Manila Standard - 2023 August 17 - Thursday

Locsin tapped as China envoy

Palace: Move to boost bilateral ties

By Charles Dantes, Rey Requejo, Macon Ramos-Araneta, and Maricel Cruz

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed former Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin as special envoy to Beijing, days after the Chinese embassy in Manila called on the Philippines to meet it halfway over maritime disputes in the West Philippine Sea.

FOOD STAMP CARD. A woman shows the electronic food stamp card and pamphlet from the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the recipients of the ‘Walang Gutom 2027’ food stamp program in Pritil, Tondo on Wednesday. The program’s goal is to enroll a total of one million families who will each receive a tap card containing P3,000 worth of food credits every month. Norman Cruz

By Maricel Cruz and Rey Requejo

THE House of Representatives voted 265-0 with three ab stentions on Wednesday to expel Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., who is facing a string of charges in relation to the assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo. Rep. Felimon Espares of COOP-NATCCO, chair of the House committee on ethics and privileges, reported in a plenary session the 18-page report detailing Teves’ offenses, ranging from his expired travel authority to his “obscene dance moves” on social media.

Through his lead counsel, Ferdinand Topacio, Teves on Wednesday lamented the decision.

PBBM: HELP READY FOR MAUI PINOYS

OMBUDSMAN DROPS AX ON CHIONG

“Today is a dark day for the Rule of Law and the dawning of a new age of the tyranny of the majority, where might is right and the prevailing principle is the Law of Force rather than the Force of Law,” Topacio said in a statement. He denounced “the proceedings before the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges are nothing but that of a kangaroo court, to use a worn-out phrase.” Topacio also cried foul over the labeNEWS / A2 NEWS / A2

“[Ambassador Locsin’s appointment] is to boost bilateral relations between the two countries,” Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil said, adding that Locsin will serve as concurrent Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Chinese Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Zhou Zhiyong earlier said Beijing and Manila are neighbors that

Makati-Taguig row: DILG asked to intervene

By Joel E. Zurbano and Vince Lopez

MAKATI City Mayor Abby Binay on Wednesday asked the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)

DA urges import of 500k tons of rice toward yearend to ensure supply

By Charles Dantes

DESPITE repeated assurances that the country had enough rice, the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednes-

day recommended the importation of 500,000 metric

DTI to deny pleas to raise food prices

By Othel V. Campos

PRICES of food products are not going to move anytime soon, the Department of Trade and Industry assured consumers Wednesday.

SM stops Manila Bay reclamation work, seeks next steps from gov’t

SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) head of investor relations Timothy Daniel said Wednesday in a forum SMPH re -

REACHES WORLD CUP FINAL

Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said the department is not inclined to approve petitions for price adjustments by food manufacturers until a thorough assessment is done.

Last week, some 13 food processors and manufacturers submitted petitions for price increases on 43 stockkeeping units (SKUs).

The petitions covered canned sardines, canned meat, coffee, instant noodles, three variants of milk, and toilet soaps.

“The decision is to put on hold the requested price hikes of manufactur-

Australia forward Caitlin Foord (right) and England’s Lauren Hemp jump to head the ball during their 2023 Women’s World Cup semifinal match in Sydney on August 16. AFP

PBBM: Help ready for Maui Pinoys

THE government is ready to provide assistance to Filipinos affected by the deadly wildfires that struck the island of Maui in Hawaii, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Tuesday night.

Mr. Marcos issued the statement on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, as he assured the public that he is closely monitoring the condition of Filipinos residing in Hawaii.

About 388,000 individuals in Hawaii identify themselves as Filipino or part-Filipino, according to the 2020 US state census.

Around 200,000 of the 388,000 have parents who are both Filipinos but only 16 percent are Philippine passport holders.

“With the help of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers, we are trying to get the number of Filipinos affected by the wildfires in Hawaii),” he said.

Mr. Marcos said the Philippine Consulate in Honolulu is ready to assist affected Filipinos. He advised the Filipinos needing assistance to contact the government through its 24/7 emergency hotline +1808 253-9446 or official e-mail address honolulu.pcg@dfa.gov.ph.

Mr. Marcos said the Philippine Consul General in Hawaii is currently contacting local authorities and the Filipino community with any new information regarding the incident. The DFA on Tuesday said around 50

Filipino teachers in Hawaii are among the thousands of individuals who were able to flee from the wildfires in Maui while the Philippine Consulate is sending a team to assist affected Filipinos.

Official information from the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu said the search and rescue operations have only reached about 3 percent of the areas gutted by the wildfires.

As of Aug. 15, the death toll from the blaze has reached 99 as local authorities have yet to ascertain both their identities and ethnicities. Charles Dantes

England women beat Aussies 3-1, reach Cup final

its prices.

During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday, Pascual said that Filipinos should “adopt and adjust our, maybe our diet.”

“Our diet is very traditional. We are used to eating rice…,” he said.

The Trade chief said alternatives such as camote or sweet potato as well as white corn can serve as a substitute for rice.

He quickly added, however: “I’m not saying I’m pushing it now.”

The DA call for imports comes barely a week after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who heads the Agriculture Department, said there was enough rice even after the El Niño phenomenon next year.

But Sombilla said Wednesday that they saw production and inventory going down in December.

If El Niño continues, she added, the DA is recommending import to cover the production loss.

Sombilla also recommended the private sector import 300,000 MT by the end of August, and another 300,000 MT by the first to the second week of September as the harvest season will begin in October.

Earlier, DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said the Philippines has opened talks with Vietnam and India for the importation of hundreds of thousands of metric tons of rice to augment supply and decrease prices.

Pascual recalled that the University of the Philippines, where he served as president, had experiments on a ricecorn mix to promote the idea of using alternatives for rice.

The DA’s price monitoring showed that well-milled local commercial rice is sold at P42 to P52 per kilo in markets in Metro Manila.

Regular milled local commercial rice is being sold at P38 to P50 per kilo.

Quoting the President, the Presidential Communications Office said: “Rice supply is sufficient. Prices are, however, very variable.”

The President issued a warning to rice hoarders and price manipulators on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Presidential Communication Office said the President ordered the DA and the DTI to closely monitor rice prices during the lean months before the harvest season.

“The President will go after hoarders and price manipulators who take advantage of the lean months before harvest season,” Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said.

In a meeting at the Palace on Tuesday, Marcos instructed the National Food Authority to focus on the local production of rice to augment the country’s supply.

Ombudsman orders MIAA’s Chiong axed

By Rio N. Araja

THE Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed from public service suspended Manila International Airport Authority acting general manager Cesar Chiong for grave misconduct, abuse of authority or oppression, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

The agency’s acting assistant, Irene Montalbo, was not spared from the dismissal order.

mains committed to the reclamation project but has put its development on hold to listen to government suggestions and requirements.

Daniels said SMPH has been working on this project for over a decade now and it has secured all the documentation needed for the project.

“From our point of view, we are committed to this reclamation but we are also committed to good governance and to things being done right. So we will announce what is next for this reclamation after the government has studied it and we will listen to what they have to say,” Daniels said.

SMPH earlier said it is spending P100 billion for the Manila Bay reclamation project to create a mixed-use community with residential, institutional, and commercial components.

The property firm was looking to fund this development from the planned real estate investment trust (REIT) offering

SYDNEY—Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo did the damage late on in Sydney as England shattered Australian dreams Wednesday with a clinical 3-1 win to set up a Women’s World Cup final against Spain.

The Lionesses had stumbled at the same stage twice before but the European champions made no mistake this time to reach the final for the first time.

They took the lead nine minutes be -

fore the break with Manchester United’s Ella Toone unleashing a rocket just inside the box with the outside of her boot.

A fit-again Sam Kerr, starting for the first time this tournament, hit back for the home side in the second half with a world-class goal that set the game on fire, picking up the ball and letting fly from 30 yards after a weaving run. It sparked ecstatic scenes from the

oaf forcing your attention on a handsome guy who wants to be a friend.”

75,784-strong partisan crowd. But they were silenced eight minutes later when Hemp muscled her way into the box and stabbed into the corner before Russo put the icing on the cake with four minutes left.

England now face a blockbuster final on Sunday at the same Stadium Australia against a dangerous Spanish side that beat Sweden 2-1 in the last four, with a new name to be engraved on the trophy.

dent is enough,” he said.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires, on Aug. 4, approved the resolution of graft investigation and prosecution officers Clarisa Tejada and Gretchen Duran, acting director-PIAB-A Bonifacio Mandrilla and officer in charge, PAMO II Medwin Dizon.

In April, the Ombudsman imposed a six-month preventive suspension on Chiong and Montalbo for alleged grave abuse of authority and misconduct based on an anonymous complaint from MIAA officials. The case stemmed from the reassignment of 285 employees a month after Chiong’s assumption into office on July 19, 2022.

“can’t move away from one another,” thus disputes between both countries should be managed through dialogue and consultations.

“China has repeatedly expressed its willingness to resolve differences with the Philippines through bilateral dialogues. Meet the Chinese side halfway and find an effective way of managing the situation on the sea through diplomatic consultations,” Zhou said.

However, the Department of Foreign Affairs said China has yet to officially call for bilateral talks, contrary to Brijing’s claim that it has already sent fillers for a proposed meeting that the country has yet to respond to.

Locsin, while serving as foreign secretary under former president Rodrigo Duterte, was outspoken in his criticism of China.

He often used strong language and once swore at China online over the presence of its vessels in the disputed South China Sea, Agence France Presse said in its report.

“China, my friend, how politely can I put it? Let me see... O... GET THE FUCK OUT,” Locsin posted on Twitter in May 2021.

Locsin also likened China to “an ugly

ers,” Pascual said.

“For now we are monitoring the price movements of important inputs. If we detect that there is a basis, we will sit down again and decide which requests for price adjustments we will consider,” he added.

The government continues to monitor the prices of basic necessities and prime commodities included in the Suggested Retail Price Bulletin to determine if retailers are complying with the suggested pricing of goods, he said.

Meanwhile, Pascual said the DTI wants to put up food terminals

initially targeted in the second of 2023.

But Daniels said the REIT offering may also be moved to 2024 because of market conditions.

“We are still planning to do it. But we are not going to commit to doing it before the end of the year,” he said.

SMPH earlier said it plans to raise as much as $1 billion from the REIT offering which will have initial assets of between 12 and 5 shopping malls.

Shares of SMPH on Wednesday rose P0.30 to close at P30.40 per share. A party-list lawmaker, meanwhile, urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to file charges against individuals responsible for the release of environmental certificates of compliance (ECCs) to companies that are reclaiming parts of Manila Bay.

Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel made the suggestion during the deliberations on DENR’s proposed budget for 2024.

DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, however, said the ECC is not a permit, but a planning tool “that may be changed at any point when a correction needs to be made.”

His expletive-laden demand prompted a rebuke from Beijing and Locsin later apologized to his Chinese counterpart.

His appointment comes at a delicate time for relations between the Philippines and China.

Tensions flared this month when Chinese Coast Guard vessels blocked and fired water cannon at Philippines boats on a resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal.

Manila summoned Beijing’s envoy over the incident, which resulted in one of the boats carrying supplies failing to reach the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in the Spratly Islands.

For his part, Senator Francis Escudero said there is no need to debate further on China’s claim that the Philippines made an earlier commitment to remove BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal.

“The President’s statement should have put an end to the issue. The President has spoken that there is no such agreement, and if there is, he will rescind it. He is the chief architect of foreign policy,” he said in a television interview.

“It is not necessary even for the DFA to issue a formal statement,” Escudero said, although he admitted a formal correspondence to China might be helpful.

“Every word the President utters from his mouth is policy, whether domestic or foreign policy. The word of the Presi-

around Metro Manila and directly link farmers to supermarket chains in a bid to bring down the prices of agricultural commodities.

He said the DTI has a three-year action plan for agro-food logistics “meant to address bottlenecks in the supply chain.”

“Traders are the ones making money at the expense of farmers… they earn very little, and at the expense of consumers who pay very high prices,” Pascual said.

“We are trying to link them [supermarket chains] directly with our farmers,” he added.

The Consumer Protection Group of the DTI said price adjustments range from P0.10 to P7.27 or about one- to

“It is said that we are debating among ourselves just because China has made such a claim. We are riding on China’s words but if we are to listen to anyone, we should listen to our countrymen and not from our socalled rival,” Escudero added.

Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Wednesday accused Zhou of disrespecting the President.

“His insistence amounted to disrespect and an insult because President Marcos had declared days earlier that he had made no such promise and that he was scrapping any such commitment if one was made by any of his predecessors. Mr. Zhou and his government should have just accepted the President’s declaration,” he said.

Rodriguez urged the DFA to summon the Chinese diplomat “to impress upon him the President’s firm statement.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs assured that the Philippines is not on “war footing” in the West Philippine Sea, but is merely asserting Manila’s sovereignty in the South China Sea, particularly the country’s exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo told lawmakers during a budget hearing that the administration is “not on a war footing.”

five-percent increase for food items.

Petitions for non-food items, on the other hand, covered increases ranging from six to 20 percent or about P1.50 to P9.75 per SKU.

Manufacturers have complained of rising costs of imported raw materials such as skimmed milk for milk products, imported soft flour for noodles, mechanically deboned meat (MDM) for canned meat products, and iodine and potassium for iodized salt.

CPG reminded retailers and consumers the February 2023 SRP Bulletin will remain in place unless another bulletin is issued by the DTI.

Under the Price Act, violators face imprisonment of five to 15 years with a fine of not less than P5,000 to P2 million.

Aside from the penalty of dismissal from the service, the Ombudsman also ordered the forfeiture of all their retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification to re-enter government service.

“In the event that the penalty of dismissal can no longer be enforced due to (Chiong’s) separation from the service, the same shall be converted into a fine in the amount equivalent to the respondent’s salary for one year payable to the Office of the Ombudsman, and may be deductible from respondent’s retirement benefits, accrued leave credits, or any receivable from his/her office,” the order read.

