Manila Standard - 2023 August 7 - Monday

By Vince Lopez and Alena Mae Flores

THE Marcos administration on Sunday announced the roll out of a Lifeline Rate program that would aid qualified low-income households in paying their electricity bill obligations.

The Presidential Communications Office said the subsidized rate will be given to qualified low-income electricity custom-

ers who are unable to pay their electricity bills at full cost.

Among the Filipino households who can apply for the lifeline rate program are the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or customers considered to be living below the poverty threshold set by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Only one Distribution Utility (DU) or Electric Cooperative (EC) service per qualified house -

hold can be granted a lifeline rate. In cases where more than one beneficiary from the same household applies for the lifeline rate using the same service account, only one application would be granted.

The qualified beneficiaries may apply by submitting to the DU and EC their duly accomplished Lifeline Rate Application Form, their most recent electricity bill, and any

China hit for water cannon attacks

US, Japan, Australia, EU join PH in denouncing ‘illegal, dangerous’ acts

By Rey E. Requejo, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Vince Lopez, and Rio N. Araja

THE United States, Japan, Australia, and the European Union on Sunday denounced China's use of water cannons to disrupt resupply efforts by the Philippine vessels near Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

In a statement, the US State Department said China Coast Guard’s firing of water cannon and employing unsafe blocking maneuvers against Philippine Coast Guard (PCC) vessels on Saturday, Aug. 5, “interfered with the Philippines’ lawful exercise of high seas freedom of navigation and jeopardized the safety of the Philippine vessels and crew.”

“Such actions by the PRC are inconsistent with international law and are the latest in repeated threats to the status quo in the South China Sea, directly threatening regional peace and stability. By impeding necessary provisions from

By Rio N. Araja, Darwin G. Amojelar and Alena Mae Flores

TRANSPORT leaders on Sunday called

By Vince Lopez and Macon Ramos-Araneta

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over the weekend assured consumers that the country had a sufficient supply of rice, and told farmers that the Philippines would not import the grain as long as this remained true.

In a video message, Mr. Marcos said the two recent typhoons did P3 billion worth of damage to crops, affecting 142,000 hectares of agricultural land, but the supply of rice was still enough.

"So that it's clear to us, I want to

on the government to release the P6,000 fuel subsidy to all public utility vehicle drives and operators as promised to mitigate the impact of the rising fuel costs as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) urged the Department of Budget and Management to release the P3 billion earmarked for this program.

Boy Vargas of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, in a Super Radyo dzBB interview, said they have already coordinated with the government on the subsidy release.

“The LTFRB was saying there was

some budget. We hope that this budget will be released. And if the Senate and Congress can hear us, they can allocate a budget to help our drivers,” he said.

The LTFRB said it would provide a P6,000 fuel subsidy to all PUV drivers in August.

Mody Floranda, Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) national president, said the fuel subsidy must be given separately to drivers and operators.

“The subsidy for the operators must be different because of the high price of the vehicle parts, and to the drivers who are the primary ones affected by the increase in the price of petroleum products,” he said.

He said he has already raised the concerns of the many operators before

Recto: PH to borrow P4b daily for 2024 budget

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

BATANGAS Rep. Ralph Recto on Sunday said the country needs to borrow an average of P4 billion daily to sustain the proposed 2024 national budget of P5.767 trillion. He said next year’s budget translates to an average daily spending of P15.8 billion,

of which only P11.7 billion is “supportable by revenues, leaving a P4 billion hole which must be plugged by debt.”

“To fully grasp the dimensions of the budget, you have to compute it on a daily basis, to fully appreciate the enormity of both spending and borrowings,” he said.

“In easy to remember figures, this is the lowdown: spend P15.8 billion a day but only P11.7 billion in tax can

fund that. Therefore, there is a need to borrow P4 billion.”

“Now if that is based on the actual disbursements,

LISBON, Portugal—Seoul in South Korea will host the next World Youth Day, a major Catholic youth festival, in 2027, Pope Francis said Sunday at the close of this year's event in Lisbon.

"The next World Youth Day will be in Asia. It will be in South Korea in Seoul,” the pontiff told the faithful assembled to celebrate a Mass at a park on Lisbon's eastern outskirts.

"And so in 2027, from the western border of Europe, it will move to the

Far East, and this is a beautiful sign of the universality of the Church."

The Philippines was the last Asian country to host the Catholic festival in 1995.

The crowd of around 1.5 million flag-waving young pilgrims from around the globe erupted in cheers at the announcement.

World Youth Day, which is in fact a week-long Catholic jamboree,

POWER AID. File photo shows a lineman examining an electric meter base at a post along Brgy. Commonwealth in Quezon City. Qualified low-income households will soon be part of a lifeline rate program of the Marcos administration. Manny Palmero

Marikina to sue over inverted PH flag

By Gabriellea Pariño

THE Marikina local government unit said it would file a case against a drone operator for displaying an inverted Philippine flag – which signals that the country is in a state of war – during the closing ceremonies of the 63rd Palarong Pambansa Saturday evening.

“The Marikina city government, led by Mayor Marcy Teodoro, strongly

China...

From A1 reaching the Filipino service members stationed at Second Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal, the PRC has also undertaken unwarranted interference in lawful Philippine maritime operations,” the US said.

On Sunday, the PCG on condemned CCG’s “dangerous maneuvers and illegal use of water cannon” against their vessels escorting the indigenous boats chartered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to deliver food, water, fuel, and other supplies to troops stationed on BRP Sierra Madre in the Ayungin Shoal.

The military also condemned the actions and expressed concern about the incident, which it called “excessive and offensive.”

Australia joined the US in expressing deep concern over China's aggressive action against Philippine resupply vessels en route to Ayungin Shoal.

Australian Ambassador H.K. Yu called the acts directed against the Philippines "dangerous and destabilizing."

"We reiterate our call for peace, stability, and respect for UNCLOS in the South China Sea--a vital international waterway," Yu posted on her Twitter account on Sunday.

Japan and the European Union also warned that China’s recent actions in the West Philippine Sea raised concerns in the international community due to its “destabilizing” effects on navigational safety.

Gov’t...

From A1 valid government-issued identification card containing the signature and address of the customer. If the customer lives below the PSA's poverty threshold, he or she must submit a local Social Welfare and Development Office (SWDO) certification, wherein the certification should have been issued within the last six months, and it must show that the applicant's family income was below the poverty threshold applicable at the time of his or her application.

The Lifeline Rate program validity is based on the annual certified list of 4Ps

Groups,...

From A1 the LTFRB and the Department of Transportation.

“We also wrote the President that the benefits must be dual,” he said.

Transport Secretary Jamie Bautista said the LTFRB would request the DBM to release the funds needed for the fuel subsidy. A total of P3 billion is appropriated in the 2023 national budget in the form of fuel vouchers to qualified public utility vehicle (PUV), taxi, tricycle, and full-time ride-hailing and delivery services drivers nationwide.

Next...

From A1 features a wide range of events, including concerts and prayer sessions.

This year's edition, initially scheduled for August 2022 but postponed because of the pandemic, was the fourth for Francis after Rio de Janeiro in 2013, Krakow in 2016 and Panama in 2019.

Created in 1986 by John Paul II, it is an opportunity for the Vatican to galvanize young Catholics at a time when secularism and priest pedophilia scandals cause some to abandon pews.

Pope Francis visited South Korea in 2014, in what was the first trip to Asia by a pontiff in 15 years.

The country is one of Roman Catholicism’s few strongholds in Asia.

About 11 percent of South Korea's population of around 52 million people are Catholic, a figure that has grown in recent decades.

In his homily, Francis thanked the youth for taking part in the festival, calling them "the hope of a different world."

He also urged the crowd to extend their "affection and prayers" to those who could not come "because of armed conflicts and wars."

"There are many of them in our world. In thinking of this continent, I feel great sorrow for beloved Ukraine, which continues to suffer greatly," he added.

The pope, who now uses a wheelchair or walking stick to get around, met with

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa said: “Totally unacceptable: any harassment and actions which infringe on lawful activities of the sea and endanger the navigational safety. We strongly support PH’s position; upholding maritime order based on UNCLOS & 2016 Arbitral Award.”

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Veron added: “Very concerned about dangerous action in the South China Sea. EU stands with the Philippines in upholding the rules-based international order.”

"The EU supports the legally binding nature of the 2016 South China Sea arbitration," he added.

UNCLOS stands for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which extends the territorial jurisdiction of maritime states up to 200 nautical miles from its coasts. It is signed by at least 162 nations, including the Philippines and China. China, however, said on Sunday it had taken "necessary controls" against Philippines boats that had "illegally" entered its waters.

"Two repair ships and two coast guard ships from the Philippines illegally broke into the waters... in China's Nansha Islands," China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu said, adding that Beijing had "implemented necessary controls in accordance with the law and stopped Philippine ships carrying illegal building materials."

Ayungin Shoal is part of the Kalayaan Island Group, which is an integral part of the Philippines, well within the country's exclusive economic zone and continental

beneficiaries provided by the DSWD. A qualified customer is eligible to receive the Lifeline Rate if he or she remains on the updated list.

For non-4Ps beneficiaries, the Lifeline Rate will have a three-year validity from the date of issuance of certification by the local SWDO.

Meanwhile, the Manila Electric Co. said it is proactively looking for ways to encourage more customers to apply for the lifeline rate program.

The Department of Energy said last week only 12,900 4Ps beneficiaries and other qualified marginalized household beneficiaries have registered to avail of the lifeline rate program as of end July.

Meralco vice president and head of cor-

The amount is P500 million higher than the P2.5 billion in the 2022 budget's fuel subsidy program. This aims to cushion the impact of high oil prices on thousands of PUV drivers. Data from DOTr showed that a total of 1.64 million will benefit from the fuel subsidy amounting to P2.95 billion and the remaining P47.36 million is allotted for operating expenses.

Of the total beneficiaries, PUVs, including ride hailing services stood at 280,000 and will get between P6,500 and P10,000 per beneficiary or a total of P1.84 billion.

The 930,000 tricycle drivers, which are under the Department of Local Government (DILG), will get P1,000 each

the thousands of event volunteers on Sunday afternoon before flying back to Rome.

This was his first foreign trip since he spent nine nights in hospital after undergoing hernia surgery in June.

Charlotte Bordas, a 26-year-old who came from Mont-de-Marsan in southwestern France, said she was moved to see the pope had made the trip despite his health problems.

"We see he's really tired, weakened, but he still took the time to come to see us, talk to us, and it is particularly touching for me to see him," she told AFP.

The pope met 13 victims of clerical abuse at the Holy See's diplomatic mission in Lisbon during his first day in Portugal.

"The meeting was held in an atmosphere of intense listening and lasted more than an hour," the Vatican said.

He also met 15 youths from wartorn Ukraine's delegation, visited a community center in Lisbon's impoverished Serafina neighborhood and prayed at the shrine of Fatima north of the Portuguese capital.

"It has been an extraordinary moment of joy, of energy, with remarkable speeches by the Holy Father, with very important messages," Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa told public television RTP before Sunday's Mass.

Francis has received an enthusiastic welcome throughout his visit to the Catholic-majority country, with wellwishers lining the streets to see him go by. AFP

condemns the incident and intends to hold Drone Tech PH responsible as well as to determine the company's legal responsibilities, including the accompanying penalties,” the LGU said in a statement.

The operator, Drone Tech PH, has apologized for the incident through a statement on its Facebook page.

“We would like to apologize to the City of Marikina, Mayor Marcelino Marcy

shelf, over which the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction.

Citing the 2016 arbitral ruling by the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration, the US stressed that China “has no lawful claim to the maritime area around Second Thomas Shoal, which is located well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.”

“The United States reiterates, pursuant to the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, the arbitral decision is final and legally binding on the PRC and the Philippines. The United States calls upon the PRC to abide by the arbitral ruling as well as to respect the freedom of navigation – a right to which all states are entitled,” it added.

Washington also reiterated its position that an armed attack on Philippine public vessels, aircraft, and armed forces would invoke mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty of the Philippines and US.

The Philippine government sued China before an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague in 2013 which ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016 when it junked China's nine-dash claim over the South China Sea.

But China continues to defy the 2016 arbitration ruling, calling the decision "illegal and invalid.”

The Marcos administration is expected to file its 98th diplomatic protest following China's latest actions in the WPS.

On July 6, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the Philippines under President Marcos has filed 67 notes verbale in

porate communications Joe Zaldarriaga said the company has ramped up the conduct of barangay caravans in different cities and provinces within its franchise area to encourage more beneficiaries to apply.

Meralco said starting September, only customers with approved applications will continue to enjoy the discount in accordance with the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 11552 or the law extending and enhancing the implementation of the lifeline rate.

“While we have already engaged all local social welfare development offices or SWDOs in our franchise area, we will continue to reach out to more customers and we hope that the on-site applications will lead to the increase in the number of

or a total budget of P930 million.

The 150,000 delivery services, under the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will get P1,200 each or a total budget of P180 million.

DOTr, on the other hand, clarified that the Department of Energy (DOE) should certify that the average price of fuel for the last three months exceeded $80 per barrel before the release of fuel subsidy.

The Department of Energy said over the weekend gasoline prices may increase more than P4 per liter due to the movement of prices in the world oil market last week.

The DOE's Oil Industry Management Bureau director Rino Abad said the agency

Marcos...

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clarify. We have enough rice supply and we have nothing to worry about," he said.

"Our farmers should expect that we won't import rice if we have enough supply in the Philippines. Don't worry. We have rice," he added.

The President said the government is closely monitoring the rice buffer stock in the National Food Authority (NFA) supply warehouses.

"We're ensuring that the NFA has more buffer stock because we also encounter more calamities here in the Philippines," he said.

However, the President said that the problem is that other Southeast Asian nations are also securing their rice buffer stock to prepare for the looming El Niño by late this year or early 2024.

"All of us are preparing for the El Niño. That's why it's difficult because all of us are buying at the same time," he said.

President Marcos, who also heads the Department of Agriculture (DA) as its concurrent secretary, said that countries exporting rice have started to limit, if not stop, exporting the commodity. This included India, with which he initially wanted to make a rice deal.

