. The upgrade aims to further empower netizens seeking to combat the very real danger of fake news on the internet.

Initially only available for text searches, Fact Check Explorer’s new image search feature addresses the challenges faced by fact checkers when verifying images. Fake or manipulated images are a persistent threat especially in the Philippines where 51% of the population find it difficult to distinguish false information. Journalists, researchers, academics, and even concerned netizens can now simply upload or share the link of an image to determine if it has been previously fact-checked.Currently in a global beta version, the new search feature

enables fact checkers to understand the timeline and context of an image. This updated capability allows researchers to track when an image was first indexed by Google and its subsequent usage over time. By providing valuable insights into an image’s history, this feature empowers fact checkers to assess the accuracy of images and its context to effectively combat harmful misinformation.

Fact Check Explorer is one of Google’s latest initiatives to combat fake news online. In addition to this, Google and YouTube announced a groundbreaking

$13.2-million grant to the International Fact-Checking Network to establish the Global Fact Check Fund, which aims to support fact-checking organizations worldwide. Anyone can now use the Fact Check Explorer and look up the latest verifications by going https://toolbox.google.com/factcheck/explorer

Acer continues to demonstrate strong commitment to ESG goals

By Paola Navarette

AS it moves towards a more low-carbon fu-

ture and ultimately net-zero emissions, ICT

giant Acer has made strong progress towards realizing its key Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals.

“It’s more than confidence, it’s a commitment that we will source 100% renewable energy by 2035,” Acer CEO Jason Chen said in a media roundtable discussion. “Our statistics show that at the end of 2020, almost 45 percent of the energy we

consumed was green. Among our operations in 100 countries, there are about 40 countries that are already 100% renewable, and that includes the Philippines.”

For Acer, sustainability isn’t just an ambition—it’s a part of their culture. Their pledge to sustainability, including their Earthion initiative, has always been integrated not just in the way they operate in the products and solutions that they innovate, but also in the initiatives they do to help communities shape a better future for the next generation.

“We know that protecting the planet is critical and it is a continuous effort as being a part of the communities we serve means we are also thinking about how we realize positive impact in the communities where these changes are taking place and enable people around the world to benefit from the energy transition,” he said. “Organizations around the world need to transition to an environmentally sustainable future in a short period of time, too, so we want to offer solutions and services to help them transition to net-zero.”

As an advocate for circular economies, Acer launched the Vero line of green laptops, desktops, displays, and accessories, which utilize recycled plastic, recyclable packaging, and ocean-bound plastic waste.

Chen also disclosed that the company has partnered with a local third-party agency to ensure that products that are not being used are properly being disposed of and follow the regulations with the local agency and environmental agencies here in the country.

“We’re not only doing that for Acer products alone, all of our service centers cater to other brands. We support security cameras, even Sony playstation and printer brand Canon. We also have some competing brands like Huawei and the likes,” he said.

By investing in new technological solutions, Acer aims to change the way they

make, use, and say goodbye to devices.

Globally, the company also seems to be diversifying its product offering, while aiming to reduce its environmental footprint and inspire others to join their journey towards a greener planet.

“Acer is not just computers, we’re more than computers. We want to redefine our brand from computer to computer science by focusing on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence,” Chen said.

Caring for people’s health, Acer has worked with National Taiwan University Hospital to develop AI-based software to help doctors diagnose diabetic retinopathy. To date, it has been successfully introduced to over 100 medical institutions across Taiwan.

“Acer has been developing technology related to artificial intelligence for more than 25 years and AI has been there for 50 years. The problem is not AI, the problem is to select the right project, and this time, we use AI applied to medication. We tried to use AI to do medical image diagnostic, this time for diabetes eyesights,” he said.

Chen also attended the recently-held 3rd APEC Business Advisory Council meeting, during which Acer Cyber Security Inc shared its cybersecurity self-assessment toolkit designed for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to help APEC member economies strengthen their cyber resilience.

The build and design of the Legion Slim 5i scream premium.