Makati-Taguig...

From A1

In an interview on Dobol B TV, Binay lamented the “chaotic transition” caused by contradicting orders from the police and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

She said it was high time that the DILG call a meeting for the proper transition of the barangays that the Supreme Court ruled should be transferred from Makati to Taguig.

DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos

Jr. said his department would continue discussing the transition with Binay.

But in a separate statement, Abalo said the DILG’s actions in connection with the transition would cover only territorial supervision.

He noted that rights or obligations over affected property would depend on the procedures under the law.

“We’re working with the Chiefs of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to revise the areas of responsibility and reporting lines of their affected local offices in light of the decided boundaries.”

“As for specific rights or obligations over affected property, these will be dealt with in accordance with the procedure provided by law. We will also respect any further court orders in this regard.”

He said they are just waiting for the Department of Budget and Management to download the P3 billion allocation that will benefit some 1.3 million operators and drivers of PUVs.

Under the scheme, traditional jeepneys and taxis as well as TNVS and school, shuttle, and tourist services will get a subsidy of P6,500, while delivery drivers will get P1,200.

LTFRB Executive Director Robert Peig earlier said drivers regulated by the agency

would receive their subsidies through fuel cards, while those under local government units, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and the Department of Trade and Industry will get the funds through e-wallets.

Data from the Department of Energy showed that diesel prices have increased by about P10 per liter for the past five weeks, while gasoline prices have already risen by P5 per liter in the same period.

The consecutive increase in pump prices has prompted at least four public transport groups to seek a P2 fare hike for all PUVs nationwide.

In a letter to Land Transportation

Franchising and Regulatory Board chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III, the Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP), Pagkakaisa ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston), Stop & Go Transport Coalition, and the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP) requested the P2 fare increase nationwide for the first four kilometers.

“The immediate action and consideration of the good chairman of the LTFRB on this matter will go a long way [toward] uplifting the economic conditions of the drivers and operators,” the groups said. Rio N. Araja

ling of Teves as a “terrorist.” The lawmaker, who is still abroad, was earlier suspended twice for the offenses cited by the House ethics panel. The committee report said: “The prolonged unauthorized absence of Rep.

A. Teves Jr. deprives the 3rd District of Negros Oriental of proper representation and undermines the efficiency of the legislative process. Instead of actively participating in deliberations on important legislative measures pending in the House, the representative refuses to return to the country and perform his duties as House Member.”

The Department of Justice, mean-

while, will ask the Supreme Court to order the transfer of the trial venue to Manila for the multiple murder cases filed against Teves in connection with the deaths of three persons in the province in 2019.

This came after the DOJ filed the criminal cases against Teves and five others before the Negros Oriental regional trial court on Tuesday.

Diokno says MUP can be redundant, problematic plan

FINANCE Secretary Benjamin Diokno has said the contentious military and uniformed personnel (MUP) pension program was already being allocated more funds than the military’s budget for its operations Diokno issue the observation during the briefing of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on the proposed 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP.

“I think if you let this through, the next administration will be faced with a huge problem. In fact, the current situation now is that the amount we allocate for the military pension is much higher than the current operating budget of the military. That is how heavy it is already,” he said.

Under the 2024 NEP, the government proposes to allocate P164 billion for the MUP pension, reflecting a 3.5-percent increase from thefunding for benefits this year. This is fully funded by the government, without any direct contributions from the MUPs themselves.

“The pension system that is for the military is not a real pension system in the following sense — there are no contributors,” Diokno noted.

“A pension system is where the beneficiaries of the pension system contribute to the system and there is a government counterpart, okay, but in this particular sense, there is no contribution in the part of the beneficiaries, and we only appropriate it annually,” he clarified.

The MUP pension program was among the key measures cited by President Ferdinand Jr. in his State of the Nation Address last month.

The President pushed for “self-regenerating” pension plans for both the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in a bid to avoid depletion of funds.

Diokno also noted that with the pension system having no contributionsfrom MUPs, liabilities has already been estimated at P9 trillion versus the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) of around P20 trillion.

DAR forms panel, group for new agrarian law IRRs

By Rio N. Araja

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has created a committee and a technical working group (TWG) to formulate the implementing rules and regulations (IRRs) for Republic Act 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, writing off P57.557-billion in outstanding debt of 610,054 farmer-beneficiaries.

Secretary Conrado Estrella III maintained the need for a comprehensive IRRs within a six-day deadline after it took effect on July 23.

Estrella directed the committee and the TWG to talk to various agrarian reform communities and to gather vital information.

The DAR said the law would benefit 610,054 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and cover 1,173,101.57 hectares of agrarian reform lands.

Under the new law, the government “will also shoulder the balance of the obligations of 10,201 ARBs tilling 11,531.24 hectares of agrarian reform lands, under the voluntary land transfer/direct payment scheme, amounting to P206,776.”

The committee is composed of Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Napoleon Galit and six other agrarian reform officials.

Dr. Fermin Adriano of the Kapatid Angat Lahat Program and Foundation for Economic Freedom lawyer Christian Monsod who was also ex-Commission on Elections chairman and legal counsel for various farmers groups, and Leonardo Montemayor were also in the panel.

DBM: Gov’t workers to get pay hike in ‘24

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

GOVERNMENT workers can look forward to another pay increase next year with the allocation of P16.95 billion for the purpose in the proposed 2024 national budget, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Meanwhile, the DBM also allotted P105.6 billion for state universities and colleges (SUCs) under the proposed P5.768-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2024.

In a related development, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the proposed national budget for 2024 is “woefully unfit” to address the continuing economic crisis being faced by Filipinos.

In a statement, the DBM said the

projected budget for salary hikes of state workers was provided for by the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) as stipulated in the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the salary adjustments may be implemented starting next year.

“The amount of P16.95B was determined to approximate the cost in the

IN BRIEF

Envoy hopeful EU, PH will resume FTA talks

EUROPEAN Union (EU) Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Veron has expressed optimism that the “scoping exercise” for the resumption of negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Philippines will bring the relationship to the “next level.”

possible increase, between two to eight percent, in the monthly basic salary of the different positions in the national government,” Pangandaman said.

She noted earlier that the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG) received about P48 million this year for payment to a special services group that will conduct a comprehensive review of the Compensation and Position Classification System for the government sector.

Pangandaman said the planned implementation of another round of salary increases is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure that the compensation packages in government is “generally competitive” with the salaries of workers in the private sector.

NDRRMC says typhoons’ agri damage tops P12b

THE combined damage to agriculture and infrastructure caused by typhoons Egay and Falcon and the southwest monsoon has reached the P12- billion marked, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

In its updated bulletin, the NDRRMC placed agricultural damage at P5.9 billion

in the typhoon-hit areas of Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and the Cordillera region.

Infrastructure damage, meanwhile, was estimated at P6.8 billion in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon,

Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Davao region, Soccsksargen, BARMM, and Cordillera.

About 81,371 houses were reported damaged in 12 regions.

Meanwhile, the number of fatalities remained at 30, with 12 confirmed so far.

The total number of reported injuries is 171, with 152 validated.

Acidre urges colleagues to back charity bills

By Maricel V. Cruz

TINGOG party-list Rep. Jude Acidre has rallied his colleagues behind measures meant to assist people in crisis situations beyond Philippine borders, notably refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons.

Acidre made the appeal in a privilege speech ahead of the observance of the World Humanitarian Day on August 19.

Acidre said the Philippines, as a country that has a long history with calamities, disasters and war, has “honed its abilities to respond swiftly and efficiently to crises.”

“However, our humanitarian work must not be confined within our borders. Our global village is connected by threads of our common humanity, and when one part of the tapestry suffers, the whole world feels the impact,” Acidre said.

“It is heart-wrenching to witness the unending strife in places like Syria, Yemen, and countless others. As members of the international community, we have a moral responsibility to contribute to the healing process and extend a helping hand to those who cry out for aid,” he added.

Acidre, a former country director of an international humanitarian organization, described victims of crises as refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons and others.

“I, therefore, call on our esteemed colleagues to proactively supportthe passage of several proposed legislative measures now pending before Congress, which aim to provide comprehensive protection for refugees, asylum seekers, stateless applicants, stateless persons, and populations at risk of statelessness,” he stressed.

The EU) and the Philippines jointly announced the start of a scoping exercise towards the resumption of FTA negotiations,” Veron posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, August 15.

“With this launch, the (EU) is paving the way to take its partnership with (Philippines) to the next level,” the envoy added.

Veron reposted the previous statement made by the European Commission (EC).

According to the post, EC President Ursula von der Leyen’s recent visit to the Philippines and meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. paved the way for the planned scoping process. Rey E. Requejo

MMDA pushes drive vs. smoking, vaping

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is taking a proactive approach to combat smoking in public places, eyeing the involvement of youth leaders in the campaign.

The agency has started using public parks as venues for the series of events with the Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) Federation in Metro Manila taking center stage.

The project aims to promote awareness of the youth on health and safety.

“Our youth must be provided with healthy surroundings. Public parks must be conducive for activities that would strengthen our children’s bodies and protect them against any danger,” said MMDA chairman Romando Artes.

Artes said the MMDA and the 17 local government units in the National Capital Region have agreed to utilize the parks under the agency’s Adopt-A-Park program. He added these parks will be used not only for leisure and relaxation, but for helping combat climate change and air pollution as well. Joel E. Zurbano

BI rescues five human traffic victims at NAIA IMMIGRATION agents have arrested an alleged human trafficker and rescued five suspected lhuman trafficking victims at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the recruiter and the victims were intercepted at the NAIA Terminal 3 after attempting to depart as tourists bound for Malaysia and Singapore.

In a statement, the BI chief said the group underwent secondary inspection and were interviewed by the immigration protection and border enforcement section (I-PROBES).

During the interview, it was confirmed that the five were recruited to work abroad as massage therapists, entertainers, tutor, and caregiver and were made to pose by their recruiter as her employees.

The BI’s I-PROBES immediately referred the case to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT). Vito Barcelo

EDCA SITE. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro inspects a proposed additional EDCA site to be set up at Camp Melchor dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela. Patrick de Jesus

PASIG RIVER DREDGING. With Makati City’s skyline in the background, relentless dredging operations go on in a bid to rehabilitate Metro Manila’s historic waterway. Norman Cruz

NO TO RECLAMATION. Members of the militant Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas, joined by environmentalist groups led by the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, stage a protest rally at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) headquarters in Quezon City to demand ‘immediate revocation’ of environmental permits of reclamation and dredging activities at the Manila Bay. Manny Palmero

CAMPAIGN MATERIALS.

A printing shop in Pasay City has started accepting customized campaign shirts for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections in October. Soliciting votes for or against any political candidate and hanging posters ahead of the elections are punishable offenses, the Commission on Elections warned. Norman Cruz

IN BRIEF

Laguna hazing suspects

arraigned in Biñan court

AUTHORITIES here said

three other suspects in the John Matthew Salilig hazing case who surrendered in July to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) were arraigned at a Biñan court on Wednesday.

The suspects, identified as Ryan Ray Camangyan alias “Snoop”, Aron James Cruz alias “Bones”, and Ralph Benjamin Tan alias “Scottie” entered a ”not guilty plea,” authorities said.

Reports said John Matthew was the chemical engineering student who died after attending the welcoming rites of the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity Adamson Chapter in February. Police said the 24-year-old was buried by frat members in a vacant lot in Imus, Cavite.

Reports said John Matthew’s father, Joeffrey, attended the hearing and appealed to other suspects-atlarge to turn themselves in and answer the allegations in court.

Joeffrey added that after the delay in the return of the warrant by the National Bureau of Investigation, the family has no grudge against the bureau and still believes in the country’s justice system.

Survey stresses language competence of Pinoys

A SURVEY by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed that 96 percent of Filipinos can read in Filipino, 93 percent can understand spoken Filipino, 93 percent can write in Filipino, 87 percent speak Filipino, 75 percent think in Filipino, and one percent do not use these skills.

The SWS likewise revealed that 80 percent of Filipino adults can read the English language and can understand the English spoken language. At least 69 percent write in English, 55 percent speak the language, 47 percent think in the language, and nine percent do not apply these skills.

The survey was conducted from March 23 to March 29, 2023. The survey also reported the highest usage of both languages since September 2000, with 53 percent for Filipino and 9 percent for English.

A total of 1,200 adults were asked about their competence and usage of both languages in its survey conducted in March, with a margin of error of more or less 2.8%.

Vito Barcelo

PAF holds airdrop drills with foreign counterparts

THE Philippine Air Force (PAF) together with foreign counterparts exchanged best practices on Low-Cost, Low-Altitude (LCLA) airdrop exercises in Sta Rosa, Nueva Ecija.

The PAF held the exercises with the United States Air Force (USAF), Royal Malaysian Air Force (Malaysia), Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU), and Japan Air SelfDefense Force (JASDF) Airlifters.

“This activity is one of the flying training exercises of the Pacific Airlift Rally 2023 (PAR-23), which aims to expand the participants’ capability in delivering bundle cargoes for humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations, increase participating air forces’ interoperability, and improve logistics capabilities,” Philippine Air Force (PAF) spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said in a statement Wednesday. Vince Lopez

Diokno: Banning Chinese firms may cause ‘delays’

By Julito G. Rada

THE idea of banning Chinese state-owned firms from taking part in the government’s infrastructure projects may result in negative consequences, such as delays in bigticket undertakings and the lack of available workers.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, the head of the administration’s economic team, said this Wednesday after Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri floated the idea of banning Chinese companies amid the reported harassment of Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea recently (see related story on A1— Editors).

The latest incident was the Chinese Coast Guard’s firing of water cannons

at Philippine Coast Guard vessels that were escorting ships carrying supplies to Filipino troops stationed in the Ayungin Shoal.