President Marcos also said that he is talking with the people he met during his overseas trips to secure the country's rice buffer stock.

"We're looking at our friends. It's

Teodoro, and to the whole country, its people and the Philippine government for a grave error we have made in the drone show programming of the colors red and blue of our Philippine flag which were interchanged,” Drone Tech said.

The company claimed the drone show was supposed to be tested days before the actual performance, but they were unable to do so because of the recent typhoons.

“We have innocently made this mistake

2022 and 30 diplomatic notes in 2023.

DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said 260 protests were filed from 2016 to 2021. A total of 202 notes verbale were lodged in 2021, and 195 in 2022.

The notes verbale, she said, referred to protests against the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels in Philippine waters.

Beijing claims most of the South China Sea and continues to refuse to honor the arbitral tribunal decision that invalidated its claims to ill-defined historic rights throughout the nine-dash line.

During a security conference in Munich, Germany in February, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said the Philippines faces daily incidents of harassment and land reclamation in the West Philippine Sea, which in many cases have been depriving the Philippines of the use of its exclusive economic zone.

Last month, the PCG reported that BRP Malabrigo and BRP Malapascua were assisting the naval operation of the AFP late last month when two CCG vessels “came close” to their patrol boats.

During the operation, the PCG was constantly followed, harassed, and obstructed by the significantly larger Chinese vessels at a distance of about 100 yards.

“These Chinese Coast Guard vessels blatantly disregard the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea in their attempts to obstruct passage and discourage the PCG vessels from approaching Ayungin Shoal,” the PCG said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

program beneficiaries,” Zaldarriaga said.

Meralco has lined up on-site applications and caravans in the cities of Caloocan, Las Piñas, Manila, Parañaque, Quezon, and Valenzuela for August.

Meralco will also do the same in San

Rafael and Meycauayan in Bulacan, San Pablo City in Laguna, General Mariano Alvarez and General Trias in Cavite, Taytay and Rodriguez in Rizal, and Mauban and Sariaya in Quezon.

Under the lifeline rate program, qualified customers should have a monthly electricity consumption of 100 kilowatt hours or below to avail the discount ranging from 20 percent to 100 percent in their Meralco electricity bills, depending on their actual consumption.

estimated an oil price hike of P3.70 to P3.80 per liter for gasoline but said some industry insiders have estimated an even higher increase of P4.10 per liter for gasoline.

Abad said kerosene may go up by P2.75 to P3 per liter and gasoline by P0.30 to P0.40 per liter. The oil companies will implement the latest oil price hike effective 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Abad urged the public utility vehicles clamoring for fuel transport subsidy to coordinate with the LTFRB.

He said LTFRB has the list of the PUV beneficiaries and DOE's involvement may cause another layer that may delay the processing of the targeted fuel subsidy.

Abad said the anticipated increase in pump prices was driven by a cut in

a good thing that I met many of them during my travels. I'm talking to them now," he said.

"They might allow us to import rice from their country. But we'll only do that if we don't have enough rice supply," he added.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Sunday that the damage and losses in the agriculture sector due to the southwest monsoon enhanced by Typhoons Egay and Falcon reached an estimated P2.9 billion.

Based on the latest report of the council, the Agriculture Department recorded a total of P2.945 billion in production losses or damage in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Region IV-A and IV-B, Western Visayas, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

The NDRRMC also reported at least 108,729 fishers and farmers were also affected by the damage to 153,268.39 hectares of crop area. Some 132,074.62 hectares were partially damaged and still have a chance at recovery, while 20,104.44 hectares were totally damaged and no longer had a chance at recovery.

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), meanwhile, said the cost of damage in the Mimaropa and CAR came to P137.78 million. The bad weather also damaged 573 structures at a cost of P3.63 billion.

The CAR logged the highest amount of infrastructure damage involving 347

and have no malice or bad intentions on anyone and the people of Marikina and the Philippines as a whole,” the company added. The Philippine flag, if flown from a flagpole, shall have its blue field on top in time of peace and the red field on top in time of war. If in a hanging position, the blue field shall be to the left (observer's point of view) in time of peace, and the red field to the left (observer's point of view) in time of war.

Recto:...

From A1

the enormous money required to finance it.”

“Programs that dazzle are highlighted while muting the cost, a great portion of which are paid by debts left to the next generation to pay,” he said.

Payment for interest alone on the burgeoning public debt would be around P1.83 billion a day next year, Recto said.

This, however, does not give the whole picture as the payment for the principal amortization which should be automatically appropriated is not included in the budget, Recto said.

If the principal amortization requirement of P3.4 billion a day is added to the interest payment of P1.83 billion, “real” debt service expenditures would be around P5.2 billion daily, he added.

“That is only payment for existing debts. The fresh debt to be made is a different matter,” he said. Gross borrowings next year to finance the deficit, debt and development have been forecasted to reach P2.46 trillion, or “about P6.7 billion daily,” Recto said.

Meanwhile, Senator Francis Escudero said the country should brace for possible increase in taxes to address the loss of revenues once operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) are banned.

"If we shut down their operations, we will raise taxes since we need to cover lost income,” Escudero said.

"For this, I'd like to look at the big picture," added Escudero, a member of the Senate Committee on Finance that oversees public expenditures.

He said while some POGOs proved to be “bad,” the reality is that PAGCOR’s income “increased by several hundred percent due to POGOs.”

"My stand is that just because some are bad eggs, the solution is to ban all. I do not agree to that kind of principle and policy,” he said.

production from Russia and Saudi Arabia. Abad earlier said China also delivered on its commitment to reduce oil production this month.

Diesel prices will have increased by around P10 per liter for the past five weeks, while gasoline prices have already risen by P5 per liter for the same period. In an advisory on Saturday, Unioil Petroleum said forecasts that diesel will increase by P3.70 to P3.90 per liter, while gasoline will go up by P0.20 to P0.40 per liter. This comes just a week after a major pump price hike of P3.50 for diesel, P2.10 for gasoline, and P3.25 for kerosene. It is also the fifth straight week of increases for diesel and kerosene and the fourth in a row for gasoline.

structures at a cost of P2.26 billion.

The reported casualties remained at 29, two of whom were confirmed and there were also 11 more people still reported missing and 165 were injured.

Storms Egay and Falcon together and the monsoon affected 3,032,077 people or 806,836 families in 4,833 barangays nationwide. Some 648 evacuation centers sheltered over 51,000 displaced people or 13,000 families, while more than 233,000 people or 57,000 families stayed outside of evacuation centers.

The NDRRMC recorded 60,991 houses damaged due to the weather disturbances. Of these houses, 58,610 were partially damaged, and 2,381 were destroyed. Sixty-two roads and four bridges were still not passable.

The NDRRMC said P269.45 million in assistance had been provided to affected regions so far.

Despite the President's assurances, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he believes that food security cannot be assured because of several factors beyond the country's control.

He noted that the country's sources of rice imports such as India have become uncertain.

India, the world's largest rice exporter, banned the exports of non-basmati white rice on Jul. 20 to calm domestic rice prices that had risen more than 30 percent since October 2022.

It was also reported that the cost of Vietnamese rice surged to $600 per metric ton from $500.

Mayon acting up anew, logs more lava flows

By Rio N. Araja

MAYON Volcano in Albay had shown signs of intensified or magmatic unrest in the past 24 hours with emission of more sulfur dioxide and lava flows continuing on in its crater Sunday.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) noted an average of 2,379 tons of volcanic sulfur dioxide on Saturday.

Early the following day, the volcano manifested lava ejection lasting 35 seconds, accompanied by seismic and infraround signals with a slow effusion of lava from the summit crater over the past 24 hours.

This fed the lava flows on the Bonga gully on the southeastern side, the Mi-isi gully on the south side and the Basud gully on the eastern side of the volcano.

The lava flow remained at approximately 3.4 kilometers from the crater on the Bonga gully, 2.8 kilometers on the Mi-isi gully, and 600 meters on the Basud gully, Phivolvcs said.

“Rockfall and pyroclastic density currents or PDCs generated by collapses of the lava flow margins as well as of the summit dome deposited debris still within four (4) kilometers of the crater,” Phivolcs said.

There was a total of 92 low-frequency volcanic earthquakes, 92 tremor events lasting two to nine minutes, one pyroclastic density current and 152 rockfall events.

The six-kilometer permanent danger zone should remain evacuated due to the threat of PDCs, lava flows, rockfalls, and other volcanic hazards, Phivolcs said.

Antiporda in a bind on dumpsite issue

THE Commission on Audit (COA) has charged that former Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management Benny Antiporda misrepresented the situation on the closure of dumpsites when he announced in May 2021 that all open dumpsites in the country have ceased operations.

“In 2021, the DENR announced the successful closing of all dumpsites nationwide. However, our validation from March to April 2022 revealed that not all dumpsites were successfully closed,” the audit team said.

Antiporda, an erstwhile National Irrigation Administration (NIA) head, was

put under six-month preventive suspension without pay by the Office of the Ombudsman while under investigation. The case stemmed from complaints by the agency’s employees accusing him of grave misconduct, harassment, and oppression.

“After a careful evaluation of the

Overloading blamed for Romblon boat accident

THE Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMO) has blamed overloading as the probable cause of a boat accident off Corcuera, Romblon that left one person dead.

In a radio interview, PDRRMO head Roseller Muros said the motorboat MB

ASEAN FOOD FESTIVAL.

Foreign Affairs

Secretary Enrique Manalo, along with ASEAN Ladies Foundation chairperson Pamela Louise Manalo and Thai Ambassador to Manila Tull Traisorat savor Thai cuisine at the Food Festival 2023 at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City on Sunday.

Danny Pata

King Sto. Niño 7 was carrying a total of 116 passengers at the time of the incident, way over its maximum capacity of only 90 passengers.

According to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), a motorcycle was also on board the boat.

Boat captain Jose Moreno Sr. said MB King Sto. Niño 7 ‘’submerged due to a direct hit from a solid wood at the port side.’’ It left a 55-year-old female passenger dead due to cardiac arrest, while three others were hurt.

records, this Office finds that among the respondents, respondent Benny D. Antiporda’s guilt is strong and that the case against him involves Grave Misconduct, Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service, and Oppression, which may warrant his removal from service,” the Ombudsman said.

Later, President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. appointed Pidig, Ilocos Norte Mayor Eduardo Guillen to replace Antiporda at the NIA.

More than 70 percent of local government units (LGUs) have no access to landfills, the CoA also said.

Only 478 or 29 percent of 1,634 local

government units in the country have access to operational sanitary landfills according to 2021 data from the DENREnvironmental Management Bureau at the National Solid Waste Management Council (NSWMC).

The figures were cited in the May 2, 2023 Performance Audit Report of the CoA on the Solid Waste Management Program.

“As of 2021, the country has 245 total operational Sanitary Landfills (SLFs) servicing 478 (29.25 percent) of 1,634 LGUs. Due to the limitation in disposal facilities, the operation of the illegal dumpsites could not be avoided in some LGUs,” the government auditors said.

OIL PRICE

HIKE.

A tanker refills an underground gasoline depot at a station in Blumentritt Street corner Espana Bvld. in Samplaoc, Manila ahead of an increase in petroleum prices starting Tuesday. The price hikes cover diesel, P3.70-P4 per liter, gasoline P0.20-P0.50/ liter, and kerosene P2.70-P3/liter.

Danny Pata

Cavite solon eyes probe on Laguna

De Bay boat sinking that killed 27

CAVITE Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. has filed a resolution calling for a congressional investigation into the July 27 capsizing of MB Aya Express in Laguna Lake which left 27 passengers dead and six others missing.

Under House Resolution No. 1159, he urged the appropriate House committee to investigate in aid of legislation, the Philippine Coast Guard PCG), the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Department of the Interior and Local Government, as well as the local government units of Binangonan, Rizal and other related agencies to look into their response to typhoon “Egay” and determine the “much-needed reforms in the prevention and response to natural disasters that have negative impacts to millions of Filipinos.” MB Aya Express sank off Barangay Kalinawan, Binangonan, Rizal, a part of Laguna Lake.

96 needy residents get assistance from Caloocan’s PESO program

By Jun David

A TOTAL of 96 beneficiaries have received benefits from the Caloocan City government as part of its continuing Public Employment Service Office (PESO.

The beneficiaries were considered members of the vulnerable and low-

income sector, including senior citizen, persons with disabilities (PWDs), solo parents, and returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan acknowledged that most of the beneficiaries were willing to work or manage their own small businesses, but are

DOJ asked to reverse resolution clearing 17 cops of murder raps

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has been asked to overturn a resolution of the panel of prosecutors that dismissed the murder complaints filed against 17 policemen for the deaths of a couple in Nasugbu, Batangas on March 7, 2021.

In a petition for review filed by Rosenda Lemita, mother of Ana Mariz “Chair” Lemita, wife of Ariel Evangelista asked Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to reverse the resolution of the DOJ panel of prosecutors and instead recommend the indictment of the 17 policemen

implicated in the death of the Evangelista couple who were found dead in their residence after a joint police and military operations in Southern Luzon provinces in search of persons “affiliated with communist groups.”

In its social media post, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) confirmed that Rosenda filed the petition last Friday, Aug. 4.

The petition for review came after the DOJ panel of prosecutors resolved last May to dismiss the murder complaints filed against the 17 policemen for the alleged killing of the couple. Rosenda filed her motion for reconsideration.

mostly prevented by poverty which is why “the livelihood distribution program is a good step in the right direction for them.”

“Batid ko po na marami sa ating mga beneficiaries ang kayang-kaya at gustung-gusto pa magtrabaho o magnegosyo, kaya naman inaasahan ko po

na malaki ang maitutulong ng livelihood distribution ng PESO para sa inyong kabuhayan,” Mayor Along stated.

The mayor also called on the beneficiaries to let their businesses grow and encouraged his constituents to take care of the opportunities provided by the city government to them.

MONA LISA. The iconic image of Mona Lisa looms over business establishments along Bonifacio High Street at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City. Manny Palmero

Barzaga said the inquiry would focus on finding out if there was negligence on the part of the PCG since the boat obviously sank because of overloading.

“Survivors also said that the boat carried heavy cargo, such as motorcycles and sacks of sand and rice. Clearly, there was overloading considering that the manifest stated that there were only 22 passengers and three crew members. Moreover, even Binangonan, Rizal Mayor Cesar Ynares stated that MB Aya Express was warned not to overload, but the warning was ignored,” he stressed.

He said it was “imperative that there should also be a multi-agency investigation, including the NDRRMC, to assess and work out solutions to the Philippines’ preparedness and response to natural disasters such as storms, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions that regularly beset the country.” Rio N. Araja

PCAARRD eyes enhanced usage of microalgae

By Butch Gunio

THE University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) is researching on the optimization of postharvest protocols of microalgae for improved shelf life and product diversification.

Funded by Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resource Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST PCAARRD), the project aims to produce shelf stable and low moisture microalgae that could be used as aquafeeds.

Dr. Jade Pahila of the UPV’s Regional Research Center and project leader said

These properties will allow easier transport and distribution to various beneficiaries and stakeholders due to its lightweight composition and low maintenance storage requirements.

WARM WELCOME. Putu Supadma Rudanaq, vice chairman of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) welcomes House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez during his arrival at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Sunday morning.

Romualdez is in Jakarta to attend the 44th AIPA general assembly. Ver Noveno

‘Gov’t hospitals have enough leptospirosis vax’

GOVERNMENT hospitals nationwide have enough supplies of medicines, as the country braces for a possible surge of leptospirosis cases in flooded areas in Bulacan and Pampanga, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said in anticipation of the increase in leptospirosis cases, the health department had already sent antibiotics to Ilocos before Typhoon Egay pounded the region.

Group calls for P65k nurses’ pay

By Gabriellea Pariño

THE Federation of Free Workers (FFW) said it plans to push for an increase in salary for nurses as Congress commences.

The federation said it will push for a P65,000 entry-level monthly salary for nurses in both the public and private sectors along with a P150 daily wage increase for workers.

The FFW is urging Congress to approve a bill by Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo seeking to elevate government nurses’ entry-level wages from P36,619 to P63,997.

“FFW remains committed to its struggle for family living wages, safeguarding the rights and welfare of all Filipino work-

ers,” the group said in a statement.

The group cited data stating that there were no less than 58 bills in the House of Representatives and 21 in the Senate aiming to implement wage hikes ranging from P50,000 to P64,000.

“These wage disparities are severe and unjust. Nurses, regardless of who

Foundation for women seeks additional budget for cancer care

CONGRESS should consider transferring a small part of the P10-billion confidential funds in the 2024 budget to save the roughly 9,000 Filipinas who die of breast cancer every year, a nonprofit organization said.

Aileen Antolin, convenor of the Kasuso Foundation (Philippine Foundation for Breast Care) said “in behalf of our Filipina sisters who are suffering and whose pain can be prevented and eased, Kasuso Foundation is joining other cancer groups in asking Congress for more funds for early cancer detection and treatment.”

Antolin also said the nonprofit group continues to educate women on cancer prevention and survival.

Every year, around 27,000 new breast cancer cases are found among

Senate panel to begin New Bilibid probe

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights will begin Tuesday its investigation into the mass grave discovered at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.

The mass grave was reportedly found inside a septic tank at the NBP’s maximum security compound.

Senator Francis Tolentino, the chairperson of the said committee, said the investigation will be done inside the national penitentiary so that key inmates involved in the recently discovered burial ground inside the NBP compound could shed light on the matter.

Last week, Tolentino filed Senate Resolution No. 70, seeking a thorough probe after a mass grave was unearthed while prison officials were searching for a missing inmate identified as Michael Angelo Cataroja who was last seen on July 14.

Tolentino’s panel would also like to look into the recent incidents at the Bureau of Correction (BuCor) that compromise the safety and security of the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) inside the national penitentiary as well as pose danger to the lives and limbs of the prison personnel therein.

local women while 9,000 who were diagnosed in previous years die.

Data show only 1% of Filipinas get tested for cancer each year, probably the lowest in the world with neighboring countries posting around 20% and rich countries around 50%.

The congressional budget for cancer was only about P1 billion and raised last year to around P1.5 billion.

Antolin said the budget must be increased so if possible all public hospitals all over the country and even private ones can test women to prevent their cancer, if found positive, from progressing.

At the moment, only about 23 public hospitals offer such a service, denying an unknown number of women from such tests in the provinces.

employs them, merit higher compensation given their crucial role and the intense physical and mental strain of their profession. We must stem the brain drain. We need to give our nurses compelling reasons to stay in the Philippines and not seek greener pastures abroad,” Manuel Payao of the UERM Employees Union-FFW said.

In its statement, the FFW also urged the Department of Health (DOH) to immediately distribute the Health Emergency Allowances (HEA) for nurses.

The United Private Hospital Unions of the Philippines (UPHUP) also urged the health department to prioritize the said benefits for healthcare workers.

“The time will soon come when local private hospitals will be in competition to secure the services of tenured/experienced nurses to man the special areas to maintain excellence on that particular field,” the UPHUP further said in a social media post.

The DOH earlier said that they are still trying to iron out the distribution of HEAs to healthcare workers.

Rillo, vice chair of the House Higher and Technical Education Committee meanwhile said a total of 18,104 Philippine nursing graduates spent a combined P200 million to take the U.S. licensure examination for the first time from January to June this year.

Central Luzon also has enough stocks of doxycycline, he said. Herbosa also said the DOH is expecting leptospirosis infections to spike, due to massive flooding triggered by monsoon rains and Typhoons Egay and Falcon.

Herbosa, quoted by ABS-CBN News, said he expects a rise in leptospirosis infections.

“Flood waters are dirty. If you tend to wade in deep floods even if you don’t have to, you may get infected,” Herbosa said.

The DOH chief also said that those with open wounds who waded in flood-hit areas have a higher chance of getting leptospirosis.

Herbosa advises those who may have symptoms like chills, body pain, and headache to see a doctor right away.

“If you have wounds on your feet, you should not be wading in the flood. See a doctor if you were forced to wade. Show your physician your wounds so he or she could prescribe you medicines,” he said.

VANTAGE POINT.

A woman climbs atop a scaffolding to have a better view of photographs on exhibit at the Plaza Roma in front of the Manila Cathedral on Sunday. The exhibit showcased the Philippine democratic process, highlighting the important role that every citizen plays in shaping the country’s future. Danny Pata

SC commits to enhancing judicial remedies for environmental laws

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court (SC) has vowed to sustain its alliance with its global counterparts in enhancing modern judicial remedies for the protection and preservation of the environment.

The SC through Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh participated in the five-day meeting of jurists and legal and techni-

cal experts on environment protection held last month in New York City.

During the meeting, the participants launched the Model Forest Act Initiative (MFAI), a global initiative to draft a Model Forest Act to guide in the enactment of legislation that will not only protect forests but also ensure their development and growth for future generations.

In a statement, the SC said the meeting was organized by the Asian Development Bank, in cooperation with the Global Judicial Institute on the Environment (GJIE), the United Nations Environment Programme, and the World Jurist Association (WJA).

It explained that GJIE is a global task force composed of actively sitting judges organized to ensure judicial in-

WASTE-TO-ENERGY PLANT. Photo shows (from left to right) Pagsanjan Laguna Mayor Cesar Areza, Climate Change Commission Comm. Albert  Dela Cruz Sr., and Philippine Globe Energy Development Corporation Mike Camacho in the formal opening of the Wasteto-Energy plant in Pagsanjan, Laguna. The plant was established through a public-private partnership initiative on proper management and disposal of waste in the local community.

Norman Cruz

Salceda: EOPT Act to become law in 2 months

By Rio N.

“I expect EOPT to become law this year; in fact, maybe in the next two months,” he said, adding that “the President wants a system that is easy for all,

and he is open to new ideas on how to do it.”

The EOPT Law was identified as a priority measure by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his second State of the Nation Address. He said the EOPT Law is already being tackled in the Senate floor, citing “Senator Gatchalian and his colleagues will probably be done with their version next week.”

dependence, transparency, and integrity of judiciaries around the world to effectively handle environmental cases by providing opportunities to exchange information, creating partnerships for collaboration, capacity-building, and providing research and analysis on topics important for environmental adjudication, court practices, and the environmental rule of law.

6K students participate in reading tutorial plan

By Rio N. Araja

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said at least 6,000 junior and senior college students from select state universities in the National Capital Region (NCR) will be part of the government’s program to pay financially challenged college students to teach elementary school learners to read.

The DSWD said these students, to be called “youth development workers” would be part of the program’s pilot implementation.

Interviewed over Radyo 6302, Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Rommel Lopez said the agency will launch the pilot implementation of the “Tara Basa” (Let’s Read) program starting Aug. 14 and will end in November.

The official said the 6,000 students have gone through prior training to tutor 63,000 grade 1 students with difficulty reading from 490 schools all over Metro Manila. Each tutor shall handle 10 students, Lopez said, adding each tutoring session would last two hours a day for 20 days.

According to Lopez, the DSWD would give a cash aid of P235 to each parent with children having reading difficulties.

Araja ALBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda is anticipating that the Ease of Paying Taxes (EOPT) Act will become a law within the next two months.

Whistling in the dark

THE good news is inflation has cooled down to 4.7 percent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. This is down from 5.4 percent in June, and suggests a downward trend since the rate peaked in the first quarter.

DBM’s Pangandaman is happy with the “downward trend” in consumer prices, but PSA is saying they continue to monitor price movements, especially that of rice.

NEDA’s Balisacan is also worried, even as our economic managers repeat their prediction that inflation will hit the 2-4 percent range by the end of the year.

They could be whistling in the dark.

By now, our readers must have learned of India’s ban on the export of non-basmati rice. Basmati is hardly eaten in the Philippines, aside from being quite expensive. But India exports 40 percent of the world’s very thin rice trade.

Because of higher production costs, FOB prices of long-grain rice from Thailand and Vietnam have gone up to $630 per metric ton, up from $450 in May this year, when the National Food Authority told the president that they were holding only less than 2 days inventory of the national daily consumption of 32,000 metric tons.

The president listened to his optimistic DA officials who said we had a good summer crop.

But that summer crop is usually less than the major wet season-planted crop, which got soaked by floods in the central and northern plains of Luzon, aside from the Mindoro provinces.

The main floods hit Cagayan, Pampanga, Bulacan and some parts of Pangasinan, aside from the two Mindoros. Nueva Ecija’s rice fields got soaked, but their floodwaters flowed downstream to Pampanga and Bulacan.

Still, my sources in Nueva Ecija, the traditional rice granary, are expecting lower yields for the main cropping season.

“Medyo nababad ang bagong tanim, kaya mababa po sigurado ang magiging ani,” they told me.

They worry though about stronger typhoons when the harvest season begins in September.

Added teeth to anti-hazing law

inflation report. Wait for the food price indicia come August, to be reported in the first week of September. Now let’s go into a bit of history.

In 1995, a mid-term election year, when Pres.

FVR fielded a coalition ticket of his Lakas and his co-opted LDP, the DA kept insisting we had enough rice, while NFA was reporting otherwise.

FVR’s economic managers believed DA, and resisted importing rice, even if NFA still had the rice importation monopoly, now erased by the rice tarrification law effected in 2019.

After the elections in May, came July and the NFA was proven right.

Because we failed to import on time, we had a shortage, with prices shooting up, and poor Metro Manilans had to queue for their rice.

DA’s Roberto Sebastian resigned, along with NFA’s Romeo David. FVR replaced them with the come-backing Salvador Escudero for DA and Joemari Gerochi for the NFA.

Prices began to normalize only after NFA imported the staple, which came in only in October, along with the wet season domestic crop.

Then there was 2008. Again, history is repeating itself these days.

India banned exports for the same reason as now, to ensure availability for the local demand.

The international rice market panicked, and the private traders kept buying from all sources, with Thailand and Vietnam and the other big exporters hiking their prices.

DA under Art Yap and NFA under Jessup Navarro were confronted by a shortage in NCR and other urban capitals, with angry consumers lining up for their daily rice consumption.

The current DA spokesperson was then the NFA spokesperson.

Only after Japan and Vietnam released part of their rice reserves to a pleading Philippines did the situation ease up. Credit Pres. GMA’s appeal to our friends, but at tremendous cost. We were buying at prices shooting up to a thousand US dollars per metric ton.

AT LONG last, it appears our lawmakers have hit upon two missing elements that would make the Anti-Hazing Law really a potent tool in preventing death and injury to neophytes or would-be members of Greek letter fraternities during obligatory initiation rites.

The Senate committees on justice and human rights, as well as public order and dangerous drugs, after a joint hearing on a recent hazing case, concluded: “While RA 8049 and RA 11053 did not shy away from imposing heavy punishment on those who inflict harm, even imposing liability on school officials, and barangay, municipal, or city officials, both laws, however, have inadvertently missed to include in the consideration of penalties the third, but most important, personality in every hazing-related death—the fraternity, sorority, or organization itself.”

Hence, their first recommendation is to require fraternities and sororities to register in a police database.

This way, members of a fraternity that figure in cases of fatal hazing incidents within a certain geographical area can be identified and perhaps summoned to give information on what they know about the case.

The failure or refusal of the organization to comply with this requirement “shall be prima facie presumption of the organization’s illegal activities,” the senators said.

Let

We do not know if this recommendation will pass muster among lawyers, not a few of whom graduated from law schools where frats recruit members.

They will probably scoff at this proposal as unlawful as this would make every member and even founders or alumni automatically “persons of interest” or even suspects in homicide or murder cases whenever a frat neophyte dies in an initiation rite.

Critical bills to fight online piracy

Meanwhile, the FOB price of rice from Vietnam is about US$630 per metric ton. And we get about 85-90 percent of our rice imports from this country, which also mills the palay from neighboring Cambodia.