“In case a decision is made to ban Chinese contractors from participating in pipeline projects of the national government, it may have potential effects,” Diokno said during a hearing in the Senate.

“For example, implementation of official development assistance projects

Remulla: DOJ will still pursue ‘sabungeros’ case

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday vowed to pursue criminal cases involving the missing “sabungeros” or cockfight enthusiasts despite the issuance of an affidavit of desistance by a family member of one of the victims.

“We’re not letting go of anything. The state can still continue the case even with the desistance of the families,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said, in an interview.

A family member of one of the missing “sabungeros” has issued an affidavit of desistance asking the DOJ to drop the charges in court against the suspects.

“The person executed an affidavit of desistance in case number one,” Remulla said. “Among the eight cases involving the missing ‘sabungeros’ being prosecuted, case number one is the only case where a warrant of arrest has been issued against suspects related to the Manila Arena,” Remulla lamented.

The DOJ chief said that “case number one” has six accused persons, including a certain Julie Patidongan. He, however, did not give the names of the five other suspects and the names of the victims.

Earlier, the Philippine National Police had disclosed that a total of 34 “sabungeros” have been missing since 2021.

The affidavit of desistance “is very alarming because this is the only case where accused Patidongan and others are implicated in the missing ‘sabungero’ cases,” Remulla said.

from bilateral and multilateral ODA partners alike, particularly for projects considering multiple country participation including China as a member of the ADB, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the World Bank, so that might affect the implementation of those projects,” Diokno said.

It would also impact the procurement of locally-funded projects and even public-private partnership implementation, especially if the main contractors, suppliers, or subcontractors are Chinese firms, he added.

Diokno also cited the possible impact on the economy if delays in these big-ticket projects take place.

“And of course, we have to shift to the financing for those projects that have been requested from China,” he said.

Risa seeks Senate probe into Navotas shooting

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday said she will file a resolution asking for a Senate investigation into the killing of Jemboy Baltazar during a police drug operation in Navotas.

Hontiveros said she will file the Senate resolution on this issue to reveal a “coverup operations” which “appeared to insult the integrity” of the Philippine National

Police (PNP and the people. She also welcomed the decision of the PNP-IAS to file administrative charges against the officers, including the Navotas police chief who reportedly covered up the involvement of officers in the death of Baltazar.

Hontiveros however said while this development is a first step toward accountability, removing the officers from their posts is “not justice.” She said it is appall-

ing that at least 11 police officers did an apparent “overkill” in the fatal shooting of the 17-year-old boy.

“Is it standard procedure for police officers to shoot on sight and not even attempt arrest?” Hontiveros said.

She likewise urged the Ombudsman and Department of Justice to further investigate the Navotas police chief and police officers for obstruction of justice.

“You can see the strategy of the lawyers of the accused in case number one was really to have the only standing case with the standing warrant of arrests dismissed by settling with the families,” he added.

House committee questions deals in Pampanga LGU

THE House Committee on Public Accounts has subpoenaed three suppliers of the municipal government of Mexico in Pampanga in connection with its inquiry into the P149-million worth of allegedly anomalous deals entered into by the town under Mayor Teddy Tumang.

The committee, chaired by Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano of Abang Lingkod Party-list, issued the subpoenas on Wednesday.

Subpoenaed were Aedy Tai Yang, Rizalito Dizon, and Roberto Tugade. The summonses were issued upon motion of Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, seconded by Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. Yang, Dizon, and Tugade have consistently failed to appear in committee hearings despite repeated invitations. Dizon and Tugade were equipment and medicine suppliers. In the case of Yang, the committee has learned that he sold a one-hectare lot to the Mexico municipal government for P29.5 million, or P2,950 per square meter.

In a letter to Paduano dated last Aug. 2, Yang said he could not attend the inquiry that day due to “previous commitments.”

“Rest assured, if my presence is required in succeeding committee hearings, I am more willing to attend the same,” he said.

However, he did not show up in Wednesday’s hearing despite the committee’s invitation.

Paduano asked the provincial command of the Philippine National Police in Pampanga to help locate the three wanted witnesses.

Yang’s lot, along with another 1.8-hectare parcel owned by couple Arnel and Sonia Pangilinan, was to be the site of the new municipal town hall and convention center in Barangay San Antonio.

DOJ clears policemen in activist’s killing

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has affirmed the dismissal of the murder complaint against 17 policemen for the death on March

7, 2021, of activist Emmanuel “Manny” Asuncion.

The DOJ’s panel of prosecutors denied the motion for reconsideration filed by the wife of Asuncion, who was one of nine activists who died during the joint operation of law enforcers in Southern Tagalog provinces to ferret out alleged members and supporters of communist terrorist groups (CTGs).

Affirmed was the dismissal of the complaint against PLt. Elbert M. Santos. PLt.

Shay Jed Sapitula, PSMS Hector R. Cardinales, PMSgt. Ariel P. Dela Cruz, PSSg. Joemark Sajul, PCpl. Ernie A. Ambuyoc, PCCpl. Mark John A. Defiesta, PCpl. Arjay Garcia,

PCpl. Caidar Dimacangun, PCpl. Bryan Sanchez, PCpl, Ericson Lucido, Pat. Jayson Maala, Pat. Juanito Plite, Pat. Jonathan Tatel, Pat. Prince Benjamin Torres, Pat. Jaime Turingan, and Pat. Rey PJ Dacara Lopera.

“While the motion for reconsideration attached documents that were not part of the initial complaint, it cannot be considered as newly discovered evidence that would warrant a reversal or modification of the assailed Resolution. It appears that these documents were already available and in existence at the time of the filing of the complaint, hence, it is suspicious why they were not submitted before the Panel as part of the complainant’s evidence. This belated submission at this stage of the proceedings has no material bearing anymore,” it added.

Motorcycle riders pass by

RIDING ACADEMY. Executives from ride-hailing company Angkas and officials of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) pose for a photo. Angkas is supporting the Motorcycle Riding Academy headed by the MMDA and is donating 20 motorcycle units, raincoats, and tents to be used for the academy set to open in September.

When the ghosts come marching in

IN THE Chinese lunar calendar, yesterday was the start of the seventh month which is the “ghost month.”

According to their geomancers, this month is when the “gates of hell are open,” and the ghosts (not the saints) come marching in.

The superstitious do not launch any major events during the month, whether weddings or business openings, nor do they start the construction of a house.

I use the metaphor here to point out some of the inauspicious (auspicious is a favorite Chinese adjective) events that have reared their ugly heads at or about this period.

First, the stock market, already trading sideways except for marginal profit-taking every now and then for the last seven months of the year, has gone down, as I write this article yesterday to 6,336 points in the PSEI index.

And the Chinese, who are the biggest stock market “gamblers,” are wary of the ghosts in this month, so expect the market to be even more listless.

This of course was predicated by serious economic stuff --- the second quarter GDP was a disappointing 4.3 percent, which statistically puts to doubt the ability of the economy to recover from pre-pandemic levels even by next year.

Indonesia and Vietnam, our neighbors whose economies used to trail ours, contrarily improved their GDPs in the same period.

The hope is that the second half of 2023 will average 6.6 percent at worst, but with the ghost month presaging the typhoon season (you ain’t seen nothing yet, unless heaven takes mercy) and consumers losing their appetite to spend more while prices are on up, up and away mode despite all the promos the credit card companies and their bank vehicles keep inventing, the dreams of our economic managers are quixotic.

As if these ghastly developments were not enough, we have inflation resurrecting after a brief decline.

The peso has devalued to 56.84 to the dollar, and oil which keeps getting more costly each week will be even more expensive, as will almost everything else in a country so dependent on imports.

Meanwhile, DA officials keep whistling in the dark as far as rice supply is concerned, and, to highlight their optics, announced they will “inspect” not “raid” rice warehouses to check on possible hoarding.

This is all for naught, as hoarding is so difficult to prove insofar as our laws and our courts are concerned.

What media may picture as hoarding on the basis of a warehouse filled with rice or sugar may actually be the regular inventory of their business.

Why else would a businessman build a huge bodega if he will not fill it up? And how does DA prove that those huge stacks are hoarded?

Those bureaucrats at DA know this, so everything at this time is just pure optics.

For a change, why not level with the DA boss who also happens to be president?

Even his cousin the Speaker doubts DA’s numbers, which is why he exerted best efforts on his counterparts in Vietnam’s Parliament, but which neither Vinafoods 1 or 2 (their NFA) or their private cooperatives really heed.

Indonesia placed orders way back, but till now, Vietnam has yet to deliver even half of their huge requirement.

And the more government agencies publicize such warehouse inspections in pursuit of hoarders, the more the market panics, thus traders, retailers and even middle class consumers will stock more rice than they normally need.

I have been writing several articles on this forthcoming supply shortage and price spiral of the basic staple, with or without

Suspension of reclamation projects

the ghosts of this month, so all I will safely state is this: If 25 percent brokens are now retailing at P42-44 per kilo, and not the P25 variety that Kadiwa stores scarcely sell these days, expect the medium-grade well-milled rice which we now buy at P55 per kilo (up from 50 last June), to reach P60-65 per kilo before the next harvest.

And as I always state in this space: pray that there are no strong typhoons come September (at or around the anniversary of martial law) when the ghost month is over, or October and early November.

Let me just enumerate some of the most destructive typhoons that hit us in terms of lives, properties, palay and other agricultural crops:

Ondoy on September 26, 2009 (incidentally NFA’s anniversary) immediately followed a week later by Pepeng which hit Northern Luzon; Pedring again on September 26, 2011, which flooded Central Luzon just when harvest was ongoing, causing a cumulative loss in one single day of strong wind and rain, of 960,000 metric tons of palay (that’s 11.5 million sacks of rice).

Then of course everyone remembers the horrible aftermath of Yolanda, which hit Eastern Visayas on November 8, 2013, causing 6,500 deaths, and which for weeks and months haunted the government’s ability to provide relief goods (including rice).

Recall those scenes of desperate and hungry victims raiding the NFA warehouse for whatever rice they could take.

Earlier we had Sendong on December 16, 2011, where 2,500 in Northern Mindanao lost their lives, followed by Pablo a year after, with 1,900 lives lost mostly from Caraga.

Ompong in 2018 on September 15 and Goni a year and one month later, both hitting the rice producing areas of Luzon, Odette and Paeng the following years.

And just a month ago, Egay and Falcon, with relatively less impact on rice, but hit our vegetable crops, such that prices of these basic foods went double in August.

Even if a calamity does not hit our rice producing regions, DSWD and LGUs need to go to the NFA for the relief goods they bring to victims.

How do you stretch one and a half days supply?

Those days of quantitative restrictions and the NFA’s commercial role are over with the RTL having been implemented since 2019.

But for one and a half days stock of rice, every grain of rice is now in the hands of the private sector, including consumers.

Will the gods of rice exact upon the Philippines the wages of our government’s neglect of agriculture in past years, and today’s inability to act on time to avert the crisis?

Let us see. Meanwhile, the ghosts have come in. ***

Long-time Manila public servant Danny Lacuna has passed away after a distinguished career as councilor and vice-mayor of my city.

Ever the hail-fellow man with the engaging smile, ready to assist unconditionally and sincerely, Danny’s demise, after a long and lingering illness, waited until his Asenso Manileno produced two successive mayors, Isko Moreno, his protégé, and his own daughter, incumbent Mayor Honey LacunaPangan.

Our sincere condolences to the loved ones he left in this mortal world.

VARIOUS environmental groups had raised grave concern in recent years over the possible adverse impact of reclamation projects on Manila Bay.

Thus, they unanimously hailed the announcement by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on August 8 that all except one of the ongoing reclamation projects had been suspended.

“They’re all suspended. All reclamation [projects] are under review. Only one proceeded because it has already been reviewed,” the President said, apparently referring to the New Manila International Airport being built in Bulakan, Bulacan.

“There are many problems. We saw many [of the projects] are not being conducted properly... Because if they all push through, many rivers will be clogged, including the ones emptying into Manila Bay. The water will have nowhere to go. Even on Roxas Boulevard, the sea will disappear,” he explained. Environmental groups such as the Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (Agham) welcomed the President’s pronouncement, calling it “a

Environmental groups are now pushing for the government to not only extend the moratorium to all reclamation projects across the country but also permanently stop these projects

victory made possible by the collective efforts of various organizations who had tirelessly campaigned against reclamation for years.” Even the US government had raised similar concerns, as their embassy located along the shoreline of Manila Bay faced the threat of flooding.

It also said one of the Chinese construction firms involved in reclamation work in Manila Bay had been blacklisted for taking part in building artificial islands with military fortifications in the South China Sea.

Data from the Philippine Reclamation Authority showed that 22 reclamation

projects in Manila Bay were at various stages of development when the President announced his decision to suspend nearly all reclamation within the vital body of water.

Half of these had been issued permits and are already underway.

Why is Manila Bay important?

It has been identified as a key biodiversity area by the DENR and environmental groups. Over eight species of shellfish and 50 species of fish can be found deep in the bay’s waters.

Among these wide varieties of fish species is Sardinella pacifica, a new species discovered in Manila Bay in 2019. Aside from being identified as a spawning area of sardines, Manila Bay also serves as an important habitat for millions of migratory birds from the northern hemisphere. Environmental groups are now pushing for the government to not only extend the moratorium to all reclamation projects across the country but also permanently stop these projects as “these put in peril food security, violate our constitutional rights to a healthy, balanced, safe and resilient environment and the rights of artisanal fisherfolk and coastal communities to access their fishing grounds and livelihood.”

Will the government listen to their plea?

Let’s wait and see.

The proposed upgrading of NAIA

WHEN it rains, it pours, as the old saying goes. And when it comes to international airports, the country will soon be having four that will be located not very far from each other if everything goes according to plan.

Two as we know are already in operation.

The NAIA in Pasay City and the Clark Airport in Pampanga.