Both Thai and Viet rice are still on the rise by the day now that India, as it did in 2008, banned rice exports to protect domestic consumer requirements and contain inflation.

DA officials told the president not to worry much, because the private rice traders were given import permits amounting to 1.9 million metric tons this year, even if NFA, or government has less than two days inventory to answer the needs of DSWD and LGUs during the lean months.

But let’s be realistic.

The private sector may hold 1.9 million tons in permits, but have they actually imported 1.9 tons, and have these arrived?

Without NFA’s visitorial powers, how do we check permits versus actual arrivals?

The importers may have been caught unaware by the sudden price increase, and while they have license to import given by the Bureau of Plant Industry, they may have recoiled from the prices, or their sellers in Vietnam and Thailand have upped their export price beyond the Philippine importers reach.

This is one of the effects of the RTL which castrated the NFA.

The privates completely dominate the rice market, and they will not buy high and sell low, which government is forced to do to ensure availability of the staple at affordable prices.

In the last summer crop harvest, NFA could not compete with the private sector, with its buying price of 19 pesos per kilo of palay thwarted by traders who offered P23 up to P28 per kilo, depending on dryness and quality.

Now DA appeals to the private sector to “cooperate” and tame down their prices.

But P23 for palay translates to P46 per kilo of rice in the wet markets.

So that explains why prices have moved up by 10-15 percent minimum.

That has yet to be captured by our PSA July

That means P2,500 per sack, net of logistics, or P50 per kilo, while NFA was selling at highly subsidized rates of P23 per kilo, P16.50 even to PGMA’s favored bishops to sell in their dioceses at P18 per kilo.

The long and short of it is that DA is in charge of ensuring good production, while NFA used to be in charge of affordable distribution.

With the RTL passed by Congress in 2018 effective 2019, “affordable” distribution is left in the hands of the private sector.

NFA these days is nothing more than a public warehouse, “bodega ng bayan.” for use during emergencies such as typhoons, which are expected to be stronger in the coming months.

That is why our economic managers are hoping the private sector, which holds almost all of the nation’s rice stock, will “cooperate.”

But that is not in the nature of the beast, er, the private rice traders.

They are in the business of making profits, and when the opportunity presents itself, they act according to their best profit instincts.

As a side benefit, farmers are happy because farm-gate prices are higher, yet they keep praying the rain and wind with the floods they bring will not destroy their crop come September-October.

Logistics is also much higher these days, again no thanks to Saudi, the OPEC nations, and Russia.

So whether we talk of inbound shipping costs or domestic transport, moving rice, or flour, or corn, and everything else is up these days.

Soon, bakers will be forced to make their pan de sal as big as puto Calasiao and their “Pinoy tasty” or what the Bisaya call “American bread” sliced thinner than the present.

Even the farmer representatives are worried.

Where before they always cried out against importation, now they are saying we should have imported early enough.

Tomorrow meanwhile, the price of diesel, which went up last week by P3, will go up again by more than P3 per liter at the pumps.

Remember, headline inflation was going down the past three months. Now it is going up, and how!

So, thanks for the good news about inflation going down last month because of lower food and fuel prices.

including the response was going beyond the fas-

THE creation of digital content is a rapidly growing industry that’s evolving with every new technology of digital innovators. Everything we view in our devices whether it be our smart phones, personal computers, or TV screens, was produced with various digital tools skillfully wielded by the talents and skills of content creators of the creatives industry.

The Philippine creatives industry has a rich and diverse talent pool. The artistic skills and innovative ideas skills of Filipinos are highly valued by international content producers and have received sporadic accolades largely because of the individual persistence the artists and their private sector patrons.

The Philippine creative talent has been globally recognized in film, music, animation, advertising, design, fashion, culinary arts, new media, and literature, to name a few.

Yes, there is actually a Philippine creative economy that has enormous potential.

According to the 2018 Creative Economy Outlook published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the country’s creative sectors produced an estimated US$915 million in service, US$3.23 million in exports, and contributed 7 percent to the gross domestic product.

The internet has made online streaming a dominant distribution channel. Platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, search platforms like Bing, Google have integrated artificial intelligence that makes it so easy for consumers to look for anything they need.

However, it’s these same technologies that are being exploited by online piracy or the unauthorized distribution of digital content, such as movies, music, books, and software, without the permission of the original creators or owners.

This has seriously impacted the Philippine creatives industry which consists of various sectors that produce and distribute cultural and artistic goods and services.

Online piracy greatly damaged the local film industry, which has been struggling to compete with foreign productions and streaming platforms. A 2018 report by the Motion Picture Association revealed that online piracy caused a 47 percent decline in box office sales and a 72

Honoring the dead

WE HAD a well-defined opportunity with a friend from old times, among the best speechwriters we have ever met, when we were seated beside each other during a necrological service for a well-loved local official in a northern municipality.

He was silent throughout the 30-minute ceremony at the town hall as the four orators paid their respective tribute to the man. His quiet demeanor was as marked during the response delivered by the widow.

We were able to pick up some pebbles during the obituaries that we thought captured and honored the spirit of the deceased. We thought each orator left sincere paragraphs those who attended, not the least the bereaved kin, would treasure as they remembered the person’s memory.

Somewhere in between the pauses – we thought the orations were coming from the heart even in the absence of a teleprompter or a character generator—we asked ourselves what would make a good eulogy indeed.

Something that would touch the attendees and to genuinely remember the person in his lifetime, the things he did, the dreams he had, and his service to his community, among kernels of his humanity. We were thinking whoever wrote the eulogies

cination of the beginning of from ash to ash but from crafted letters of the alphabet and beyond— incredible detail with lots of personal insight.

This is where we thought there must be something in an oration during necrological services that can be so moving which properly captures and honors the spirit, the memory, of the deceased.

In some naughty corner of our cerebrum, we remembered how relatives of one arch rival of a local philanthropist/politician was asked to deliver a eulogy for his mortal enemy.

The man could decline, even in the most polite manner available to him, but accepted the invitation and delivered what was thought was a stirring oration in praising the deceased with words.

In his eulogy he said: “Our friend, who had just passed on, is peerless; he has done his best for our community with projects that have risen and will be there through scores for generations to appreciate; none can compare with his compassion, his capacity for consideration, among others.”

Then he paused, looked at the body beside him, and added, softly but clearly, “provided he is dead.”

That kind of obituary might not sit well with the near kin in other circumstances, but there are others who do not want “traditional” obituaries” and wan a different plate: followed on

the rim with humor, flair, wit and character. And we asked the question while listening to the four orators. What makes a great obit?

Right off the hip, there are those who suggest that an obit must be wonderful in that it accomplishes what all other obits should by being, to quote some experts, “unafraid to let the person’s personality shine.”

percent drop in legitimate online transactions in the Philippines from 2012 to 2016.

The online pirates made their biggest killing during the pandemic lockdowns with an estimated P1 billion in potential revenue losses to local video producers, distributors and aggregators (Media Partners Asia 2020).

According to a 2019 study by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry which represents the Global music industry, the Philippines ranked as the 10th most affected country by online music piracy in the world, with an estimated loss of $59.6 million in revenue.

Or perhaps violate the principle of presumption of innocence of those implicated in criminal cases, we don’t know.

The other recommendation is to make fraternities, sororities and similar organizations involved in the death or injury of neophytes in initiation rites liable to pay a hefty fine amounting to P20 million on top of the costs of litigation to the families of the victim. Deaths or injuries proven to be caused by such organizations’ initiation rites would then result in the automatic cancellation of its SEC certificate or registration, as well as the declaration of the group as an illegal organization which makes its founders, officers and members punishable under the law. Again, we do not know if this will violate any legal precept or jurisprudence.

Let the lawyers clarify whether this is a sound recommendation from the legal point of view.

But one thing is clear: It is time to put an end to killing in the name of brotherhood. If fraternities, sororities and similar organizations continue with deadly initiation rites despite the Anti-Hazing Law, then they should be ready to face a court of law and the prospect of long jail terms in our overcrowded and desolate-looking penitentiaries.

Apart, of course, from paying P20 million in compensation to the families of neophytes whose lives were brutally snuffed by those who they thought were their ‘brothers.’

that can be used get into bank accounts, or even lock out an individual or much worse, a whole enterprise from accessing its internal network, database, and email system.

In response, a multi-sectoral legislative initiative is being pushed by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines in alliance with the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA), the major internet service providers Globe Telecom, PLDT, Smart Communications, Converge, Sky Cable Corp, and DITO Telecommunity Corp. to institutionalize the blocking of websites with pirated content.

This fight against online piracy is now gaining ground with the approval last May of House Bill 7600 authored by Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda that would give authority to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to block websites that violate the Intellectual Property Code and expands its enforcement functions to investigate, gather intelligence, and develop countermeasures to piracy.

The bill will also establish the responsibilities and guidelines for internet service providers to block websites hosting pirated material.

Online piracy not only harms the economic viability of the creatives industry, but also undermines the cultural and social value of the people. By stealing the intellectual property of Filipino artists and creators, online pirates deprive them of their rightful recognition and reward for their work.

Online piracy also discourages innovation and creativity, as it reduces the incentives and opportunities for new and original content to be produced and distributed.

Consumers accessing piracy are also exposed to cybersecurity risks as pirated content have been known to be embedded with malicious software that infect devices and allow hackers to steal sensitive personal information

Even the most sensational obituaries should include key details about the person’s life and death. The recitation of these details can feel a bit cold and clinical, but it’s important to have the basics down.

In the newsroom, broadcast or print, obituaries of even the living are prepared to be used when they get promoted or die and to enable the laboratory of human character, the newsroom, to beat the monstrous deadline either for print or for online.

Some experts suggest answering some questions when writing what could be a well remembered obit:

How would you describe the person’s personality? What did people say most often about him/her?

What are some of your favorite memories of the person?

What were the person’s proudest accomplishments?

What were the person’s hobbies/favorite things?

What was the thing the person loved most as a person?

Any foibles/quirks or other personality traits that made the person different from the rest?

There are those who recommend that an obituary must give you all the staple information of a traditional obit, but functions more as

The counterpart legislation is also moving in the Senate with the filing of Senate Bill 2150 authored by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, and another version filed last week by Sen. Bong Revilla which proposes a definite timeline of five days for IPOPHL to process piracy complaints by content owners.

Hopefully there will be a strong push for the fast enactment into law from these legislators who themselves come from the Philippine entertainment industry which is most affected by online piracy.

Online piracy is a serious threat to the Philippine creative economy, and to all of us consumers who are now heavily dependent on all these cloud services accessed thru the internet.

The fast enactment of a strong anti-piracy law is a pre-requisite if we are to develop the Philippines as a driver of the global creative economy.

a eulogy, with tons of anecdotes and character.

To write an obit like this, they say you must narrow in on your clearest memories.

Which means you must know the person well, even his silhouettes and shadows when nobody is watching – with stories that demonstrate the qualities of the person while still alive.

And the four orators at the town hall did not repeat each other’s phrasal verbs.

It was like they were looking at the deceased from four different points that made the dead live —even if only during the necrological service.

Some obit authorities say it is all right for the obit to be concise and to the point with just a few lines about the remarkable impressions the departed one has left on the world.

“Use your own judgment about what’s appropriate,” one authority has said, adding “If you knew the person well, chances are you’ll be able to assess the tone and style that would suit them.”

After the service, our friend from old times and us had coffee, as usual, at his manicured garden with blue grass for carpet.

Without him asking what we thought of the orations and the response, we volunteered that whoever wrote the obits of the four orators and the response of the family member must know the deceased from A to Z.

He looked at us, with rather discerning but quiet eyes. He did not have to exhale a word.

We knew at once he was asked to write the orations and the response.

Time for another cup.

the lawyers clarify whether this is a sound recommendation from the legal point of view

Some obit authorities say it is all right for the obit to be concise and to the point with just a few lines about the remarkable impressions the departed one has left on the world

While I keep writing about my worries, I keep hoping I am wrong

Online piracy is a serious threat to the Philippine creative economy, and to all of us consumers who are now heavily dependent on all these cloud services accessed thru the internet

Citing threatening Trump post, prosecutors seek safety order

WASHINGTON, DC—Prosecutors have asked a US judge to limit information Donald Trump can publicly discuss regarding the latest indictments against him, citing a threatening post by the ex-president that his campaign defended Saturday (Sunday in Mnila) as “political speech.”

Jack Smith, the special counsel overseeing the charges against Trump for seeking to overturn the 2020 election, filed a motion Friday urging a federal judge to impose a protective order to prevent the former president from revealing evidentiary details about the case.

The judge, Tanya Chutkan, then issued a weekend order to Trump’s legal team that they respond to the government’s motion by 5:00 pm (5 am Monday in Manila) on Monday.

The fast-moving developments

Saudi dives into Ukraine peace push with Jeddah talks

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—Saudi Arabia hosted talks on the Ukraine war Saturday in the latest flexing of its diplomatic muscle, a session that Kyiv had predicted would “not be easy” given the wide range of countries represented.

The meeting, which Ukrainian organizers said would include representatives from nearly 40 countries but not Russia, concluded on Saturday evening after several hours of statements from the various delegations and a lengthy closed discussion, participants said.

As expected, no final declaration was due to be released, though a European source said there had been agreement on key points, including that respect for Ukraine’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty” should be “at the heart of any peace settlement”.

Organizers succeeded in bringing together representatives of the four members of the influential BRICS bloc besides Russia: Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

“China participated actively and was positive” about meeting again, the European source said.

Yet the head of Brazil’s delegation, foreign policy adviser Celso Amorim, used his prepared remarks to stress that “any real negotiation must include all parties,” including Russia, according to a copy of his statement shared with AFP.

“Although Ukraine is the biggest victim, if we really want peace, we have to involve Moscow in this process in some form.”

A French diplomatic source said “efforts were converging to create the conditions for a valid negotiation”.

The source added: “Does today’s meeting create these conditions? Clearly not. It’s a long-term effort.” AFP

Manila Standard TODAY

came in the wake of Trump appearing to defy a judge who had warned him not to discuss the case with any potential witnesses, and his posting of what is being seen as a threat on his social media platform.

“If you go after me, I’m coming after you!” Trump wrote in all caps Friday on Truth Social.

Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election, has pleaded not guilty to the four election conspiracy and obstruction charges -- the most serious in the multiple cases he faces.

His social media post was cited and displayed in Smith’s motion to US District Court Judge Chutkan, which referenced Trump’s history of attacking people who were connected to criminal cases against him. AFP

Japan calls Russia nuclear threat

TOKYO—Japan’s prime minister hit out at Russian threats to use nuclear weapons as the country marked the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Sunday.

Around 140,000 people died in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and 74,000 in Nagasaki three days later, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on the two Japanese cities days before the end of World War II.

“Japan, as the only nation to have suffered atomic bombings in war, will continue efforts towards a nuclear-free world,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a ceremony in Hiroshima.

“The path towards it is becoming increasingly difficult because of deepening divisions in the international community over nuclear disarmament and Russia’s

nuclear threat,” he said.

“Given this situation, it is all the more important to bring back international momentum towards realisation of a nuclear-free world,” he said.

“Devastation brought to Hiroshima and Nagasaki by nuclear weapons can never be repeated,” said Kishida, whose family comes from Hiroshima.

Kishida’s comments echoed those of UN chief Antonio Guterres, who issued a statement on the Hiroshima anniversary saying that “some countries are recklessly rattling the nuclear sabre once again, threatening to use these tools of annihilation.”

“In the face of these threats, the global community must speak as one. Any use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable,” Guterres said.

At the ceremony, thousands of people—survivors, relatives and foreign dignitaries from a record 111 countries—prayed for those killed or wounded in the bombing and called for world peace. Hiroshima however did not invite Russia or Belarus

‘unacceptable’ on Hiroshima date IN BRIEF

to the ceremony for the second-straight year because of the Ukraine crisis.

Participants, many dressed in black, offered a silent prayer at 8:15 am (2315 GMT Thursday) when the first nuclear weapon used in wartime was dropped.

Kishida hosted the G7 summit in the city earlier this year.

Kishida has tried to move nuclear disarmament up the agenda, having taken leaders of the wealthy democracies to Hiroshima’s peace park memorials and museum.

However, there is little appetite to reduce stockpiles with Russia repeatedly issuing thinly veiled warnings that Moscow could use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, as well as repeated North Korean missile tests and stalling efforts towards non-proliferation.

Earlier this month, more than 100 medical journals across the world issued a rare joint call for urgent action to eliminate nuclear weapons, warning that the threat of nuclear catastrophe was “great and growing.” AFP

Kim inspects arms factories: KCNA

SEOUL—North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited several major arms factories this week, including facilities producing engines for strategic cruise missiles, and called for increased weapons production, state media reported on Sunday.

The three-day inspection of the factories comes less than two weeks after Kim attended a major military parade with Russian and Chinese officials, showcasing North Korea’s newest weapons, including intercontinental ballistic missiles and spy drones.

Kim visited a factory producing engines for armed unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as production lines of shells for super-large-caliber multiple rocket launchers and transporter-erector-launchers, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

During the engine factory visit, Kim called for “steadily increasing the performance and reliability of the engine” and “rapidly expanding its production capacity”, KCNA said.

URGENT HIRING

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Job Description:

• Review work progress on a daily basis of all Construction Project planning process works.

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• Forecast activity to ensure equipment and material availability for the work execution.

• Initiate immediate and appropriate actions required for all defects to be implemented on site.

• Manage the submittal of Inspection Request, Drawings/Shop Drawings, Materials, Method Statement.

• Ensure the project is constructed and documented in accordance with the contract documents.

• Oversee all onsite and offsite constructions and monitor compliance with building and safety regulations.

• Ensure quality construction standards and the use of proper construction techniques.

• Implement and coordinate schedules and activities.

Qualification:

• Bachelor’s Degree.

• With a minimum of (10) years of experience in railway constructions.

• With good leadership and managing skills, strong work ethics, familiar in budgeting and keen understanding of industry specific terminology, rules and regulations.

• Good communication skills and can comprehend both English and Korean writings.

• Must know how to interpolate plans written in Korean.

• Leadership and human resources management skills

• Familiarity with construction management software packages

Interested Applicants may send your updated CV/Resume to HR: gellie.almodovar@hdec.co.krb grace.sangalang@hdec.co.kr Walk-in:

BEIJING—A shallow 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck eastern China in the early hours of Sunday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, with state media reporting at least 21 people injured and dozens of buildings collapsed.

Videos on social media showed shaking light fixtures, trembling ground and people evacuating their buildings, with one clip showing people walking past bricks scattered on the ground.

The quake, which struck at 2:33 am, hit 26 kilometers south of the city of Dezhou in Shandong province, at a depth of 10 kilometers, USGS said.

“The tremor was so strong... during the earthquake my head was shaking on the pillow, I thought I was having a nightmare,” one person posted on social media platform Weibo from Shandong’s neighboring Hebei province. USGS’s PAGER system, which provides preliminary assessments on the impact of earthquakes, issued a red alert -- estimating extensive damage and some casualties were probable based on previous quake data.

Citing Shandong authorities, state broadcaster CCTV said there were at least “21 injured” and 126 houses or buildings had “collapsed” from the earthquake, which was followed by 52 aftershocks.

China’s Ministry of Emergency Management launched a level four emergency response and dispatched a team to Shandong province to lead the rescue work, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Footage from CCTV showed rescue personnel in red uniforms marching past first aid tents that had been set up on a school athletics field surrounded by seemingly undamaged buildings.

“Only specific old dirt buildings that were uninhabited have collapsed,” CCTV said, showing footage of piles of crumbled bricks in between undamaged buildings and pieces of exterior wall stripped from a still-standing house.

“Some yard perimeter walls have collapsed and been damaged,” CCTV said. AFP

Kim also highlighted the modernization of small arms as “the most important and urgent matter in making war preparations... in keeping with the changed aspect of war”, the agency reported. AFP

Russian missile strike hits flight firm: Zelensky

KYIV, Ukraine—A Russian missile strike hit Saturday a facility of the Ukrainian aeronautics group Motor Sich, one of several companies requisitioned by the government since Moscow’s invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“Today there was another Russian missile attack against our country. Kinzhals, Calibers. They hit Motor Sich” near Khmelnytskyi in western Ukraine, around 300 kilometers southwest of Kyiv, Zelensky said in his evening address.

Motor Sich, which makes plane and helicopter engines and other components, was among the “strategic” firms taken over by Ukraine’s defense ministry last November.

Zelensky said the strike included Russia’s hypersonic Kinzhal weapons, which are designed to elude air-defense systems, though he added that “some of the missiles were shot down.”

The Khmelnytskyi region, hundreds of kilometers from the front lines of the fighting in eastern Ukraine, has been regularly targeted by Russian strikes. The region is home to a major Ukrainian airbase. AFP

21 injured, buildings collapse as 5.4 quake hits east China

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

BOMB ANNIVERSARY. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui (right) and representatives of bereaved families enshrine on Sunday a list of the atomic bomb victims at the cenotaph during a ceremony to mark the 78th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bomb attack, at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima. AFP

EERIE EARTHQUAKE. People gather on a street in Liaocheng, China’s eastern Shandong province, early on Sunday, following a shallow 5.4-magnitude earthquake that shook eastern China, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, with state media reporting at least 21 people injured and dozens of buildings collapsed. AFP

Diokno: PH returns to path of securing ‘A’ credit rating

ment’s borrowing cost.

Aboitiz Group bullish on CCBPI business despite higher sugar tax

By Jenniffer B. Austria

By Julito G. Rada

FINANCE

Secretary Benjamin Diokno said over the weekend the Philippines returned to the path of an “A” investment-grade rating after showing resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Diokno expressed confidence the sovereign credit rating would reach the ‘A’ level by the end of the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. despite the challenging global environment.

“We are firmly back on the road to ‘A’ and we hope to achieve this objec-

IN BRIEF

Volatile stock trading expected this week

PHILIPPINE stocks may see volatile trading this week, after the previous week’s massive sell-off, analysts said over the weekend. They said that while share prices might rebound Monday after Friday’s steep decline, investors’ focus would likely be on the release of important economic data and corporate earnings later this week.

“The sell-off last Friday induced mainly by institutional trades for the PSEi rebalancing, could prompt an index rebound on Monday,” China Bank Corp. managing director Juan Paolo Colet said. Colet said activity for the rest of the week would be driven by the release of second-quarter gross domestic product and US July inflation prints, corporate earnings and the MSCI index review announcement.

“The market will likely remain mired in its multi-month range with major resistance at 6,700 to 6750 and support at 6,370-6400,” Colet said.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. economist

Michael Ricafort said the recent depreciation of the peso against the dollar and the downward correction in the US stock markets were adding to investors’ worries.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index plunged by 174 points, or 2.63 percent, last week as investors shrugged off the further easing of local inflation rate and positive corporate earnings. Jenniffer B. Austria

DOF sees inflation

hitting target by Q4

THE government expects that its intensified measures to rein in inflation will help ensure it will be within the target range by the fourth quarter of 2023, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said over the weekend.

The Economic Development Group held its second session recently in a Joint EDG and Inter-Agency Committee on Inflation and Market Outlook.

“It discussed the continuous implementation and the intensification of measures to monitor prices and the demand- and supply-side risks in both food and non-food commodities in view of safeguarding the Filipino people’s purchasing power against potential inflationary impacts of weather and external-related uncertainties, the impending El Nino, and transportation and wage hike petitions,” Diokno said.

Diokno said to ensure food security, particularly in rice, the government would intensify the proper utilization of the calamity fund and quick response fund to help farmers.

The government will also expedite the implementation of measures to mitigate the impact of El Niño as discussed by the National El Niño Team to ensure food security. These include the provision of production inputs such as early maturing/short gestation/ drought tolerant seed and planting materials), adjustment of the cropping calendars, construction or installation of rainwater harvesting structures and small scale irrigation systems, and distribution of pump and engine sets, among others. Julito G. Rada

URC’s income rose 19% to P3.28b in Q2

FOOD manufacturer Universal Robina Corp. said net income attributable to parent equity holder rose 19 percent in the second quarter of 2023 to P3.28 billion from P2.72 billion in the same period last year as margins expanded despite higher commodity costs.

URC said in a financial report filed with the Philippine Stock Exchange the continued resilient consumer demand across the region pushed second-quarter consolidated revenues to P38.8 billion, up 10 percent from a year ago.

Operating income in the second quarter jumped 17.8 percent to P3.9 billion as the company saw the full year impact of the price adjustments made by the company in 2022.

“We are pleased that the company has maintained its sales momentum while showing improving margins against last year, despite higher input costs and inflationary pressures,” URC president and chief executive Irwin Lee said.

“The company will continue to prioritize profitable growth on the back of our strong brands and consistent operating discipline. No matter the external environment, URC takes pride in continuously delighting consumers with good food choices,” he said.

First-half net income also grew by 7.4 percent to P6.66 billion from P6.2 billion a year ago, while consolidated sales jumped 11 percent to P78.6 billion. Jenniffer B. Austria

tive by the end of this administration in 2028,” Diokno said.

He said in a statement an upgrade to “A” rating would result in improved perception of the local and international business and financial communities to the country and help reduce the govern-

“In turn, this will increase investments due to higher investor’s confidence and will eventually help in achieving the country in its long-term economic plans,” Diokno said.

The “Road to A” is the Philippine government’s program to achieve an investor-grade sovereign credit rating of ‘A’ from international rating agencies. These include the “Big 3” agencies—Moody’s Investor Service, Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings—as well as Japanese raters R&I and the Japan Credit Rating Agency.

An A rating would affirm the Phil-

ippines’ creditworthiness and would serve as a strong signal to local and international business and financial communities that the country is conducive to long-term investments.

The Philippines has a “BBB+” sovereign credit rating from S&P Global. This is one notch below the minimum ‘A’ rating target of the government.

Fitch in May 2023 affirmed its “BBB” rating and simultaneously revised its outlook from negative to stable in view of their improved confidence in the Philippines’ strong medium-term growth after the pandemic and sustained reductions in government debt-to-GDP.

ABOITIZ Equity Ventures remains positive about the prospects of soft drink maker Coco-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. which it plans to invest in despite the government’s proposal to increase taxes on sugary drinks, an executive said.

AEV senior vice president and chief finance officer Jose Emmanuel Hilado said during the company’s third-quarter investors briefing the higher taxes would affect sales only on the short term as consumers would eventually adjust to higher prices. Eventual sales are expected to go back, he said.

This was the experience of CocaCola Europacific Partners and other bottlers, according to Hilado.

“The experience of CCEP shows that you will get hit initially. There could be a drop in sales of 10 to 15 percent, but amazingly, this kind of market adjusts eventually. In matter of 6 to 12 months your sales go back. It gets affected, but goes back where it is,” Hilado said.

AEV announced last week that it teamed up with CCEP to acquire 100-percent stake in CCBI. CCEP will have 60 percent stake, while AEV will own 40 percent.

Hilado said AEV planned to raise debt to partially fund the acquisition.

“The business [is] resilient, so if you are a mid-term to long-term investor in this kind of business, [it] should not deter you from doing this business,” he said.

The Department of Finance disclosed plans to increase the sweetened beverage tax rate to P12 per liter, regardless of the type of sweetener used.

It proposed that the excise tax rate on sugary beverages be indexed annually by 4 percent, with exemptions eliminated to broaden the tax base.

ASIALINK’S AWARDS. Asialink Finance Corp. is recognized the Philippines’ financing company of the year at the Asian Banking and Finance Awards in Singapore in recognition of its commitment to financial inclusion. Asialink chair Ruben Lugtu (center) receives the award from Tim Charlton (left) chief executive of Charlton Media Group. With them is Gabriel Doromal, Asialink marketing officer. The company also received the ‘SME Financial Inclusion Initiative of the Year” award which highlights its efforts to empower micro, small and medium enterprises in the Philippines.