One is under development by the San Miguel Corporation in Bulacan which will become the biggest and the last is the planned International Airport in Sangley Point, Cavite.

One might be tempted to ask why we need so many international airports located near each other.

After all, when the Bulacan airport will be completed, it will have four runways and will be able to cater to over 100 million passengers a year when completed.

Yet, conglomerates are lining up to invest hundreds of billions of pesos to upgrade the NAIA at no cost to the government like the Bulacan airport development.

There must be a lot of money to be made in running an airport but, in this case, there is a danger that we might be overdoing it.

The upgrading of NAIA is a good case study.

There have been suggestions the vast area be converted into another business district.

One reason for this is its distance to all the current business centers and the blighted condition of the areas leading to the three airport terminals.

The DOTr, however, does not seem to agree with this thinking and is going along with the project.

The scope of work has not yet been made public and whether the P178 billion mentioned as the project cost will just be for the upgrading of the three airport terminals or includes the development of the access roads including the clearing of unnecessary and blighted structures.

This is important because it will demonstrate how the DOTr pictures the way an international airport should be.

Since an international airport is the gateway to the country, it should not only be the terminals that should be attractive but also the access roads and the entire surrounding areas that make up the whole airport complex that must be presentable.

As one airline travel ad is saying, it is not only about the plane but also how to get to your destination that matters.

For example, going to the NAIA passing thru Tramo Road to take a flight is going thru like an obstacle course.

There

It is shameful the government never took an effort to develop, remove and improve all those vulcanizing shops and sari-sari stores to make that stretch of road presentable.

Simply burying all those spaghetti electric wires would be a good start.

Otherwise, “loving the Philippines” is going to be a hard sell.

What happened to first impressions being important?

We seem to be one of the few countries that do not seem to mind presenting our worst.

Judging by the amount of the upgrading project, it would look like the scope of work will simply be for the terminals and maybe the immediate vicinity of the terminals.

If this is the case, modernizing the NAIA terminal buildings will not be sufficient to change for the better the negative reputation of NAIA.

I remember an American airport consultant who was invited about 40 years ago to see how best to modernize the then Manila International Airport.

After the look over, he came out with a minimum investment figure of about US$3

or 4 billion to upgrade the terminal building, runway, access roads and clearing of informal settlers together with landscaping. That was when there was only one terminal and much fewer people and traffic in that area.

The amount suggested apparently shocked the government and the planned upgrading was immediately shelved.

But that was when money was hard to come by.

Now, it is altogether a different story.

That kind of money nowadays is just peanuts because there are a lot of money circulating with moneyed companies looking where to invest their cash. But there has to be a master plan because four airports within spitting distance from each other may be impractical and excessive. Some major Metropolitan areas around the world do have more than one airport. New York has the JFK and La Guardia Airports.

In Paris, there is the Charles de Gaulle and Orly Airports.

For us, we do not seem to be satisfied with two and want to match London’s example with six airports. It should be pointed out, however, that there have been many complaints and discussions about the practicality of having so many airports in the greater London Metropolitan Area due to pollution, noise and safety concerns. For us, perhaps there is more to the airports than meets the eye.

The Bulacan airport as we know also wants to be a Free Trade Zone in addition to being an airport. Maybe the consortium vying to upgrade the NAIA eventually wants the same together with the planned Cavite airport. That would make sense because, with so many airports, the NAIA investors in all probability will not be able to recoup their investments with passenger revenue alone. There has to be other sources of revenue to make the investment all worth it.

This might involve having to develop the vacant areas into other revenue generating centers.

If this happens, one drawback with this is the “new airport” will attract a lot more traffic but it is perhaps a price worth paying if the upgraded gateway will turn out to be an airport complex that will make us all proud.

Trump’s legal woes set stage for volatile election campaign

WASHINGTON, DC – Four indictments of Donald Trump have set the stage for a surreal and potentially explosive US presidential election, with the presumptive Republican nominee on trial for seeking to overthrow the very democratic process he hopes will restore him to the White House.

The 77-year-old former Republican president will likely have to juggle campaign events with court appearances as he seeks to win the party’s nomination next year and another term in the Oval Office.

Trump alleges that the barrage of federal and state charges filed against him in recent months is a plot by Democratic President Joe Biden -- his likely 2024 opponent -- to hamstring his White House bid.

“How can my corrupt political opponent crooked Joe Biden put me on trial during an election campaign that I’m winning by a lot?” the billionaire real estate tycoon said at a campaign rally in New Hampshire.

Trump said he was being forced to “spend time and money away from the

campaign trail in order to fight bogus madeup accusations and charges.”

While complaining about his legal woes, Trump has sought at the same time to turn them to his advantage, appealing for donations and claiming that they have only increased his popularity.

“Any time they file an indictment, we go way up in the polls,” he said.

This does appear to be generally the case -- at least among the Republican rank-andfile who make up Trump’s loyal base of supporters.

Jordan Tama, an associate professor at American University, said the upcoming criminal trials facing the former president are “certainly going to complicate Trump’s campaign.

“He may need to leave the campaign trail at times to participate in the legal processes,” Tama said, and divert some of his campaign cash to his burgeoning legal fees.

“But it’s not really clear that having to participate in these trials is going to alter the contours of the election from a broad

If Trump wins the Republican nomination, the presidential election could come down to a small number of swing voters, some five to 10 percent of the population

political standpoint,” he said. The standing of the key candidates has remained largely unchanged, he added.

‘Baggage’

Trump has been charged by special counsel Jack Smith with conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost to Biden and with retaining top secret government documents after he left

office and thwarting investigators trying to recover them.

Smith has asked the judge who will preside over the conspiracy case to set a January 2024 date for the start of the trial, just days before the first Republican primary nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.

The documents case is scheduled to go to trial in May 2024. Trump also faces election-related racketeering charges in Georgia and a trial in March in New York for allegedly paying hush money to a porn star.

Trump’s rivals for the Republican nomination have tiptoed around his worsening legal woes while he continues to enjoy the support of the party faithful.

“The consensus is that at some point Republicans will catch on to the fact that Trump’s baggage is getting heavier and heavier and losing to the Democrats is a greater probability,” said Larry Sabato, who heads the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

“Except that everyone’s been predicting

this consistently and it hasn’t happened yet.”

Tama said most American voters already have a fixed opinion about Trump.

“The voters who have supported him -- they’re going to support him regardless of what’s going on in the trials,” he said.

“The voters who don’t like Trump are going to continue to not like him and be unwilling to vote for him.”

He said if Trump wins the Republican nomination, the presidential election could come down to a small number of swing voters, some five to 10 percent of the population.

“I think for those voters, the legal processes will hurt Trump, because they’re a reminder of the deep flaws that Trump has as a person and as a leader,” he said.

“But it’s not at all clear that this is going to determine the outcome,” he said.

“It seems likely that the election will hinge just as much on other things like the state of the economy that often influence the outcome of elections.” AFP

must be a lot of money to be made in running an airport but, in this case, there is a danger that we might be overdoing it

of money to be made in

Hawaii’s savage wildfire toll now 101

KAHULUI, Hawaii—The number of people known to have died in the horrific wildfire that leveled a Hawaiian town topped 100 Tuesday, the state’s governor said, as a makeshift morgue was expanded to deal with the tragedy.

Gov. Josh Green has repeatedly warned the final count from last week’s inferno in Lahaina -- already the deadliest US wildfire in over a century -would grow significantly, urging Hawaiians to gird for a number that could be two or three times its present level.

“101 lives have now been lost,” he said, adding over a quarter of the disaster zone has been searched by dogs trained to sniff for bodies.

Refrigerated containers were being pressed into use as makeshift morgues at the Maui Police Forensic Facility on Tuesday (Wenesday in Manila), an AFP journalist observed, as the largely rural

IN BRIEF

Russia claims shooting down 3 Ukrainian drones

island struggles to cope with the sheer number of dead.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said he would travel to Hawaii as soon as possible to survey the damage and comfort survivors.

The 80-year-old Democrat, who was speaking during a visit to a factory in Wisconsin, dedicated the start of his speech to the situation in Hawaii, where at at that time 99 people had been reported killed.

“My wife Jill and I are going to travel to Hawaii as soon as we can,” Biden said, noting that he did not want to “get in the way” of relief efforts.

Any presidential trip is a complicated operation in terms of logistics and security, requiring multiple local agencies to cooperate -- and potentially taking manpower away from the situation at hand.

Biden, who quickly declared a “major disaster” in Hawaii, unblocking federal aid funds, said he had spoken multiple times with Hawaii Governor Josh Green.

“That’s a fancy word of saying whatever you need, you’re going to get,” said Biden, who has been criticized by his Republican opponents for a response they have deemed insufficient.

Green warned against any attempt at a land grab in the devastated remains of Lahaina, as locals fret that deep-pocketed developers might take advantage of people’s desperation and try to buy up plots that can be turned into luxury housing or

more lucrative short-term rentals.

“Our goal is to have a local commitment -- forever -- to this community, as we rebuild,” he said.

“So we will be making sure that we do all that we can to prevent that land from falling into the hands of people from the outside,” Green said.

The difficult process of identifying the dead inched forwards Tuesday, with officials saying they had collected DNA samples from 41 people whose relatives were missing.

Only four of the dead have been identified so far, and officials from Maui County said they would only release their names once they were sure families had been informed.

The island’s police chief has said that many of the bodies are so badly charred that they are unrecognizable, such was the ferocity of the blaze. AFP

‘Abuse, racism’ drove US soldier to defect—Nokor

SEOUL—Travis King defected to North Korea to escape “mistreatment and racial discrimination in the US Army,” state media said Wednesday, Pyongyang’s first official confirmation they are holding the American soldier.

A private second class with a checkered disciplinary record, King was due to fly back to America in July

but instead slipped out of the airport, joined a tourist trip to the DMZ and ran across the border into the North.

The United States has previously said that King crossed the border intentionally and without authorization, and Pyongyang said Wednesday that King “admitted he illegally intruded,” the Korean Central News Agency reported.

“Travis King confessed he had decided to come over to the DPRK as he harbored ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the US Army,” KCNA added.

King “came to be kept under control by soldiers of the Korean People’s Army” after he crossed the border, KCNA said. AFP

MOSCOW—Russia’s defense ministry said Wednesday it shot down three Ukrainian drones southwest of Moscow, the latest in a surge of aerial attacks near the capital.

Ukraine launched the attack at 5:00 am using “three unmanned aerial vehicles on objects in the Kaluga region”, the ministry said on Telegram.

“All UAVs were detected and destroyed in a timely manner by Russian air defense systems.”

Kaluga’s governor said the drones were shot down in the south of the region, a few hundred kilometers southwest of Moscow.

“There are no consequences for people and infrastructure,” Vladislav Shapsha said on Telegram.

The air attack is at least the fifth this month over the Kaluga region that Russia says it has thwarted.

Russian officials previously said they had intercepted drone attacks in the region on August 12, 10, 7 and 3.

Until a series of attacks in recent months, the capital and its surrounding areas had not been targeted during the conflict in Ukraine, which began more than a year ago.

In recent weeks, two drone attacks were repelled over Moscow’s financial district, with each causing minor damage to the facades of high-rise buildings. In May, drones were shot down near the Kremlin. AFP

New Zealand court finds mum guilty of murdering 3 daughters

WELLINGTON, New Zealand—A

New Zealand court on Wednesday found a woman guilty of murdering her three young daughters after a harrowing month-long trial.

Lauren Dickason was accused of strangling and suffocating her twins Maya and Karla, aged two, and first daughter Liane, six, while her husband was out to dinner with colleagues, according to local media reports.

Dickason admitted killing the girls, but had argued a defense of insanity and infanticide.

Under New Zealand law, infanticide is a defense for a mother who causes the death of her child when, “at the time of the offense, the balance of her mind was disturbed.”

The girls were killed at their home in the South Island city of Timaru soon after the family arrived in New Zealand from South Africa.

A jury at Christchurch High Court found Dickason guilty of all three charges of murder.

As the verdict was handed down, Dickason’s lawyer looked on in shock. AFP

MULTIFARIOUS MASSACRES. Policemen carry the coffin of Colombian policeman Michael Luis Leon during his funeral in Barranquilla, Colombia on Wednesday. An ambush and the detonation of a car bomb attributed to FARC guerrilla dissidents left four policemen dead in southwestern Colombia last weekend, in two new violations of the truce agreed between the Government and the rebels. AFP

Thousands flee gang clashes in Haiti capital

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—Crammed into cars, on motorcycles or on foot, thousands of residents on Tuesday fled a gang-ridden district of the Haitian capital, an AFP reporter observed. “We’re living in an extremely difficult situation,” said Elie Derisca, a resident of the Carrefour-Feuilles

district in southern Port-au-Prince.

“I don’t even know where to go. I had to flee my house,” he told AFP.

At least 3,120 people have fled the district, according to an estimate by the Haitian Civil Protection Department and officials say more are likely to follow.

The neighborhood is regularly at-

tacked by a gang led by Renel Destina, known by his alias Ti Lapli, who is wanted by US authorities for kidnapping American citizens. “Police officers who live in the area no longer have the means to defend us. As a result, the bandits were able to take over our homes,” said Derisca. AFP

‘Drunk’ judge shot wife with own gun prosecutors

LOS ANGELES—A California judge charged with drunkenly killing his wife with a gun he kept in an ankle holster allegedly texted a colleague after the shooting to say “I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody,” a court heard Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila). Judge Jeffrey Ferguson had dozens of guns and 26,000 rounds of ammunition at his house when officers arrived to find his wife dead from a gunshot

wound to the chest, the court was told.

Prosecutors said Ferguson, 72, who sits on Orange County Superior Court, smelled strongly of alcohol when he was arrested and told police, “Well, I guess I’m done for a while.”