TransCo seeks to collect P0.08 per kWh for renewable firms

By Alena Mae S. Flores

STATE-RUN National Transmission Corp.

is applying for a feed-in tariff allowance of P0.0867 per kilowatt-hour in 2024 to pay the renewable energy plants under the feed-in tariff systems and the Green Energy Auction Program. TransCo filed an application for approval of the FIT-All with the Energy Regulatory Commission on July 27, 2023 under Case No. ERC 2023-096 RC.

“The grant of a provisional authority will allow TransCo to perform its duties and to make a timely payment of the FITs to FIT-eligible RE developers to which they are entitled, thereby allowing their continued operations,” TransCo said.

The FIT-All is a uniform charge billed to ongrid electricity users and is set annually by the ERC. Collection was suspended by the ERC to give relief to consumers from high power rates. Prior to the suspension, consumers were paying an FIT-All rate of P0.364 per kWh.

The ERC is reviewing whether to extend or lift the FIT-All rate collection suspension. TransCo administers the feed-in tariff fund, which is used to pay the FIT of renewable energy developers under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008.

The law established a FIT system for electricity produced from wind, solar, ocean, runof-river, hydropower and biomass. It guarantees all eligible renewable energy plants an entitlement for the applicable FITs for 20 years.

These measures aim to strengthen the effectiveness of the sweetened beverage tax by further discouraging the consumption of such beverages.

The higher taxes on junk food and sweetened beverages are expected to generate an additional P76 billion in the first year, the DOF said, and result in a 21-percent reduction in the consumption of junk food.

SOLAR-POWERED STORE. KFC Philippines solidifies its billing as an eco-friendly energy user quick-service restaurant in the country as its number of stores with solar panel-mounted rooftops reached 64. With an estimated annual power generation of more than 2,600,000 kWh from the solar panel (photovoltaic) systems installed on 64 KFC facilities, the game-changing initiative of KFC has reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 606,164 kilograms, well ahead of its peers in the QSR industry.

firm explains absence of quarry permit for Leyte poultry producer

A PASIG City-based law office tagged as “false and misleading” allegations that a large poultry enterprise in Palompon, Leyte had committed environmental and land violations.

The Valeña Law Office issued the statement as the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office in Leyte denied having conducted an investigation on the purported environmental infractions by the DBSN Farms and Agriventures Corp. owned by the family of Palompon Mayor Ramon Oñate.

DBSN, one of the largest agriculture companies in the Visayas, employs more than 600 workers. Lawyer Arnel Victor Valeña said the charg-

es aired by the camp of Rep. Richard Gomez against DBSN stemmed from “a typical case of error in interpretation” of PENRO’s statement that it has “no existing records for any permit applied for or application submitted by DBSN/ DBSN Breeder Farm relative to any quarry operations in San Joaquin, Palompon, Leyte.”

“It is correct that DBSN does not have any such permit—the reason being that they do not operate any quarry,” Valeña said.

Valeña was referring to a certification issued by the PENRO “upon request of a person in authority” regarding DBSN’s quarry permit.

Valeña said the PENRO certification was quoted out of context, alleging that the DBSN

“has no permit to quarry or dig dumpsites to contain the wastes the farm produces in the area.”

He also sought to clarify online news report stating that DBSN was “reportedly” owned by local officials. “DBSN is proudly owned by the Oñate family. They are not hiding this,” Valeña said.

Valeña also denied that a House investigation found that the breeder farm has been burying its solid wastes in a dumpsite “illegally excavated” in Barangay San Joaquin.

“This is misleading. The investigation is still ongoing, and we are not aware of any findings that have been made,” he said.

Law

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

Warming trend in Asia to cause more economic disruptions—UN

MELTING ice and glaciers and rising sea levels threaten more socio-economic disruption in future, according to the agency’s latest State of the Climate report for the region.

The mean temperature over Asia for 2022 was the second or third warmest on record and was about 0.72 degrees Celsius (°C) above the 1991–2020 average, which was itself roughly 1.68°C above the WMO 1961–1990 reference period for climate change.

Asia is also the world’s most disasterprone region, according to the agency’s new report.

In 2022, there were more than 80 disasters on the continent, mainly floods and storms, which killed upwards of 5,000 people and affected 50 million more. Overall economic damage exceeded $36 billion.

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said many areas in Asia experienced drier-than-normal conditions and drought last year.

He cited the case of China, where prolonged drought conditions affected water availability and the power supply. The estimated economic losses were over

$7.6 billion.

“Most glaciers in the High Mountain Asia region suffered from intense mass loss as a result of exceptionally warm and dry conditions in 2022. This will have major implications for future food and water security and ecosystems,” he added.

Last year also saw severe flooding in Pakistan. The country received 60 percent of its normal monsoon rain within just three weeks of the start of the monsoon season last June.

More than 33 million people were affected, or roughly 14 percent of the population, and more than $15 billion in losses were recorded. National authorities put the death toll at over 1,730, while nearly eight million people were displaced.

Asia also shows an overall surface ocean warming trend beginning in 1982.

In the northwestern Arabian Sea, the Philippine Sea and the seas east of Japan, the warming rates exceed 0.5°C per decade,

roughly three times faster than the global average.

The report was released during a meeting of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific’s (ESCAP) Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction. It is accompanied by an inter-

Rain allows Candaba Swamp to reclaim its natural territory

THE 32,000 hectare Candaba swamp in Pampanga province is now an ocean expanse after heavy monsoon rain poured over Luzon and the rest of the Philippines last week. Gone for the moment are the swathes of green rice fields that can be seen when one is traveling to the north on the section of the Candaba Viaduct of the North Luzon Expressway. The swamp’s water obviously rose high enough to submerge every vegetation thriving in the area. Only a few mango and palm trees are out of reach of the swelling water. Small islands are formed and jut out from the vast swamp as a result of rising water.

One will have an eerie feeling when he sees the present state of the Candaba wetlands. It’s water world out there, with the full might of the swamp dangerously creeping into residential houses hugging its fringes.

The inundated Candaba Swamp is a reminder to us of what nature can restore if the environment is altered or reduced to accommodate man-made formations or structures. The Candaba Swamp is merely reclaiming its natural territory to start a rejuvenation process and play its role as an agent of biodiversity.

The Candaba Swamp is comprised of marshes, freshwater ponds and grasslands. The field is normally submerged during the wet season and dries out between November and April. Local farmers convert it into an agricultural area, where they plant rice and watermelon that are sold across the globe.

The swamp also serves as fishing grounds covering 43,000 hectares of arable farmlands. Its fields are very fertile because of the sustained deposits of humus and decaying plant residues.

For photographers and bird watchers, the Candaba Swamp is a paradise for their profession due to the many species of colorful ducks and threatened water birds that flock to the area to escape the biting cold of the northern hemisphere during the winter season. It is a staging and wintering area for ducks, egrets and other water birds, or the Anatidae species.

Migratory birds arrive from as far as

Siberia, Korea, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand to breed in the Candaba Swamp. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources says between 5,000 and 10,000 birds regularly visit the swamp from October up to April. The department has recorded 54 species of migratory birds in the wetlands since 1940. About 100,000 ducks, according to the DENR, were observed in a single day in 1982.

Aside from acting as a staging area for exotic birds, the Candaba Swamp plays a key role in preserving the ecological balance. Similar to marshes and other

season. They offset extreme weather events and protect communities from disasters. Swamps also function as kidneys of the planet because they improve water quality. They collect surface runoff from cities and farmlands and act as natural water filter by eliminating other pollutants and catching suspended sediments that can kill aquatic plants and animals. In the case of the Candaba Swamp, it filters toxic chemicals coming from the upstream water of the Pampanga River before it drains to Manila Bay, and recharge groundwater aquifers that are crucial for irrigation and drinking water.

active story map, with a special focus on agriculture and food security.

WMO said the expected increase in the frequency and severity of extreme events over much of Asia will impact agriculture, which is central to all climate adaptation planning. UN News

(CONCLUSION)

BEES are one of the best pollinators in the world, making them vital for global food production. Of the 100 crop species that provide 90 per cent of the world’s food, over 70 are pollinated by bees. But pollinators are under threat. The continued decline of bee populations would have disastrous impacts on global agriculture and food security.

According to a UNEP report, some 20,000 flowering plant species upon which many bee species depend for food could be lost over the coming decades without greater conservation efforts. However, if done in harmony with nature, agriculture–one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss–can be pollinator friendly, which ultimately helps bees and farmers alike.

To make agriculture bee friendly, farmers can eliminate bee-harming pesticides, plant native plants that provide nectar and pollen throughout the bloom season, and build nesting sites to ensure that bees thrive.

Diversify crops

The world has over 50,000 edible plants. However, just three of them, rice, maize, and wheat, provide over 50 percent of the world’s food energy intake.

Over-reliance on a few crop varieties can make global agricultural systems vulnerable to pests, diseases, climate change and exacerbate soil degradation and water scarcity that will ultimately result in greater food insecurity.

However, by adopting more sustainable agriculture and growing and eating more diverse vegetables, fruits and crops will not only help revive biodiversity, it will also help adapt to climate change, increase resilience and offer more healthy diets.

Note: The planet is experiencing a dangerous decline in nature. One million species are threatened with extinction, soils are turning infertile, and water sources are drying up. The Global Biodiversity Framework–adopted by world leaders in December 2022–sets out to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. To address the drivers of the nature crisis, UNEP is working with partners to take action in land and seascapes, transform our food systems and close the finance gap for nature.

The UN General Assembly has declared the years 2021 through 2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Led by UNEP and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration. UNEP News

Shore It Up! marks 15thanniversary, renews pledge to guard shorelines

By Paola Navarette

wetlands, the Candaba Swamp provides an important habitat for everything from microbes to frogs to waterfowl. Peatlands, mangroves, swamps and seagrass beds, according to one DENR official, are the world’s most effective carbon sinks.

Wetlands capture and store carbon from the atmosphere through plant photosynthesis and by acting as sediment traps for runoff. Carbon is held in the living vegetation as well as in litter, peats, organic soils and sediments that have built up, in some cases, over thousands of years.

Peatlands cover just 3 percent of the planet’s surface but they store about 30 percent of all land-based carbon, or twice the number of all the world’s forests combined. The same DENR official added inland wetlands, like rivers and lakes, absorb and store water from excessive rains and mitigate floods.

Swamps appear as wastelands but healthy wetlands absorb and accumulate excess rainfall that is stored for the dry

But the swamp’s role in the ecosystem may diminish due to challenges bedeviling the water system. A DENR executive cited excessive growth of vegetation, drying of wetlands and fishponds due to climate change, land conversion of wetland into agricultural land, and hunting, trapping and poaching of birds in the area.

Climate change, drought and land conversion may be altering the ecosystem in the swamp and turning away migratory birds, whose numbers have declined in recent years. The Candaba Swamp as a key habitat for animals and plants must be given a chance to breathe and act its role as protector of the environment.

Editor’s notes: Biodiversity 101 column is open to contributors who share the advocacies of protecting the environment and promoting sustainable practices that are being pushed by the United Nations. Such contributions are subject to the availability of space and the paper’s editorial policies. The contributions should not exceed 600 words or 4,000 characters.

CELEBRATING the 15th anniversary of its environmental flagship program

“Shore It Up! (SIU),” the Metro Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF) bared its plans for the future and highlighted the need for collective efforts in preserving and conserving marine biodiversity.

“In the next five years of SIU, we plan to provide livelihood, create more blue carbon, and help mitigate climate change. Let it be a call to action for individuals, businesses, and governments to unite and work together in preserving our beautiful shorelines and securing the brighter, more sustainable future,” said MPIF president Melody del Rosario.

With the theme “Enlarging Our Blue Footprint for PH Marine Biodiversity Conservation,” the event was highlighted by the launch of Shore it Up mobile application, which would allow instant updates and actionable insights for SIU volunteers.

“This application will not only encourage participation and engage our partners in our programs and event initiatives, but also create a sense of community among our members, scuba divers, enthusiasts, and volunteers,” said del Rosario.

Joining the blue revolution are environmental stakeholders Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, who said her office would continue to implement a ridge-to-reef approach to contribute to the enrichment of coastal areas, and Department of Tourism Undersecretary Shereen Gail YuPamintuan, who will further support local communities by providing communitybased tourism industry training. Senate Committee Chair on Environment and Natural Resources Cynthia Villar said she has been actively promoting organic farming to reduce carbon footprint and create healthier soil.

“So far, we have been distributing composting machines all over the Philippines to produce organic fertilizer so we don’t have to buy chemical fertilizer anymore. A typical city in Metro Manila would typically spend P400 million to throw away their waste―if you help recycle, we can save P300 million a year because we recycle 3/4th of our waste,” she said. Bohol congressman Rep. Edgar Chatto pushes to save the seas by promoting a whole-of-nation approach to climate change. With Erica Cayme and Zofia Tadeo

Why restoring nature is good for our farmers and fishermen

Bago City softbelles win World Series

By Peter Atencio

BAGO City softbelles outplayed Team USA’s East Region bets from Connecticut, 3-0, to clinch the 2023 Junior League Softball World Series title in Kirkland, Washington Saturday afternoon (Sunday morning in Manila).

The Philippine team is composed of Erica Arnaiz, Thereze Francine Fuentes, Ann Dyana Buenafe, Icelle Tanaman, Ashley Ortiz, Froline Manalo, Christine Jane Caracas, Daniela Bejos, Audrie Sarsona, Marie Antoinette Sicapore, Nice Lobrido and Casandra Sumatra.

Arnaiz led the Philippine side when she struck out 15 batters, while Buenafe made two RBIs.

The students of Ramon Torres National High School handed the Philippines its second championship in the girls’ 1214 age bracket.

It has been 20 years since a team from neighboring Bacolod City took home the crown.

“After countless hours of hard work and dedication, we have finally reached the pinnacle of success. It is a long-awaited victory that will be forever cherished by the entire country,” said officials of Little

Netherlands ends Africa’s run; US faces Sweden test

SYDNEY—The Netherlands secured a spot in the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals by ending South Africa’s historic run with a 2-0 win in Sydney on Sunday, ahead of a blockbuster last-16 showdown between holders the United States and Sweden.

Cray boosts stock for world tourney

FIL-AMERICAN sprinter Eric Cray could join the country’s top pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena in the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

The 34-year-old Cray is now no. 49 in the World Athletics rankings after joining the Ed Murphy Classic over the weekend at the Wolfe Track and Field Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.

Cray finished 5th with a clocking of 50.24 seconds in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, thereby boosting his ranking points.

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association secretary-general Edward Kho said Cray can join the world meet once he breaches the top 40 rankings.

Cray has been earning points since joining the Asian Championships in Bangkok, the #True Athletes Classic in Leverkeusen.

Obiena, who has dropped to world no. 3 this week, is already a sure entry in the world meet.

Christopher Nilsen of the United States has returned to the no. 2 spot after performing his best jump of the season two weeks ago.

That was when Nilsen beat world Obiena and Armand “Mondo” Duplantis in the Monaco Diamond League. Peter Atencio

The Dutch, runners-up in 2019, will now face Spain in the last eight but they suffered some anxious moments in front of 40,000 fans in Sydney and had goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar to thank for making several important saves in the first half.

Jill Roord scored after nine minutes to put the Dutch on their way against a team that sits 45 places below them in the world rankings and was featuring in the knockout rounds for the first time.

South Africa goalkeeper Kaylin Swart then made a mess of an innocuous Lineth Beerensteyn shot midway through the second half to gift the Dutch a second.

The African champions will be kicking themselves after having numerous chances in the opening 45 minutes, almost all of them falling to their livewire captain Thembi Kgatlana.

Midfielder Roord nodded in the opener from close range following

a corner for her fourth goal of the tournament.

The Netherlands then stood firm before adding their second goal on 68 minutes when Swart’s blunder let Beerensteyn’s tame effort slip through her hands.

“Daphne saved us a few times and I was happy to lead 1-0 at half-time,” said Dutch coach Andries Jonker.

“We did much better in the second half and had much more control of the game.

“We deserved to score again and in the end deserved to win.”

His team will now return to New Zealand for Friday’s lasteight game in Wellington against Spain, who outclassed Switzerland 5-1 on Saturday.

South Africa coach Desiree Ellis was proud but felt her side should have won.

“We had a lot of chances, especially in the first half, to kill off the game,” she said.

“The chances we created should have put us out of sight.”

The USA go into their meeting with Sweden in Melbourne, which kicks off at 0900 GMT, looking to improve on some lacklustre performances in the group stage as they chase an unprecedented third consecutive World Cup title. AFP

Biles makes triumphant return after 2-year break

HOFFMAN, ESTATES—Four-time Olympic champion Simone Biles made a triumphant return to gymnastics after a two-year hiatus on Saturday, winning the US Classic in her first competition since the Tokyo Olympics.

Biles electrified a sellout crowd in suburban Chicago with a stunning performance, receiving an all-around judges’ total score of 59.100 points.

The 26-year-old American star had the meet’s top scores on vault, floor exercise and balance beam and was third overall on the uneven bars.

“Did it look like I was having fun? Oh thank God,” Biles said afterward. “I thought I was going to ____ bricks, but that’s good.”

Biles took a leave of absence from the sport due to mental health issues.

It can be recalled that her USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison after an emotional testimony by scores of women he sexually abused for years under the guise of medical treatment.

Minutes ahead of the sentencing, Nassar apologized in court to his victims, who included Olympic gold-medal winning gymnasts Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas and McKayla Maroney but also scores of female athletes at Michigan State University, where he worked .AFP

League Philippines said in a statement.

The Negrenses made up for their thirdplace finish last year.

This time, the Negrenses’ side swept their first six matches to secure a ticket to the finals where they faced the team from Milford, Connecticut.

The Filipina clouters scored a run in the second inning and pulled off two more in the sixth to clinch the title.

In reaching the finals, Team Philippines subdued District 9 Region (Washington) 19-0; Southeast Region (Florida) 4-1; Canada Region (Canada) 7-4; Central Region (Michigan) 10-0; West Region (Arizona) 4-0; and Southwest Region (Texas) 4-0.

Mayor Nicholas Yulo, who joined the team in Washington, lauded the players and the coaches “for a job well done and for the honor they brought to Bago City and the whole country.”

Softbelles from Bago City are shown with their gold medals after their title romp in the 2023 Junior League Softball World Series title in Kirkland, Washington. Charles Maxey

Netherlands’ players celebrate their victory during the 2023 Women’s World Cup round of 16 football match between Netherlands and South Africa at Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney. AFP

Eric Cray

Simon Biles

Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas holds his trophy as he celebrates his victory against Australia’s Alex de Minaur during their Mexico ATP Open 250 men’s singles final tennis match at Cabo Sports Complex in Los Cabos, Baja California, Mexico. AFP

Tsitsipas nails ATP Mexico title

LOS CABOS—Greek top seed Stefanos

Tsitsipas defeated Australian fifth seed Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday to capture the ATP Mexico Open for his first title in 14 months.

Tsitsipas, this year’s Australian Open runner-up, claimed his first ATP outdoor hardcourt crown in his third final of the year, having fallen to Novak Djokovic at Melbourne and top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz at Barcelona in April.

The 24-year-old Greek star captured his 10th career title and first since June of last year at Mallorca to snap a five-final win drought.

World number five Tsitsipas improved to 10-0 all-time against 19th-ranked de Minaur, who was hoping for a Mexico double after winning the title at Acapulco in February.

“It was a great match,” Tsitsipas said. “I’m really happy we were able to deliver a great quality in the final match.”

The 24-year-old from Sydney was denied an eighth career ATP crown in his third final of the year. He also lost to Alcaraz in June’s trophy match at Queen’s.

Paris Olympics swimming test meet in Seine cancelled due to pollution

PARIS—The preOlympics swimming test competition due to take place Sunday in the Seine in Paris has been cancelled due to pollution of the river, the international swimming federation said after analysis of the latest water samples.

Following recent heavy rainfall, “water quality in the Seine has remained below acceptable standards for safeguarding swimmers’ health,” World Aquatics said in a statement on Sunday. “Based on this weekend, it is clear that further work is needed with Paris 2024 and local authorities to ensure robust contingency plans are in place for next year.”

Friday’s training had already been cancelled and the women’s race was postponed from Saturday to Sunday in

the hope the water quality would improve.

Heavy rains for the past week in Paris have caused sewers to overflow, pollut-

ing the Seine.

“World Aquatics is disappointed that water quality in the Seine has resulted in the cancellation of the World Aquat-

ics Open Water Swimming World Cup, but the health of our athletes must always be our top priority,” said World Aquatics president Husain Al Musallam.

The federation said it “understands that further infrastructure projects will be completed to significantly improve water quality in the Seine in the lead-up to next year’s Olympic Games”.

“World Aquatics remains excited at the prospect of city-centre Olympic racing for the world’s best open water swimmers next summer,” it said.

The events are also a prelude to the future return of swimming in the Seine promised by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo from 2025 on three sites where swimming has been prohibited since 1923.

Olympic open water swimming has frequently been hit by pollution concerns.

At the end of the test event in 2019 ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, swimmers protested against the quality of the water in Tokyo Bay.

At the Rio Olympics in 2016, the prospect of swimming in Guanabara Bay, also very polluted, also made headlines. AFP

Catalan vs Baluyot in URCC war of former world champs

EROS Baluyot, one of Philippine mixed martial arts’ rising prospects, looks to continue the hot start to his MMA career as he battles veteran fighter Rene Catalan in the main

event of URCC 87: Heroes on Tuesday night at the Xylo at the Palace in BGC in Taguig City.

In an exciting striker-versus-grappler clash in the flyweight division, Baluyot,

a two-time International Brazilian JiuJitsu Federation world champion, faces Catalan, a three-time wushu world champ and a former MMA world title contender in other promotions.

“Awesome, awesome card that we’re going to have here, especially our main event. We have two world champions here going up against each other,” URCC president Alvin Aguilar said about the headliner during the pre-card press conference last Thursday night also at Xylo.

Catalan (6-5) marks a return to the MMA cage after two years in what would be his debut at URCC.

However, the 44-year-old veteran believes it’s never too late to have his dream of fighting in the URCC fulfilled.

“This is my first time to fight in the URCC cage in my entire life. My dream of fighting here just finally happened,” Catalan said as he tries to end a threefight losing streak dating back to 2021.

But standing in his way is the 30-yearold Baluyot, who is currently 2-0 in his MMA career.

“I am really well-prepared for this fight. I am so excited to face coach Rene Catalan because he is one of the legends of Philippine MMA. He already built that legacy in this sports that’s why I am really excited about our fight on Tuesday,” Baluyot said.

“It’s going to be an exciting fight between a solid grappler Baluyot and a veteran striker in Catalan that you can only see in this upcoming URCC 87. So come to Xylo on Tuesday night.

Aside from the main event, other bouts are all good,” URCC co-owner and General Manager Aleksandr Sofronov said.

The co-main event backed by main supporter www.crazywin.ph features a grappling super fight between Godwin Langbayan and Red Samson, while another grappling bout features Troy Legaspi battling Paige Alitao.

After Tsitsipas dominated the first set, de Minaur surrendered a break on a double fault to open the second set but broke back at love in the sixth game to pull level.

Tsitsipas, who won 23 of his 28 firstserve points, responded with a break in the ninth game, seizing a 5-4 edge with a blistering forehand winner, then held serve to finish off the Australian after 86 minutes when de Minaur sent a forehand long. AFP

Zambo thwarts

San Juan five; Iloilo, Pasay turn back foes

ZAMBOANGA Family’s Brand Sardines quelled San Juan’s final assault and prevailed, 80-66, on Saturday in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season at the FiloIl Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

With their lead cut to 60-65, the Zamboanguenos regrouped behind twins Jaycee and Jayvee Marcelino, John Mahari and Joseph Gabayni and secured their 16th win against six losses, 76-62, with only 1 minute and 32 seconds left.

Responding to the steering of new Coach Louie Alas, the Zamboanguenos erased a 24-35 deficit, gained control by the end of the third quarter, 5751, and proceeded to snap San Juna’s 11-game winning run and pull down the Knights to 18-4 in the round-robin elimination phase of the 29-team tournament.

The burly Gabayni presided over Zamboanga’s balanced offense with 13 points and 6 rebounds, followed by former Knight Judel Fuentes with 12 points plus 7 rebounds, the Marcelinos with 11 points each and former Letran star King Caralipio with 10 points plus 8 rebounds that helped the Zamboanguenos rule the boards, 5343.

It was a pleasant start for Alas, a multi-titled coach with Letran in the NCAA, the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association, the Philippine team and the ASEAN Basketball League, who has to make do without suspended Zamboanga big men Dexter Maiquez and Chris Dumapig.

San Juan got 18 points from Marwin Taywan, 17 points, 5 rebounds plus 4 steals from Adrian Nocum and 12 points, 9 rebounds plus 5 assists from Orlan Wamar.

In other games, Pasay turned back Negros, 79-73, while Iloilo trounced Quezon City, 77-51.

The Courtyard by Nike opens, inspires ballers to create communities of play

THE Courtyard, a new basketball court by Nike, opens in the heart of Bonifacio Global City that will ignite the deep passion Filipinos have for basketball, provide a safe space for a community of players, while upholding Nike’s commitment to preserving the future of the planet.

The 2,182-square meter Courtyard at 25th Street and 7th Avenue in BGC will come alive with the dribbling and swooshing of basketballs in three courts: two are FIBA-standard full courts and one is a halfcourt with a free-throw line for practice-shooting.

Deepening our commitment to help protect the planet and with it, the future of sport, the two full-size courts’ surfaces are made with NIKE GRIND rubber from the outsoles of about 30,000 pairs of recycled shoes.

Set to give local hoopers their first experience playing ball on a sustainable sports ground, The Courtyard now joins Nike’s international circuit of courts that serve as re-energized spaces for communities to

enjoy sport.

Hoop-inspired artist Kiefsix’s bright colors and bold patterns reflecting local aesthetics, give The Courtyard its youthful look while making it authentic to Manila’s baller community. The Courtyard also has a locker facility, male and female restrooms and shower rooms. The rooftop of the locker room can double up as an observation deck for friends to watch the action while offering its 70 square meters of space for events and workshops.

“The hope is that every baller who steps onto the court will feel a sense of identity, and they will feel proud to be a Filipino baller,” said Kiefsix.

Coach Xavier Nunag, University Athletic Association of the Philippines Commissioner and mentor to the next generation of ballers, added: “Having this court in the heart of Metro Manila is huge. It’s different when you play alone in your Barangay. Playing here gives you the primetime feeling, like you’re a part of Filipino basketball culture.”

An employee of the company Fluidion collects a sample of water from the Seine to analyse its composition ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, near the Pont Alexandre III in Paris. A swimming training event supposed to occur as a test ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics on August 4, was canceled due to the poor quality of the Seine river’s water. AFP

Eros Baluyot and veteran former wushu warrior Rene Catalan stare at each other as URCC president Alvin Aguilar and URCC co-owner/General Manager Aleksandr Sofronov look on during URCC 87 Press Conference on Tuesday at the Palace in Xylo BGC.

Smart offers exclusive access to Twice’s world tour ‘Ready To Be’

MOBILE services provider Smart Communications, Inc. is giving subscribers a chance to score tickets to Twice 5th World Tour ‘Ready To Be’ at the Philippine Arena on September 30 and October 1.

The tour is the latest addition to this year’s stellar line-up for Smart Live, which gives subscribers access to exclusive perks and privileges to live

To

shows in Japan, Australia, the US, Singapore, Berlin, Thailand, Paris, and London.

The tour is in support of their 2023 EP, Ready To Be

Twice, the first Korean group to receive the coveted Breakthrough Award at the Billboard Women in Music Awards this year is a nine-member group composed of Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu, who made their debut in 2015.

Next, present

proof

ownership, and proof of purchase of the Magic Data+ offers.