A court in Los Angeles heard that Ferguson and his wife, Sheryl, began arguing over dinner at a restaurant near their home in an affluent Anaheim suburb. AFP

Stocks, peso rise ahead of BSP policy meet

By Jenni er B. Austria

LOCAL stocks and the peso rose Wednesday as investors positioned ahead of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ policy-setting meeting on Aug 17.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index jumped 74.18 points, or 1.17 percent, to close at 6,410.09, while the broader allshares index rose 25.54 points to 3,426.41.

“The local market bucked the negative

performance of most Asian stock indices and brushed aside jitters on Chinese economy and the direction of US monetary policy,” China Bank Capital managing director Juan Paolo Colet said.

Colet said, however, the uptick in the market was mostly a technical rebound, and investors should still be wary about possible selloff.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said the continued growth in overseas Filipino remittances and rise in vehicle sales also boosted the market.

The peso gained Wednesday to close at 56.52 against the US dollar from

56.84 Tuesday. Meanwhile, Asian markets fell Wednesday on concerns about the Chinese economy and after stronger-than-expected US retail sales data increased the likelihood of a further Fed rate hike.

The bounce in July sales, boosted by online spending, showed that consumption has proven more robust than expected, even as the US economy cools.

Comments by Minneapolis Fed president Neel Kashkari also added to concerns that the US central bank is not yet done with rate hikes in its battle to tame inflation.

While inflation may be moving in the right direction, it is still higher than the

Federal Reserve would like and it is too early to declare victory, said Kashkari, a member of the Fed’s interest-rate-setting committee.

“I’m not ready to say that we’re done, but I’m seeing positive signs,” Kashkari told a conference in Minneapolis on Tuesday.

The central banker said he would need to see “convincing evidence” that inflation is coming down to the Fed’s 2.0 percent target and that the central bank was a “long way” from cutting rates.

Minutes from the Fed’s July policy meeting are due to be released later Wednesday which investors will be scouring for insight on the bank’s interest rate outlook.

US stocks retreated on rate concerns and fresh worries over the banking sector after an analyst at ratings agency Fitch warned of the risks of a banking industry downgrade.

The Dow fell 1.0 percent while the broad-based S&P 500 dropped 1.2 percent and the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index declined by 1.1 percent.

The overnight declines on Wall Street added to the risk-off sentiment in Asia, with data showing a further fall in Chinese new home prices in July adding to concerns about the world’s second-largest economy, which has stumbled since emerging from its pandemic isolation. With AFP

PARTS of Bulacan and Pampanga have experienced great flood since time immemorial. The overflows have shaped the lives of people living in these Central Luzon plains for ages, and have made the lands fertile.

So when heavy rain submerged several towns of Bulacan and Pampanga two weeks ago, residents of the provinces shrugged it off—it was business as usual.

Two mighty rivers—Pampanga River and Angat River—cross Bulacan and Pampanga and empty into Manila Bay. Commerce and trade had flourished along the banks of the waterways in the olden days. Ferries had transported people and goods to as far as Manila.

Overflows from Pampanga River had inundated several towns in the 50s and 60s until the government built dikes to prevent flooding. The nearby Candaba Swamp receives the excess water and stores it. But the swamp overflows, too, and floods towns along its fringes, as well as municipal and national roads—and expressways.

The 32,000 hectare Candaba swamp had turned briefly into an ocean expanse after heavy monsoon rain poured over Luzon and the rest of the Philippines. The swamp’s water obviously rose high enough to submerge every vegetation thriving in the area.

The water of Angat River also exceeds its banks and floods towns along its route during a strong typhoon and heavy rain. The waterway snakes through the municipalities of Doña Remedios Trinidad, Norzagaray, Angat, Bustos, San Rafael, Baliwag, Plaridel, Pulilan, Calumpit, Paombong and Hagonoy.

The town of Calumpit, as we saw on television and read in newspapers, appeared to have suffered the brunt of the heavy heavy rain. This is not surprising. The Pampanga River and Angat River traverse through Calumpit.

Angat River joins the Pampanga River at Calumpit through Bagbag River, making Calumpit a natural basin for floodwaters coming from Nueva Ecija and Pampanga.

NLEX fix

Overflows from the Candaba Swamp, Pampanga River and Angat River two weeks ago spilled over to several towns. Part of the water seeped into a small portion the North Luzon Expressway, causing a traffic buildup that stretched to as long as 22 kilometers on both sides.

A tiny flooded portion of the NLEX along the San Simon stretch approaching the Tulaoc Bridge had

stalled hundreds of vehicles. Heavy rain and river overflows flooded the tiny stretch and rendered it impassable for some small cars and vehicles.

The floodwater had risen to as high as 40 cm or almost 16 inches, forcing traffic at some point to stop. It’s one nightmare for motorists. It took travelers two to six hours to navigate the San Fernando-San Simon stretch on the southbound road, and the Pulilan-San Simon stretch on the other side. The travel time on this road strip normally takes just 10 to 15 minutes.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was alarmed over the highway logjam when he recently visited the flooded areas in Pampanga. And presumably briefed by engineers of NLEX Corp., the operator of the toll road, Marcos surmised that heavy and continuous rain brought about by the two typhoons caused the flooding of a small part of the highway.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) president and former Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio “Babes” Singson vowed to fix the problem in the San Simon segment to avoid floods in the future.

A 200-meter segment of the expressway under the Tulaoc overpass road (not the Tulaoc river bridge as reported in most of the media) rests on low ground that has to be elevated, according to Singson.

NLEX Corp., a unit of MPTC, committed to fix that San Simon segment, with the Department of Public Works and Highways agreeing to raise Tulaoc overpass road.

NLEX Corp. says it will elevate the San Simon portion by 0.7 meter, or 2.3 feet, and leave a clearance of 4.5 meters for the trucks. The job will require the DPWH to first jack up the overpass road by the same 0.7 meter. NLEX Corp. promised to finish its own repair in three months.

Singson also proposed for the government to build a water impounding facility in the Candaba Swamp to avoid another flooding in the San Simon segment of NLEX. Under his proposal, the government can purchase around 200 hectares of swamp land for the water impounding area to prevent flooding in nearby and low-lying areas.

BEIJING—China said on Wednesday that its economic recovery “will be a bumpy and tortuous process”, but insisted Western critics “will for sure be proven wrong”.

The comments come after a raft of recent figures that have stoked concerns over China’s stuttering post-Covid recovery, and after US President Joe Biden said the country’s mounting economic problems made it a “ticking time bomb”.

“After the smooth transition of the epidemic prevention and control, China’s economic recovery is a wave-like development and a tortuous process, which will inevitably face difficulties and problems,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular press conference.

“A number of Western politicians and

media have hyped up the periodic problems in China’s post-epidemic economic recovery process. But eventually, they will for sure be proven wrong,” he added.

Retail sales, a key gauge of consumption, grew 2.5 percent year-onyear in July, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Tuesday, down from 3.1 percent in June and falling short of analyst expectations.

The NBS also said it would no longer release age-specific unemployment data, citing the need to “further improve and optimize labor force survey statistics”.

The decision sparked a social media backlash on Tuesday, with internet users accusing the authorities of attempting to hide the extent of rising youth joblessness. AFP

Candaba Swamp, converging rivers submerged Bulacan and

China: Economic recovery bumpy, but critics to be ‘proven wrong’

APEC MEETING. US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm speaks as Andrew Light, Assistant Secretary for International A airs at the US Department of Energy, listens during the Asia-Paci c Economic Cooperation (APEC) Energy Ministerial Meeting on August 15, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. AFP

NEDA: Proposed P5.77-t budget to boost growth, address inflation

By Julito G. Rada

NATIONAL Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio

Balisacan said the proposed P5.768trillion national budget for 2024 will support the government’s efforts to address inflation, protect the purchasing power of Filipino families and address constraints to investment and inclusive economic growth.

“We are determined to address the inflation problem, resulting in the easing of both food and non-food inflation. The country’s overall inflation has been decelerating since February 2023, with both food and non-food inflation moderating,” Balisacan said during the national budget briefing at the Senate Committee on Finance on Aug. 15, 2023.

He said despite the moderate 5.3-percent growth in the first half of 2023, risks remained and might aggravate inflation and decrease Filipinos’ purchasing power.

Balisacan said household consumption remained the main driver of economic growth on the expenditure side as it grew 6.0 percent in the first half of 2023, despite domestic and external headwinds.

He said the economic team would focus on and commit to sustaining the downward trend in inflation by intensifying supply-side interventions and demand-side management.

He said the government would implement priority measures ensuring food security and reducing transport, logistics and energy costs to strengthen the purchasing power of Filipinos.

Balisacan said along with other measures to ramp up spending by the public sector, the government was optimistic the Philippine economy would grow by at least 6.6 percent in the second semester of 2023 to achieve the full-year growth target of 6 percent to 7 percent.

SHOPWISE STORE. Shopwise unveils its new home at Gateway Mall 2 Araneta City in Cubao, Quezon City. Attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony are from (left) Vincent Troy Lizo, business director of Energizer; Simplicio Umali, president and CEO of Gardenia; Aleli Arcilla, managing director of Mondelēz International; Cesar Romero, independent director of Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc.; Edgar Allan Caper, chairman and CEO of Caper Group; Margarita Fores, president and CEO of Cibo; Judy Araneta Roxas, vice chairman of Araneta Group; Mar Roxas, former senator; Antonio Mardo, SVP for operations of Araneta City; Rudy Ang, independent director of Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc.; Ermelo Villaroman, VP of United Laboratories Inc.; Yu Chien Lim, general manager of Kimberly-Clark Corp.; and Kendrick Ngo, general manager of Atlas Home Products Inc.

Villar Group eyes rail venture, proposes new LRT 1 extension

By Jenni er B. Austria

THE Villar Group plans to venture into rail infrastructure development, starting with another extension of Light Railway Transit Line 1 all the way to Governor’s Drive in Cavite province.

Businessman Manuel Villar, chairman of Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., and former House speaker and Sen-

IN BRIEF

Expressways asked to test contactless toll collection

THE Toll Regulatory Board asked expressway operators to conduct dry-run of the contactless toll collection program on selected toll plazas for two months starting Sept. 1, 2023.

The dry run is in line with the agency’s support and compliance with the resolution passed by the Committee on Transportation of the House of Representatives calling for the re-implementation of the contactless program.

“The dry-run is a necessary procedure to ascertain the readiness of the tollway concessionaires and operators for the smooth and efficient re-implementation of the contactless program,” TRB said.

The Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. operates the North Luzon Expressway, Subic ClarkTarlac Expressway, the Manila-Cavite Expressway, Cavite Laguna Expressway and C5 Link Segment. San Miguel Corp. holds the concession for the South Luzon Expressway, Skyway, NAIA Expressway, Star Tollway and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.

The Department of Transportation issued Department Order No. 2020-12 dated Aug. 13, 2020 requiring cashless or contactless transactions for all vehicles traveling on toll expressways. Darwin G. Amojelar

Globe Telecom raises P51.9b after closing tower sale deals

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Wednesday it raised P51.9 billion so far after closing tower sale deals with Frontier Tower Associates Philippines Inc. and MIESCOR Infrastructure Development Corp.

The telecom unit of the Ayala Group said it closed 54 percent of the tower deal, transferring ownership of 4,039 of 7,506 towers for P51.9 billion. It said it closed on Aug. 16 the sale of 113 towers to Frontier Towers for P1.4 billion.

Globe received around P26.6 billion from Frontier Towers to date, as the latter gained ownership and management rights to 2,094 of the 3,529 acquired towers.

The amount reflects the value of the tower assets which include 77-percent ground-based towers and 23-percent rooftop towers.

Globe closed another 100 towers for P1.2 billion, bringing the total to around P13.4 billion from MIDC. Darwin G. Amojelar

ate president, said in a media briefing Tuesday evening he submitted an unsolicited proposal to the Department of Transportation to build seven more stations that will extend LRT 1 to Governor’s Drive.

Villar said he was in talks with Light Railway Manila Corp., the operator of LRT 1, to connect his proposed railway to the existing line.

LRMC is extending LRT 1 by 11 kilometers with eight stations from Baclaran in Paranaque City to Bacoor, Cavite.

The operational segment of the line runs from Roosevelt Ave. in Quezon City to Baclaran with 20 stations.

Villar said he was also willing to

By Darwin G. Amojelar

GMA Network Inc. reported lower earnings, while rival ABS-CBN Corp. saw its net loss widen in the first half in the absence of election-related advertising this year.

GMA Network said net income amounted to P1.18 billion from January to June, down from P4.1 billion it earned in the same period last year. It said second-quarter profit also fell to P580.5 million from P1.8 billion.

Consolidated revenues went down by 29 percent to P8.45 billion from P11.94 billion last year. Advertising revenues went down 31 percent to P7.75 billion, while consumer sales grew 11 percent to P512.82 million.

take over the final three stations under LRMC’s proposed LRT 1 extension project in case the latter decided not to pursue the project over right-of-way problems.

LRMC, a joint venture of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Ayala Corp. and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd., is constructing the first segment of the LRT 1 extension project with five stops from Redemptorist Station in Baclaran to Dr. Santos Station in Sucat, Parañaque City. Construction of the next phases covering three stations from Las Piñas to Niog, Bacoor has yet to start because of ROW issues.

PSE INDEX CLOSING

Villar owns vast land bank in Las Piñas and Cavite under his 3,500-hectare Villar City. This would enable him to construct the succeeding phases of the project via Molino Road, instead of Aguinaldo Highway.

Villar said both parties would benefit from the unsolicited proposal as this would increase the ridership of LRT Line 1.

He said he is open to having a joint venture partner for the proposed railway project.

Villar also proposed to extend his newly-acquired Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway to connect to Cavite-Laguna Expressway project of MPIC.

PORT CALLS. Mindanao Container Terminal, International Container Terminal Services Inc.’s container handling facility in Cagayan de Oro City, welcomes the return of Wan Hai Lines’ Mindanao-Hong Kong-Taiwan service. The service resumed calls to MCT on Aug. 3, marked by the arrival of the vessel Wan Hai 231. Presenting a token to Solart Shipping Agencies Corp. general manager Beth Toledo ( fth from left) are (from left) MCT commercial manager Paul John Dagoc, commercial specialist Sharmine Cuizon, general manager Aurelio Garcia, terminal manager Atty. Gemma Gloria. Solart is the shipping agent of Wan Hai Lines Philippines Inc.

which amounted to P3 billion last year and the scaled-down ad spending of major fast-moving consumer goods clients due to weak household spending brought about by higher inflation.

Consolidated operating costs including cost of sales amounted to P6.9 billion, ahead by a low single-digit rate of 4 percent compared to last year.

It said of the total expenses, production costs amounted to P3.6 billion, up 5 percent from last year’s P3.4 billion, while general and administrative expenses amounted to P3.1 billion, up 1 percent compared to last year.

DOT sees 2024 visitor arrivals rising to 7.7m

By Othel V. Campos

THE Department of Tourism expects at least 7.7 million foreign tourists to visit the Philippines in 2024, higher than the 2023 target of 4.8 million.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the agency was committed to aggressively pursuing the targets, “if not in excess of that number, in our earnest desire to return to pre-pandemic levels sooner than what is predicted.”

“Arming the Department of Tourism with the additional budget would help us greatly in the flagship programs that have been identified by the Marcos administration that seeks not only to benefit our key destinations, but our emerging destinations as well,” she said during the congressional budget hearing Tuesday.

also bigger than P249.8 million last year.

ABS-CBN said after adjusting for non-recurring and one-time gains last year amounting to P 1.191 billion from political ads, asset sale and one-time expenses, net loss actually decreased by P 426 million or 16.1 percent compared to last year.

ABS-CBN said the 16.1 percent improvement was brought about by better ad sales and lower cost.

Speaking before the House Committee of Appropriations, Frasco reported on the promising recovery rate of the Philippine tourism industry under the Marcos administration.

She said international visitor arrivals from January to July reached 3.42 million, representing a 66.33-percent recovery rate compared to the same period in 2019, and surpassed the 2022 average growth rate of 54 percent in Asia Pacific based on the World Tourism Barometer of the UN World Tourism Organization.

Repower’s

six-month profit up 255% to P95.7m

REPOWER Energy Development Corp. said Wednesday first-half net income grew 255 percent to P95.7 million from P27.3 million in the same period last year.

REDC said in a statement net income in the second quarter also surged 293 percent to P42.9 million from P11.1 million. First-quarter earnings increased 229 percent to P52.8 million from P16.2 million.

REDC attributed the strong growth in quarterly earnings to the consistent performance of run-of-the-river hydropower plants.

REDC, a subsidiary of Pure Energy Holdings Corp., also recorded top-line growth. Firstquarter revenues grew 81 percent year-on-year to P121 million from P66.7 million, while second-quarter revenues rose 49 percent to P105.3 million from P70.9 million.

First-half revenues increased 65 percent to P226.3 million from P137.6 million a year ago. Alena Mae S. Flores

The Gozon-led network blamed the decline in revenues to the absence of political advocacies and advertisements,

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Department of Energy expects the completion of 11,248 megawatts of natural gas power plants by 2030. Seven liquefied natural gas terminals will support the requirements of these power generating companies, according to the DOE report.

Data showed that three companies with committed combined capacity of 3,500 MW would be completed by 2027. These include Excellent Energy Re-

Meanwhile, ABS-CBN said net loss reached P2.2 billion in the first six months, up by 52.2 percent from P1.4billion net loss it logged in the same period last year.

ABS-CBN said it registered a net loss of P1.01 billion in the second quarter,

sources Inc.’s 1,312.5-MW Batangas combined cycle power plant with completion date of September 2024. EERI, a subsidiary of San Miguel Energy Holdings Corp., is putting up three units with 437.5-MW capacity each. It is studying another 437.5 MW expansion. The other companies are Batangas Clean Energy’s 1,100-MW natural gas fired power plant which is expected to be finished by January 2027 and Energy World Corp.’s 650-MW natural gas

Consolidated revenues reached P8.8 billion, down by 7.2 percent from P9.4 billion last year. Regular advertising amounted to P2.9 billion, down 9.1 percent, while consumer sales fell 6.3 percent to P5.8 billion.

ABS-CBN said total costs and expenses amounted to P10.6 billion, down by 7 percent from P11.4 billion last year.

plant in Quezon.

Other indicative power plants with 7,748 MW are expected to be completed from 2026 to 2030. Indicative power plants have yet to achieve financial close.

These include Vires Energy’s 450MW natural gas plant in Batangas by May 2026; Quezon Power Philippines Ltd.’s 1,200-MW combined cycle plant in Mauban, Quezon by 2026; and Orion Pacific Prime Energy Inc.’s 1,200-MW combined cycle natural gas plant in Tag-

The number comprised 71 percent of the DOT’s baseline target for 2023 at 4.8 million foreign visitor arrivals. The Philippines also raised P368 billion in revenues from international visitors in the first semester of 2023.

The DOT expects to receive a P2.99billion budget for fiscal year 2024, or 20 percent lower than the current budget of P3.7 billion.

kawayan, Quezon by December 2026, Other indicative projects are Therma Subic Inc.’s 1,310-MW Pagbilao 4 and 5 natural gas plant in Pagbilao, Quezon by November 2028; GN Power Ltd. Co.’s 1,200-MW combined cycle power plant in Mariveles, Bataan by December 2028; First Gen EcoPower Solutions Inc.’s 1,260MW Santa Maria natural gas plant; and Global Luzon Energy Development Corp.’s 1,128-MW combined cycle power plant by 2030.

Former Gilas coach Toroman hired as Benilde cage consultant

By Peter Atencio

RAJKO Toroman is back after last handling the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team for three years, more than a decade ago.

This time, the 68-year-old Serbian will serve as consultant for the College of St. Benilde Blazers in the coming 99th season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.

His return comes a year after he resigned from his job as the national coach of Indonesia, following the end of its 2022 FIBA Asia Cup campaign.

From 2009 to 2011, Toroman was the head coach of the Philippine men’s national basketball team.

PH goes all out in bid to rip World Cup record

By Randy Caluag

THE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, the local organizing committee of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, got a shot in the arm in its bid to break the record for the highest gate attendance in a single game.

This was after the Office of the President on Wednesday suspended work in government agencies and classes in public schools on August 25 to give way to the opening ceremonies and games of the FIBA World Cup at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Malacanang’s partial holiday, however, will cover only the province of Bulacan and Metro Manila.

“Work in government offices and

PNP chief Acorda to host shootfest in Marikina

THE Chief PNP CUP 2023 shooting competition will commence on August 17 to August 20 at the Armscor Shooting Range in Marikina City.

The event will bring together 490 gun enthusiasts from the 55 units and offices of the PNP, showcasing their skills and camaraderie in the 4-day event.

Hosted by PNP Chief, Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr., the shootfest aims to foster unity and friendly competition among PNP personnel, while highlighting their dedication to marksmanship and precision.

Participants from various units and offices across the country will compete in different shooting categories to showcase their expertise and commitment in maintaining top-notch firearms skills.

The PNP Chief said the shooting competition underscores the PNP’s strong commitment to enhance firearm proficiency and promote discipline within the ranks.

Acorda’s leadership and unwavering dedication serves as an inspiration to all participants, encouraging them to excel in their shooting prowess and exhibit the highest standards of professionalism. Vince Lopez

classes in public schools at all levels in Metro Manila and the Province of Bulacan are hereby suspended on August 25, 2023,” said the Memorandum Circular from Malacanang signed by Presidential Executive Secretary Luis Bersamin.

This move by Malacanang will give more chances for fans to fill the Philippine Arena, giving the SBP a big boost to surpass the standing 32,616 gate attendance record, set in 1994 in

Toronto, Canada, where a powerhouse US team, led by Shaquille O’Neal and Reggie Miller, routed Russia to win the championship.

FIBA World Cup 2023 deputy event director Erika Dy said 28,000 tickets have already been sold for the opening rites, which will have star-studded ceremonies and the first game of the Gilas Pilipinas opposite Dominican Republic.

SBP president Al Panlilio is so confident that he’s actually looking at breaching the 50,000 record achieved by the PBA earlier this year.

“Ang gusto ko ngang makita is if we can breach the 50,000-mark ng gate attendance sa PBA,” said Panlilio.

The Philippine Arena record was achieved when 54,589 fans attended the Game 7 final of the 2023 PBA Com-

missioner’s Cup between local crowd favorite Ginebra and guest team Bay Area last January.

To lure more fans for the opening date of the biggest basketball showdown among the best in the world, the SBP has laid down exciting festivities, including performances by Sarah Geronimo and Ben & Ben.

There are also plans to invite national athletes to watch the games through the PSC, which after all, is serving as the conduit of the P1-billion financial support from the government.

There are more than a thousand athletes on the list of the PSC and providing the tickets for free is nothing more than just a small token of appreciation to the PSC’s billion-peso budget allotment for the tournament.

During his time with Gilas, Toroman gave the Philippines one of its best performances, as it landed fourth place in the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship.

When he left, Toroman went to the Philippine Basketball Association, to handle teams like Petron and Barako Bull.

Strong Group Athletics’ owner and Blazers program booster Frank Lao welcomed Toroman’s presence.

“At Strong Group Athletics, our mission is clear, to uplift Philippine basketball to greater heights. With this goal in mind, we’re excited to have Serbian coach Rajko Toroman on board. His expertise will not only benefit our team but also the basketball community as a whole,” said Lao.

The Blazers are seeking to come out of a 22-year title drought after settling for a second-place finish in the senior basketball competition.

Bulldogs open title defense with romp of Tams

NATIONAL University began its V-League Collegiate Challenge title defense on a strong note, securing a hard-fought 25-22, 25-22, 25-19 sweep against Far Eastern University Wednesday at the Paco Arena in Manila.

Despite a considerable number of errors throughout the match, the Bulldogs managed to clinch the victory against UAAP rivals, the Tamaraws.

“Masaya naman kami sa naging result. Nakuha naman namin ‘yung panalo in straight sets,” coach Dante Alinsunurin said. “Although nagkaroon kami ng problema sa game sa mga unforced errors namin.”

Middle blocker Obed Mukaba took the lead for the Bulldogs during the third set, contributing two aces in a 4-0 finishing run and even providing a dig for a Leo Aringo kill.

Alinsunurin chose to sit out Joshua Retamar and Nico Almendras in this season’s lineup to offer his younger players an opportunity to develop in this tournament organized by the Sports Vision Management Group Inc. and backed by Bola.TV, Beyond Active Wear, ASICS and Mikasa.

Later in the day, Alinsunurin was

set to depart for Vietnam with PVL team Choco Mucho for the VTV Cup. The decorated tactician will be out until August 26, making him miss NU’s

games against UST on the 23rd and EAC on the 25th.

Earlier in the day, reigning NCAA champion University of Perpetual Help

Globe, Acad Arena empower young talents in PH gaming industry, unveil 2023 Scholarship Awardee

GLOBE, a leading digital solutions platform, and Acad Arena’s CONQuest, the country’s largest gaming, music, and pop culture convention, have unveiled their 2023 Scholarship awardee, in a revolutionary step aimed at nurturing young talent in the gaming industry.

The first ever scholar under the program, Bhea Louisse Rico, is a Mechanical Technology student at the Technological University of the Philippines - Taguig who excels both on and off campus.

Through the scholarship, she received a PHP100,000 grant, a Conquest All-Access Pass for an unforgettable meet-andgreet experience with popular streamers, and a Globe content feature to chronicle her journey at CONQuest 2023.

The scholarship is part of Globe and CONQuest’s commitment to empowering student gamers by acknowledging their academic achievements and encouraging their passion for gaming and the many useful life skills it can foster.

The grant also paved the way for Bhea’s mom to accept her love for gaming– something she had kept a secret as her mother thought it was “distracting rather than an inspiration for me.”

“I told my mom ’Ma, I got a scholarship,’ and she cried. That made me emotional. Tanggap niya na ‘yung ginagawa ko. Kung saan ako masaya, masaya na rin siya para sa akin. Mas lalo ako na-inspire na ipakita ‘yung skills ko with the scholarship I got,” said Bhea. Bhea is a dedicated gamer who draws

inspiration from popular streamer Valkyrae, known for her thrilling VALORANT games.

“I take inspiration from Valkyrae. Kaya niyang balansehin ‘yung pagiging entrepreneur and being co-founder of 100 Games. At the same time, she’s very passionate about what she wants to do and how gaming affects her life,” Bhea said.

Taking her cue from her Valkyrae, Bhea currently shuffles her passion for learning and gaming. Her impressive accomplishments include serving as the Internal Vice President of her school organization, being the current VALORANT Event Manager of Grayhawks Esports, and serving in leadership positions in her school’s student government.

System DALTA overcame the absence of its star spiker Louie Ramirez and the challenge posed by a determined Emilio Aguinaldo College side to secure a 29-27, 26-24, 25-19 victory.

The defending NCAA champions had to manage without Ramirez, who had flown to Japan for a three-week training camp with V.League club Oita Miyoshi.

Captain JC Enarciso guided his team’s offense, while Klint Mateo played a crucial role in the end game for the Altas.

“Sa game namin today, siyempre NCAA rin yan, sabi ko nga sa mga bata, walang kampante. Dapat sigurista sila. At the end of the day, maganda naman nilaro nila,” Altas head coach Sammy Acaylar said of the victory. The games are streamed on Solar Sports, the V-League website, and Bola.TV.

The jampacked Philippine Arena during Game 7 of the championship showdown between Ginebra and Bay Area

The NU Bulldogs celebrate a point scored.