Subscribers may top up Magic Data+ to up to five registered Smart Prepaid numbers per ticket, as long as the required number of Magic Data+ top-up are met. Fans who will top up to more than one number must present proof of purchase on the GigaLife App or

A man of arts and sciences

MILD-mannered with a congenial smile, Matthew de Ubago exudes the confidence of a theater actor and budding opera singer. With a BS in Applied Physics, majoring in Instrumentation from the University of Sto. Tomas, and a Master's degree in Physics from Ateneo de Manila University, Matthew holds an impressive academic background. His international paper publication on Optics and Photonics further adds to his accolades.

e-loading channels such as the subscriber’s number to whom Magic Data+ 649 or 749 was sent, and/or receipt of the transaction.

Subscribers may claim one ticket based on the Magic Data+ offer they availed of at the Smart Store. Ticket redemption is on a

first-come, first-served basis. Twice’s upcoming concert is their second visit to the Philippines since 2019. The Philippine leg is part of the Twice 5th World Tour ‘Ready To Be’ that kicked off in Seoul early this year, which includes

Fans can enjoy the best concert experience on-ground and instantly share their live moments with the rest of the world powered by Smart, the Philippines’ Fastest and Best Mobile Network as cited by Ookla, the global leader in mobile and broadband network intelligence. Smart clinched this prestigious recognition for three consecutive semesters –Q1-Q2 2022, Q3-Q4 2022, and most recently in Q1-Q2 2023.

To know more, visit www.smart.com.ph/ smartlive.

opera, conver-

Despite his love for science and its methodical approach, he has found a profound passion for theater arts and opera, embracing the conver gence of rationality and creativity in a captivating symphony of passions.

“It is a whole new world of discovery and

Matthew de Ubago collaborates with Frontline Productions to pursue his passion for theater arts and opera

magic. The bug bit me when I did a musical where I played a singing bible in my wonder years. Also, in high school, I won a singing contest with a Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic, ‘My Favorite Things,’ which I think became a stand-out song choice and performance from all the pop songs that the judges heard then,” he explains.

Having previously been deeply immersed in the sciences, Matthew admits that fully embracing the arts took time. Now, he finds himself engrossed in the dramatic world, collaborating with the progressive and independent theater company, Frontline Productions. Furthermore, he is eagerly looking forward to commencing his music studies at UP.

“I want to constantly challenge myself and I am a believer that life offers opportunities for constant learning,” declares the mild-mannered gentleman. “It does not stop in one degree or course. And learning does not come from the university alone. We learn from anything and everything that comes our way.”

Matthew finds the thrill in theater by immersing himself in the character, delivering lines with genuine emotion. Being able to connect with the audience and evoke understanding and empathy for the character's reasons is the

most fulfilling aspect for him.

“Characters that are not the bida, it is daunting yes but the excitement it gives and the opportunity to learn from it to me that is priceless,” Matthew declares. Speaking of learning, the FLP Artist is set to enter the UP College of Music, as a Voice Major. This tenor’s

NYMA, the leading talent management division of KROMA Entertainment, has recently unveiled its latest additions to its roster of talents: Christian Bautista, Eric Nam, Jamie Miller, Abi Marquez, and Lester "Buji" Babiera

Each artist brings unique skills and appeals to diverse audiences, contributing to NYMA's rapid rise in the entertainment industry according to the agency’s head, Kat Bautista

talents

Global Trending Artists on the Rise in 2019.

As he visits Manila for the third time to promote his highly anticipated single "House on the Hill," Eric is determined to showcase his diverse artistry to his loyal fans.

first opera experience was in Turandot, a production presented at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Since the production, he has had special voice classes with no less than National Artist for Music, Madama Fides Cuyugan-Ascencio.

The budding opera singer finds singing in romantic languages challenging but fulfilling. He researches the meaning and history behind the songs and takes language courses to improve his understanding and pronunciation. Although not fluent yet, he believes more classes and interactions with native speakers will assist his quest.

He loves opera because of its grandness and how it transports the audience to a different time and place. Conquering the challenge of using his voice without a microphone is something he aims for, driven by his Capricorn personality's love for challenges. With proper guidance, discipline, and life experience, he believes he will excel in his pursuit. His dream roles are Raoul in Phantom of the Opera and Turandot, “I was part of the ensemble in the opera. I want to give it justice for the second time, as the Turandot.”

With his dedication and passion, discipline, and desire to learn, Matthew has more than a bright future as his talent screams world-class actor and opera singer.

Speaking to Manila Standard Entertainment, Bautista expressed that the agency's longstanding vision has always been to showcase local talents on a global stage. She emphasized the significance of enhancing the entertainment landscape in the Philippines. A crucial part of their strategy in volves taking care of fan clubs, ensuring they have direct access to their favorite artists.

"Our vision remains unchanged – to propel our talents to international recogni tion and turn them into household names. We collaborate with exceptional talents to enrich the local entertainment scene together," Bautista stated. She also underscored that NYMA is not veering off in a dif ferent direction; rather, the agency is continually evolving. Witnessing NYMA's remarkable growth in just a year and a half has been truly incred ible.

Short for “Now You Must Aspire,” NYMA aims to revolutionize the industry by nurturing trailblazers to break through all media spaces. Originally envisioned to bring Filipino entertainment to the world, NYMA has grown to represent global talent in the Philippines. Partnering with EN Manage ment, an independent man

agement and entertainment company founded by Eddie Nam and home to numerous global talent, NYMA has also successfully signed two of today’s biggest global musical celebrities— K-Pop superstar Eric Nam and pop singersongwriter Jamie Miller Korean-American Eric Nam is a singer, songwriter, actor, podcaster, and TV personality. With a remarkable discography that includes chart-toppers like "Echo," "Honestly," and "Can't Help Myself," Eric has made a name in K-Pop and beyond. He has earned numerous accolades, including being Man of the Year by GQ Korea in 2016, Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2017, and YouTube Music

On the other hand, Jamie Miller, currently based in Los Angeles, has gained significant acclaim for his song "Here's Your Perfect" and as the opening act for Jesse McCartney and Calum Scott's world tours. With over one billion global streams across digital streaming platforms and a new hit single “Maybe Next Time” (racking up 15M+ views on TikTok and 1.5M+ streams within the first few days of its release), Jamie has come so far since his third-place finish on “The Voice UK” in 2017.

Driven by his immense love for his Filipino admirers and appreciation for Filipino talent, Jamie has performed with Morissette, released a remixed version of his latest single with Moira Dela Torre in partnership with Universal Music Group, and openly expressed his wish to collaborate with SB19’s Stell

Star Cinema drops 'A Very Good Girl' teaser

STAR Cinema released the official teaser for the highly-anticipated film A Very Good Girl on Friday night. The movie features Golden Globes' best supporting actress nominee Dolly De Leon and box-office queen Kathryn Bernardo in darker and fiercer roles, showcasing girl power.

The one-minute teaser gives a glimpse of their characters, Philo and Molly, ready to build their own empire and conquer the world. Kathryn's opening line, "You’re an empire of your own," sets the tone, followed by Dolly's empowering statement, "'Cause who said you need a d*ck to rule this world, right?"

The teaser concludes with a powerful scene of the young actress filled with anger and cursing, leaving netizens amazed. The excitement about witnessing Kathryn's versatility and Dolly's acting expertise in one movie led to the hashtag #AVeryGoodGirl trending on

Twitter.

Directed by Petersen Vargas, the film also stars Angel Aquino, Donna Cariaga, Chie Filomeno, Gillian Vicencio, Kaori Oinuma, Althea Ruedas, Nathania Guerrero, Ana Abad Santos, Jake Ejercito, and Nour Hooshmand. A Very Good Girl unspools in cinemas on September 27. Angelica Villanueva

From left: Frances Cabatuando, Abi Marquez, Kat Bautista, Christian Bautista, Buji Barbiera, and Raco Ruiz

Box-office queen Kathryn Bernardo

Nickie Wang Editor Angelica Villanueva , Writer

Beautiful British Columbia

This time, the stars have finally aligned themselves, pointing at British Columbia as my next destination, because my eldest son and his family have settled in Dawson Creek early this year and I wanted to celebrate my birthday with his baby daughter, my only granddaughter, who is “my little princess!”

Since there are more choices for accommodations and party venues in Vancouver, I decided to make it my next port of call. Knowing of my decision to mark my diamond birthday in North America, my US and Canada-based siblings decided to join me, turning my birthday celebration into a family reunion.

British Columbia is Canada’s westernmost province, right next to the Pacific Ocean, and is popular for its nature attractions like the Glacier National Park which attracts hikers and bikers, and the major ski resort, Whistler Blackcomb. Vancouver is in the southern part of the province.

While on the limo driving from the airport to the Air BnB we had contracted for our stay, it was a journey through highways flanked by abundantly lush green foliage. The license plate on all vehicles, Beauti-

ful British Columbia, excited me even more because I knew I would be visually feasting on nature’s display…and the company of my siblings and their children would certainly heighten the fun to the nth level.

Of course, to be able to see as much as I could of the city, my family and I decided to go on the Hop On Hop Off Tour Bus which offered 14 stops through the city’s different districts. While on the bus, I learned that the city is named after the British Royal Navy officer, George Vancouver, who explored the northwestern Pacific coast of North America.

The city is also among Canada’s most ethnically diverse cities and is one of the Top

5 Most Expensive Cities in the world and is among the Top 20 Bicycle-Friendly cities in the world. About 50 percent of the city’s population are non-native English speakers, which is understandable because most of them are from Asia.

What I found very interesting was one of the HO-HO stops, Granville Island, because it used to be just a sandbar but the government spent more than Can$10 Million to convert it into the perfect site for the now very famous public market. It’s always packed

with locals and tourists any day of the week.

Another interesting trivia I learned on the bus is that the city is dotted with all kinds of Sushi Bars and restaurants. I could see them on all the stops the bus made and on practically both sides of the street. What a treat for all those who opt for a lighter meal. I also found out that Vancouver has a total of eight Michelin-star restaurants which makes it a haven for all the foodies in the area.

Any restaurant with a Michelin star is always a good culinary destination for those who want to enjoy good food. I still can’t understand, though, why a company that manufactures tires for vehicles has been given the privilege to rate a restaurant’s food quality.

Of all the stops our HO-HO bus made, I enjoyed Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal because of its unique and modern design.

Being right beside the sea makes the whole place even more appealing as the fresh sea breeze blowing from all directions energizes anyone who’s out to have fun! Inside the terminal are dozens of shops and restaurants to cater to everyone’s preferences. I also like Stanley Park because its wide expanse is covered with colorful blooms and giant trees. Being in a park-like this has a calming effect on anyone.

Of course, Chinatown is everybody’s choice for a superb Chinese meal and there are dozens of good restaurants here where one can choose from. Any tourist itches to go shopping and I’m no exception which is why the Robson Shopping District is another favorite of mine.

I spent more than an hour there before I hopped on the bus for the next stop because my favorite name brands are there, all in a row, to mesmerize anyone with their classy and elegant money-magnet items. I was almost tempted to leave the HO-HO Tour when I got off at the Entertainment District because there were so many interesting theater offerings but my siblings had already planned an activity for the family the rest of the evening. I know I haven’t seen everything there is to enjoy in this city and in the province, which is why I am looking forward to visit other nearby destinations. But, from what I’ve already seen, I definitely agree that, indeed, I am in Beautiful British Columbia.

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

Have

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The M Social Singapore was designed by the famous French designer Philippe Starck. Overlooking the Singapore River, the hotel is conveniently a 15-minute cab from Orchard Road, the shopping paradise of Singapore, and the Marina Bay Sands Casino. M Social Singapore treats you to a Free Airport Transfer from Changi Airport, straight to the hotel for a hassle-free arrival.

Book seamless trips with Klook’s Stay+ bundle offerings and take a breather from your daily routine. Valid until August 31, travelers can get 5 percent off on Philippine hotels with the promo code PILIPINASHOTEL and save up to P10,000.00 with a minimum spend of P5,000.00. For those flying out to Hong Kong, save up to P15,000.00 by encoding HKMAGICHOTEL when you check out for 8 percent off your stay for a minimum spend of P8,000.00. For travelers going to Singapore, they get to use the promo code ERASTOUR5 for 5 percent discount for a minimum spend of P6,500.00 until January 7, 2024.

STARTING August 15, Starlux Airlines will offer a more luxurious option for travelers flying to see Taiwan’s tourist attractions or transiting to North America via Clark International Airport (CRK). Starlux will operate an Airbus A321 neo on the flight from Taipei to Clark. The aircraft is configured in a two-class layout, with eight fully-flat business class seats in a 2-2 configuration and 180 seats in Economy Class 3-3 setup. For the North American transit market, Starlux Airlines provides greater convenience with significantly reduced travel time.

“Starlux’s presence in CRK is eagerly anticipated by travelers to and from Taipei, most especially in these times when leisure and business travelers are seeking the most delightful experiences. Our new airport terminal provides a timely offer with new amenities and conveniences that suit their needs,’’ said Luzon International Premiere Airport Development (LIPAD) Corp. CEO Noel Manankil LIPAD, the consortium that

operates CRK, has provided a new, sprawling terminal for CRK’s growing number of passengers who seek hassle-free travel and options to reach destinations with considerable ease.

The flight arrives in CRK at 9:45 AM and departs at 10:45 AM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays flights arrive at 7:25 PM and depart at 8:25 PM. Travel time is approximately two hours.

Starlux currently flies to 17 destinations, including Los Angeles, Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Okinawa, Sapporo, Sendai, Macau, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hanoi, Manila, and Cebu. The fleet also continues to grow, with a current count of 20 aircraft, including 13 A321neos, four A330neos, and three A350s. The fourth A350 is expected to be delivered by the end of the year.

With the addition of Starlux Airlines, CRK now has 8 foreign and 5 Philippine-based airlines servicing 10 international and 10 local destinations.

IN all my more than 50 years of traveling all over the world, I have never set foot in Vancouver. There was just no compelling reason for me to do so. But I have heard of so many interesting things to see and do in this city, thanks to Malu Francisco, a former Hyatt colleague who now resides in this city.

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