Bhea

Louisse Rico, a Mechanical Technology student at the Technological University of the Philippines - Taguig, is the rst scholarship awardee under the partnership between Globe and Acad Arena.

Rajko Toroman

Sarangani thwarts Negros in overtime

SARANGANI made seven of eight charities while Negros could only make one of two in the homestretch as the Marlins bested the Muscovados, 109-103, in overtime on Tuesday in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season at the Marikina Sports Center.

Egged on by the overflow crowd, the Marikina Shoemasters dumped the Bulacan Kuyas, 118-73, in the nightcap and further boosted their playoff bid in the round-robin elimination phase of the 29-team tournament.

The Shoemasters, with 14 of their 15 players scoring, cruised to their seventh straight win for a 14-10 record that strengtened their hold of the magic eighth spot in the North division.

Michael Are, a playmaker out of San Sebastian College, presided over Sarangani’s 10th win in 24 starts with 29 points, including four charities that forged the final score, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

Are was supported by Reggz Gabat with 25 points and 12 rebounds, John Paul Cauilan with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, and John Carlos Escalambre with 11 points.

Negros, which forced the extension at 95-95 on a layup by Mark Maloles, tumbled to 9-15 despite the 30-point, 9-rebound, 6-assist, 3-block, 2-steal output of Jason Melano and the 13-point 8-rebound, 4-assist, 3-steal contribution of Jonathan Gantalao.

Marikina, which led by as far as 118-71, drew 17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists from Inand Val Fornilos, 14 points from homegrown Silas Zabale, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 2 rebounds from Joe Gomez De Liano, and 11 points plus 8 rebounds from Jason Strait.

Bulacan tumbled to 6-18.

Bataan sustained its rise with an 8977 victory over Iloilo in the opener.

Riding the sniping of Yves Sazon, James Castro, Dominick Vera and Dan Sara, the Bataan Risers posted their fifth straight win and climbed to 12-12.

Sazon fired 21 points, including 2 triples; followed by Castro with 15, highlighted by a perfect 3-of-3 triples; Vera with 15, laced with 3 triples; and Sara with 13, also with 3 triples.

1st Asean Youth Archery meet opens in Cebu City

AIMING to provide a vehicle for youth competition for the sport in the region, World Archery Philippines is hosting the 1st Asean Youth Archery Championships opening today at the Dynamic Herb Sports Complex in Cebu City.

Over 200 archers from Chinese-Taipei, Iran, India, Singapore, Thailand and host Philippines will see action in the three-day age group tournament supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Cebu City Government and Cebu City Sports Commission.

Considered a world powerhouse, the Taiwanese have the largest foreign contingent with five teams, according to WAP secretary general Dondon Sombrio, who cited WAP president Atty. Clint Aranas for giving his all-out support for the international tourney.

“We are focusing on Olympic re-

curve and compound target archery,” Sombrio said. “There will be competition in the Under-10, Under-15, Under-18 and Under-21 age groups in both boys and girls divisions.”

“This tournament fills a gap for much needed foreign exposure not only for our young archers but also for others in the region,” explained national youth coach Nino Sinco for organizing the event also backed by Dynamic Herb Sports and E.R. Sevilla Industrial and Development Corporation.

“The only major international youth events we have are the biannual World Archery Youth Championships and the

La Salle teams win Hua Ching table tennis

DE La Salle ruled the men’s and women’s divisions of the 1st PTTF Hua Ching Intercollegiate Challenge over the weekend at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City.

The table tennis men’s team of Elijah Yamson, Dino Gabriel Marcelo, and Red Morison Torres defeated Ateneo, 2-0, while the women’s squad composed of Angel Joyce Laude, Cielo Bernaldez, and Shyrein Mitz Rein Redoquerio also won over Ateneo, 2-0, as they claimed the titles in the tournament that drew 45 teams Both squads were coached by Lauro Paredes Crisostomo.

Yamson defeated Mahendra Kong Cabrido, 14-12, 11-5, 12-10, and Torres overcame Andrew Uy, 12-14, 115, 8-11, 11-5, 11-9, for De La Salle-1 to win the championship tie in the men’s division.

Laude won over Jelaine Monteclaro, 11-7, 11-5, 11-7, and Redoqurio beat Ann Gella Borbon, 11-8, 11-7, 3-11, 11-7, in the women’s final for De La Salle-1.

Ateneo settled for the first runner-up, with University of Santo Tomas-1, and De La Salle-2 taking the second runnerup in the men’s division.

Youth Olympic Games,” added Sinco of the competition also supported by Benel Archery, Post Science Corp., Tangent and Fair Deal Enterprises.

Sinco said the members of the national youth team who saw action in the world youth competition held in Limerick, Ireland last July will be vying under their respective clubs.

Hoping to excel against their Asian counterparts are recurve archer Jonathan Reaport and compound campaigners Alon Jucutan and Gwyneth Garcia, who all competed in the world meet.

Likewise aiming for honors are Nueva Ecija’s Miel Cipriano and Dumaguete City’s Naina Tagle, who were the standouts in secondary boys and girls divisions, respectively, of the recent Palarong Pambansa.

Today and tomorrow will be the qualifying and elimination rounds with the finals in all of the age group categories to be held on Saturday.

Ateneo, UST, and Far Eastern University-2 were the next three placers in the women’s bracket of the event organized by the Philippine Table Tennis Federation Inc., sponsored by Hua Ching Foundation and Ayala Malls Manila Bay, and in partnership with the Philippine Olympic Committee, Gold Cross Security and Investigation Agency Inc, Cara Celine Dormtel, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc., Dino Jalandoni, and DWPM Radyo 630.

During the opening rites, NCAA Season 99 Management Committee chairman Paul Supan congratulated the participants of around 200 players as they are “a testament to the best quality of the athlete which is resiliency and the ability to adapt to situations” with sports events now back during the pandemic.

UAAP executive director Rebo Saguisag also encourage the college players to stay patient and continue to work hard during their training. “It is all about trusting the process. It is all about undergoing the process,” said Saguisag.

Neymar quits PSG to sign for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal

PARIS—Neymar said he was relishing “new challenges and opportunities in new places” after he joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal Tuesday, becoming the latest big name lured to the oil-rich Gulf state.

The Brazil forward, 31, ends a six-year stay in the French capital and follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane in swapping Europe for the Middle East.

“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said in a statement from the Saudi Pro League.

“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment,” he added.

“Al-Hilal is a giant club with fantastic fans, and it is the best in Asia. This gives me a feeling that it is the right decision for me at the right time with the right club. I love winning and scoring goals, and I plan to continue doing that in Saudi Arabia and with Al-Hilal.”

Neymar joined PSG from Barcelona in

2017 for a world record fee of 222 million euros ($242 million), a few weeks before they recruited Kylian Mbappe.

The Brazilian scored 118 goals in 173 matches for PSG, winning five Ligue 1 titles and three French Cups, but his time at PSG was blighted by a catalogue of injuries.

Although he helped the club to the 2020 Champions League final, which they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich, he was sidelined for key games.

Neymar underwent surgery on his right ankle in early March, only returning to join PSG on their pre-season tour of Asia.

However, he no longer figured in new coach Luis Enrique’s plans and was immediately linked with a move to AlHilal, where he will earn “100 million euros a season”, according to a source close to the negotiations.

PSG will not come close to recouping the fee they paid for Neymar but will still pocket close to 100 million euros as well, according to the same source.

“It is always difficult to say goodbye to an amazing player like Neymar, one of the best players in the world,” said PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi in a statement from the French champions.

“I will never forget the day he arrived at Paris Saint-Germain, and what he has contributed to our club and our project over the last six years. We had a great moment and Neymar will always be a big part of our history.”

Al-Hilal have traditionally been one of Saudi Arabia’s top clubs and have been crowned Asian Champions League winners on four occasions.

They are also one of the four clubs —along with Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli and AlIttihad—owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Neymar goes after Mbappe reintegrated Al-Hilal are coached by Portugal’s Jorge Jesus, who is in his second spell at the club, while the squad currently boasts four international players recently lured from Europe—Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Neymar’s Brazilian compatriot Malcom.

Last month Al-Hilal made a 300-million-euro bid for Mbappe, though the striker reportedly refused to meet with officials from the team.

Neymar’s departure from PSG follows that of Lionel Messi who now plays for Inter Miami in the United States. AFP

Pinoy basketball personalities headline PUMA’s pre-basketball season pep rally campaign in Manila

GLOBAL sports brand PUMA continues to cement its presence in the Philippine basketball scene with the launch of its Our Ball Above All campaign, which aims to pay homage to Filipinos’ passion for the sport and ignite basketball fever among Pinoy basketball enthusiasts. As the biggest sport in the Philippines, basketball is deeply rooted in Pinoy culture. Whether barefoot on a makeshift court in barangays or with shoes on a taraflex court in stadiums, Filipino hoopers will dribble and shoot as long as they have a ball. Recognizing this unique basketball culture, PUMA’s latest campaign in the market gathers the Filipino basketball community to show their love for the sport and express their support for the national team in the up-

coming basketball world cup.

PUMA will kick off its month-long campaign with exciting consumer activities at the PUMA stores in North EDSA, Gateway, Eastwood, and both Glorietta PUMA and Foot Locker from August 14 to September 10, 2023. PUMA and basketball fans can score a Philippine-exclusive basketball jersey until supplies last by participating in in-store happenings such as the #OurBallAboveAll zone or by presenting their Gilas team match tickets.

PUMA Hoops’ newest revolutionary kicks, the All-Pro Nitro, will be showcased in the mentioned locations. Dubbed as a pre-basketball season pep rally, the #OurBallAboveAll campaign will also boast of a number of sporting and cul-

tural activities from August 19 to 20 at Glorietta Mall Activity Centre in Makati.

Bannering the two-day fun-filled affair is the 3x3 basketball tourney, headlined by select sports personalities such as Blackwater Bossing power forward Gab Banal, NCAA courtside reporter Baileys Acot, conditioning coach and basketball analyst Juanito Gregorio, TV host and sports commentator Miguel Dypiangco, and model and actor Vince Maristela. The elimination round is slated on August 19, while the semifinals and finals will happen on August 20. Joining the pre-basketball season rally event on August 19 is PUMA global ambassador and Filipino basketball pride Kai Sotto who will engage with fans and media from 2:30 p.m. onwards.

Palarong Pambansa archery standout Naina Tagle will be among those competing in the 1st Asean Youth Archery Championships opening Thursday in Cebu City.

Brazilian forward Neymar (left) is shown with Hilal President Fahad bin Nafel at the AlHilal stadium in Riyadh. Neymar has signed for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal from Paris SaintGermain, the clubs announced today, joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema as the latest big name lured to the oil-rich Gulf state. AFP

PUMA is launching the #OurBallAboveAll campaign and releasing exclusive and limited edition PUMA “Passion for the Game” tees and “Tatak Pilipinas” jerseys, as well as free PUMA Basketball singlets.

TXT ends 2nd world tour with standout concert at Philippine Arena

By Juliana Maxine Vasquez

KOREAN boy group

TOMORROW X

TOGETHER (TXT) has successfully staged the conclusion of its second world tour “ACT: SWEET MIRAGE” at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan last weekend.

Presented by Live Nation Philippines, it was TXT’s second concert in the Philippines after ACT:BOY in October 2022.

The group, composed of Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Huening Kai, wowed their fans with electrifying performances. They opened with “Blue Hour,” followed by “Can We Just Leave the Monster Alive?,” “Drama,” and “No Rules.”

Na-miss namin kayo,” said Beomgyu.

“Thank you for making our dream into reality,” said Soobin, the group’s leader.

Yeonjun expressed his admiration for the enthusiasm of their supporters. “That was super powerful,” he commented following the group’s rendition of “Cat & Dog.” In addition, Yeonjun introduced the audience to the “Happy Fools” dance challenge, encouraging them to showcase their finest “Ang Cute” smiles.

The TXT lineup for the event ecompassed their notable hits such as “Run Away,” “Anti-Romantic,” “0X1=LOVESONG,” “LO$ER=LOVER,” “Magic,” and their latest track, “Sugar Rush Ride.” A special highlight was the debut performance of “Do It Like That,” their collaborative single with the Jonas Brothers, on the concert stage.

“We specifically prepared this for the concert,” Huening Kai explained.

The TXT members also took the opportunity to share their thoughts during the show. Despite the massive venue, their heartfelt words fostered an even deeper connection with the audience.

Soobin conveyed, “We will do our best to come more often. So please stay by our side, please don’t forget the memories we

made here together.”

Reflecting on his past experiences, Beomgyu remarked, “I visited the philippines a lot for travel when I was young. It’s unbelievable to see that the people here are cheering for me now.”

The crowd pleasantly surprised Huening Kai with a birthday serenade, and he received warm wishes from his fellow members. “It’s my wish to celebrate my birthday on the same day as a concert. Thank you so much for your precious gift,” expressed the group’s youngest member.

Just as fans believed the evening couldn’t become any more extraordinary, TXT delighted them with an unexpected rendition of “MOA Diary (Dubaddu Wari Wari)” as part of their encore setlist.

Throughout the concert, numerous fan projects unfolded, yet one that left a lasting impression was the “Blue Rose” initiative. As the group performed “Blue Spring,” a song conceived with “MOA in mind,” the audience raised shimmering blue flowers, creating a truly mesmerizing spectacle.

Taehyun, who later revealed during the concert that he wasn’t feeling well, said that he is already excited about their next concert in the country.

“I have a little bit of a bad condition today. Next time when we meet each other again I’ll try to reap the performances to repay you guys as forgiveness. I was really really happy because of you guys and I’m already looking forward to the next concert in the Philippines.”

The group promised that they will return to the Philippines with better performances and new music.

Bea Alonzo, Nadine Lustre back-to-back in new project

AWARD-winning actresses and OPPO brand ambassadors Bea Alonzo and Nadine Lustre are the headliners in the latest TVC to launch the OPPO Reno10 Series 5G: the OPPO Reno10 5G, OPPO Reno10 Pro 5G, and the flagshiplevel OPPO Reno10 Pro+ 5G.

Tagged as #ThePortraitExpert, the Reno10 Series 5G smartphones are designed to allow users to achieve and capture professional-level photos thanks to its Telephoto Portrait Camera, a powerful zoom lens technology that captures subjects with great detail and depth even from a distance.

“With the OPPO Reno10 Series 5G, you get to capture moments, focus on them, and share it with the world for everyone to be inspired,” shares Bea.

“Good portraits tell a good story,” said Nadine. “A good portrait photo is flattering and enhances the best features of the subject with

great detail.”

The OPPO Reno10 5G is equipped with great lenses for your portrait needs, with its reliable 64MP Ultra-Clear Main Camera, a 112° 8MP Ultra-Clear Wide-angle Camera, and a 32MP Ultra-Clear Selfie Camera. The OPPO Reno10 Pro 5G on the other hand, comes with a 50MP Ultra-Clear Main Camera with a larger sensor, and similarly has a 32MP UltraClear Selfie Camera, and a 112° 8MP Ultra Wideangle for enhanced portrait shooting capabilities.

The flagship-level OPPO Reno10 Pro+ 5G has a Pro-Level 64MP Telephoto Portrait Camera with OIS, the highest spec periscope telephoto camera available on the Reno series! With 3-times Optical Zoom, it’s your gateway to a strategically engineered Portrait Mode feature that offers the perfect range for portrait shoots and composition. It also has a 112° Ultra-Wide-Angle Camera, which provides excellent image clarity.

OPPO Reno10 5G is available in all authorized stores with a retail price of P23,999. The OPPO Reno10 Pro+ 5G is available in select OPPO Concept Stores nationwide for P39,999. Meanwhile, Smart offers Plan 999 for the Reno10 5G and Plan 1499 for the Reno10 Pro 5G, both with cash out.

Live gigs at Winford

INDIES based around Metro Manila, especially those gigging around Quezon City, may have likely been to Freedom Bar to perform their original songs in front of their fan base, friends, or patrons just chilling out, or maybe scouting for cool music from stillunknown but promising acts.

Yes, that one on Anonas Street in Project 2, not really far from the arguably more famous 70s Bistro which can also be found along the same street.

Partly because the pandemic lockdown of 2020 that literally put the gig scene on hold made things a bit complicated, Freedom Bar is no longer there. But thanks to a bunch of fine people, or businessmen and artists who care about live music, the beloved bar, eyeing a new, just-right location, is being celebrated with an anniversary gig on August 23.

Some 27 years ago, Freedom Bar opened on the day that commemorated the centenary of the Cry of Pugad Lawin where the Andres Bonifacioled Katipuneros tore up cedulas “in defiance of their allegiance to Spain.”

It was an act that birthed the Philippine Revolution against an empire that colonized the country for 300 long years. Two years later, on June 12, 1898, the Philippines marked its Independence Day.

The Freedom Bar anniversary, presented by The Guild and Laking Aircon Productions, is happening at Unknown13 Pub on Katipunan Avenue, in Blue Ridge A, also in Quezon City.

The featured artists are led by P.O.T, the band behind the classic cover “Yugyugan Na,” and now fronted by Red Dela Pena, a singer whom the surviving members see as deserving of the spot vacated by the late great Karl Roy

Guzman has long vouched for, and Caren Tevanny, of General Luna fame, are joining the pool along with Gen-Z performers Calle Onse and Moontide as well as bar regulars Babaylan and Aftermath. These artists have dedicated fan support, something that makes them known and respected in the gig circuit. In other words, they may be a big hit song away from becoming household names. Rounding up the line-up is LC De Leon and the Frustrations — should we say the dark horse as their past midnight set will accommodate an open jam.

Roldan “Bong” Baluyot, the main man behind the staging of the event and essentially Freedom Bar’s torchbearer, prefers to include the whole musical landscape, not just rock bands, to speak about the significance of bars like Freedom, or Club Dredd, which he also helped resurrect, and how the current scenario is giving Filipino live acts a major boost.

He shared, “I must say we’re experiencing the golden era of the Philippine music scene. There’s EZ Mil whom Eminem and Dr. Dre signed. We have SB19 that’s enjoying international success. Maraming artists who can fill up bars, like those from reality TV contests. We have bands like Ben & Ben that are not even rock bands in the first place. The bar scene is healthy.”

“Pagdating ng Panahon”.

of Love, went platinum and produced hits like “Ang Gaan ng Feeling” and “In the Name of Love”.

Well-known for hits like “Anak ng Pasig” and “Kailan”, Cruz was discovered and mentored by National Artist of the Philippines for Music, Ryan Cayabyab Cruz was also the very first and youngest grand prize winner of The Voice of Asia in 1992. Her first solo album, I Like You, went double platinum and produced several hit singles. Her second solo album, In the Name

Delivering more live entertainment to its audience, WRCM is set to host another event on August 19, showcasing award-winning and multi-talented artist Ice Seguerra

A former child star, Seguerra stepped into the limelight by appearing in movies and television shows, with a filmography of over 30 titles to date. Eventually, his career as an actor reached a turning point during his teen years when he turned his attention to music and scored a major hit in 2001 with the single

Since then, Seguerra has cemented his status as one of the most sought-after performers in the country today. General admission to this new normal concert experience is free, with VIP seating near the stage also available for a cover charge of P1,250 inclusive of food and drink or by earning 150 points a day.

WRCM is located in San Lazaro Tourism & Business Park, Santa Cruz, Manila. Visit www.winfordmanila.com for more information or call the hotline at +63 (2) 8528-3600 for inquiries.

Both Vie, a band that music bar business expert McQueen de whoever you are and play the kind of music that defines you right in front of appreciative audiences.

That’s saying much about diversity winning the day, which echoes the very nature of freedom wherein you can be LAST night, multi-platinum singer and regular Winford Resort & Casino Manila (WRCM) performer Geneva Cruz shone on stage once again with her powerful vocals and dazzling presence.

TXT returns to the Philippines as part of their ‘ACT: SWEET MIRAGE’ concert tour

From left: TXT is composed of Choi Soobin, Huening Kai, Choi Yeonjun, Choi Beomgyu, and Kang Taehyun

Nadine Lustre (left) and Bea Alonzo star in a new smartphone commercial

OPM singers Geneva Cruz (left) and Ice Seguerra

INSPIRED by the rich, blooming, and multi-faceted scents of whole flowers, The Body Shop blooms with Full Flowers, a new quartet of unisex floral fragrances: Full Iris, Full Orange Blossom, Full Rose, and Full Ylang Ylang.

The collection is meticulously crafted by blending notes of soft petals, green leaves, woody stems, juicy fruits, and sweet resin.

These one-of-a-kind fragrances are meticulously crafted with precious natural flower extracts from France, Egypt, and Madagascar, where the flowers are grown to support local farming communities.

As the day progresses, you’ll notice these unique fragrances evolve, delicately revealing each of their distinct features, one by one. Explore the collection and embrace all your facets.

Full Iris Eau de Parfum presents a unisex, soft, woody scent

‘Mr. Freeze’ leads transformative campaign as face of health and lifestyle company

By Nickie Wang

NOTABLE businessman and TV host Gerry Santos, known as Mr. Freeze, has partnered with MyATOMS, a supply chain management and marketing company founded in the heart of Pasig City.

As its latest brand ambassador, Santos will play a pivotal role in the company’s marketing campaigns, particularly those centered around products that cater to the needs of individuals with active and busy lifestyles, similar to Santos himself.

Headquartered in Ortigas Center, MyATOMS operates under the guiding principle of ‘Time to H.E.A.L.’ This principle encapsulates the core purpose of the company and is a reflection of the values that its founders hold dear.

According to its CEO, Marcam Marasigan, the ongoing aftermath of the pandemic has left many individuals, families, and groups grappling with both apparent and concealed wounds that have left an impact on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This situation has been incredibly challenging for those striving to restore their financial stability, whether employed or aspiring entrepreneurs. Recognizing that genuine healing necessitates more than mere recovery, MyATOMS is unwaveringly committed to fostering an environment that not only aids in recovery but also serves as a catalyst for transformative change.

This environment is multifaceted and encompasses various elements, including stringent health protocols and a range of health-oriented products. Additionally, the company is dedicated to providing entrepreneurial education to empower individuals, aesthetics programs that enhance self-confidence, and personalized guidance to help people realize their desired lifestyles.

Part of its campaign is a free online M.B.A. program hosted by Santos and MyAtoms Chief

Strategy Officer & MBA Executive Director Jonathan Petalver.

“If you are interested in starting a business or venturing to any start-up business, it is better to understand it from the point of view of someone who has fully attended an MBA and is a successful practitioner in the field of entrepreneurship,” said Santos. In this program, the nine most relevant MBA topics and decision-making tools needed to understand as a Micro Entrepreneur or as a Corporate Entrepreneur will be shared.

“At the end of the day, business is about making the most strategic ‘profitable’ decisions for your organization. And the most profitable decision will always be the one that will sustain your growth and give you that competitive advantage,” Santos added.

When asked about his decision to collaborate with MyAtoms, Santos mentioned that their products align with his lifestyle. Additionally, he recognized the potential of the company and the individuals working behind the brand.

“You can’t be an endorser of a product or a company that you don’t use yourself. As an entrepreneur, my role is to help people have livelihoods and uplift them. This is what I saw in MyAtoms. Also, I take prebiotics every day, and this is one of their products. I used to weigh 230 lbs 10 years ago, so now my focus is not just on wealth but on health,” Santos explained.

“My routine includes a balanced diet, regular visits to the gym, playing tennis three times a week, and playing golf once a week. And MyAtoms helps me stay active and in shape,” he ended.

within our new floral fragrance range. The intense floral iris encapsulates the powdery petals, piney juniper berries embody the aromatic stems, while soft cedarwood symbolizes the woody roots.

Full Orange Blossom Eau de Parfum features a unisex, fresh, citrusy scent in our new floral fragrance range. The bold orange blossom accentuates the aromatic, voluptuous petals, while fresh bergamot captures the essence of juicy fruits. This is harmonized with the woody aroma of vetiver, signifying crisp, green leaves.

Full Rose Eau de Parfum offers a unisex, fresh, aromatic scent within our new floral fragrance range. Imagine the fragrance of a fresh, blooming rose on a dewy morning, and you’ll discover our Full Rose Eau de Parfum. Our smooth rose essence represents the sweetsmelling petals, geranium leaf embodies the crisp, green leaves

of the rose bush, and spicy, aromatic cardamom symbolizes the spiky thorns.

Full Ylang Ylang Eau de Parfum introduces a unisex, spicy, white floral scent in our new fragrance range. Radiant ylang ylang essential oil captures the plant’s smooth, floral petals in this captivating Eau de Parfum. This is expertly blended with fragrant black pepper to evoke the spicy aroma of the plant’s branches, and sweet, creamy va nilla to embody velvety leaves.

All these Eau de Parfums are presented in bottles made from recycled glass, adorned with caps designed to be more sustainable, crafted from naturally renew able wood and cork. And, when you’ve used up the last spritz, the bottle can be recycled again.

The Body Shop Full Flow ers collection will be available in 75 ml Eau de Parfum at Body Shop stores and online at www. thebodyshop.com.ph.

AN article published in the National Library of Medicine stated that neurological disorders are the leading cause of physical and cognitive disability all over the world affecting about 15 percent of the global population.

In the Philippines, cerebrovascular diseases remain to be one of the leading causes of death according to an article published in June 2022 on the Philippine Statistics website.

Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed) is one of the few top-ranking hospitals that provide world-class neurological care, with the Stroke Team of its Department of Neurosciences (Neurology Section) receiving a Diamond Status- Excellence Award this year from the World Stroke Organization, the only private hospital to receive a diamond status in 2023. At a roundtable discussion held, MakatiMed’s medical director and two of its top neurosurgeons shared with a select members of the press the neurological advancements available at MakatiMed such as awake craniotomy surgery for brain tumor patients, cerebral bypass surgery, and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

“Filipinos only stand to benefit from innovations in neurological care. They don’t need to leave the country to get the best treatment in this area. MakatiMed has new and improved procedures that make the recovery process easier for the increasing number of Filipinos with neurological disorders,” says Saturnino Javier, MD, the Medical Director at MakatiMed.

“It’s hard to understate the importance of a sound neurological condition given its impact on cognitive functions, which directly shapes your quality of life,”

Philippines such as a low number of neurologists, inadequate CT scan machines, lack of stroke training among health care workers, lack of stroke protocols, and pathways, poor community stroke awareness, low government insurance coverage with high out of pocket medical expenses, lack of infrastructure, inadequate acute stroke ready hospitals, stroke units and rehabilitation facilities. “I have mentioned these because MakatiMed can play a role in closing many of the gaps mentioned,” he added.

Since 2018, the hospital has been offering awake craniotomy surgery, a highly specialized surgical technique that is safer and provides a more effective approach to brain tumor removal while reducing the risk of neurologic deficit.

“In this procedure, we target parts of the brain controlling speech and motor function,” explains Guillermo Victorino Liabres, MD of MakatiMed’s Neurosurgery Department. “Not only does it minimize risks, but our team also offers postoperative care to ensure patients get back to their regular lives easily.”

Dr. Liabres notes that the hospital has a 100 percent patency rate for cerebral bypass surgeries. According to him, this complex procedure, which is sometimes necessary for cranial or head and neck tumors, involves using a blood vessel from another part of the body to redirect blood flow around blockages in the brain.

He also emphasized that not all patients can be candidates for cerebral bypass surgery, and that they have rigid parameters in choosing candidates for this procedure. “We check the clinical parameters. For example, the patient has persistent and recurrent stroke despite