Manila Standard - 2023 August 21 - Monday

BACK TO NORMAL: PH NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS

AUGUST 24, 2023

Trilateral naval drills in SCS set

But PH ‘cancels’ participation in joint exercises with US, Australia, Japan

By Vince Lopez

JAPAN, the United States and Australia are set to conduct naval drills in the South China Sea on Wednesday.

Kyodo News, citing multiple sources, said the trilateral exercise comes on the heels of increased tensions between Beijing and Manila after a China coast guard vessel fired a water cannon at a Philippine military-chartered boat near Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea earlier this month.

The Japanese news agency said the Philippines, which will host the vessels

from the three countries before the naval exercises, “cancelled” its participation.

"The Philippine forces have canceled their participation in the joint drill since the three other nations' aircraft are too large to land on the decks of Philippine warships, according to the sources," Kyodo News said.

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Spain defeat England,

SYDNEY—Spain won the Women's World Cup for the first time in their history with skipper Olga Carmona sweeping in the only goal for a deserved 1-0

victory over England in Sunday's final.

In front of a crowd of nearly 76,000 at Stadium Australia in Sydney, the Spanish team was the more accomplished

MMDA to apprehend bike lane violators

spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar could not confirm the reported decision of the Philippines not to join the naval drills.

"I don't have the information right now. I am not yet aware of it. I will ask the concerned staff about it tomorrow," Aguilar said.

The US Navy is expected to send its amphibious assault ship, USS America, while the Royal Australian Navy will deploy HMAS Canberra.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, on the other hand, will send its largest destroyer, the Izumo.

In June, the defense ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines held their first

‘2 Chinese missile boats spotted in Mischief Reef’

By Vince Lopez

A FORMER US Air Force colonel and

a security analyst posted a photo of Mischief Reef (Panganiban Reef) with two People's Liberation Army-Navymissile boats on the illegally occupied island.

Raymond Powell, director of

Twitter post that aside fromthe missile boats, 75 to 80 militia and fishing vessels were also visible as of Aug. 16 at Mischief Reef, which the Chinese illegally occupied in 1995.

Powell said most of the ships that were at Mischief Reef would probablynese coast guard wants to enforce on

SeaLight at the Gordian Knot Center for not take part in a blockade that the ChiNational Security Innovation, said on a

Inset photo shows Spain's defender #19 Olga Carmona celebrating after scoring her team's first and only goal during the match. AFP

Women’s World Cup win

side and had more chances, including missing a second-half penalty. Spain's triumph is vindication for Jorge Vilda and the Spanish football fed-

eration, who stuck with the coach even after 15 players last year said they no longer wanted to represent their country under him.

England coach Sarina Wiegman, who has now suffered back-to-back defeats in the final, and her European champions can have few complaints.

‘No budget hike for underspending agencies in 2024‘

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATORS blamed large government agencies for holding back the country's growth by underspending, and said these departments should not be given the additional funds they seek in 2024,

By Othel V. Campos

if they have been unable to spend their budget allocations.

When a government agency or office has not spent its budgetallocation, that means the funds were not used to bankroll their intended programs and budgets, Senators Sherwin Gatchalian

and Nancy Binay said.

Given this underspending, Gatchalian criticized the country's economic managers for asking for a budget increase for several government agencies that continue to underspend.

LRT-1 Roosevelt station now renamed after FPJ

By Gabriellea Pariño and Darwin Amojelar

THE Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1)’s Roosevelt Station has been officially renamed Fernando Poe Jr. Station after the late King of Philippine movies.

In an unveiling ceremony held in the station on Poe's birthday, the actor's adopted daughter Senator Grace Poe emphasized the contribution of Filipino artists to the country.

“FPJ has long been the symbol of the Filipino masses -- whether you are a police officer, student, worker, all of us work hard and struggle every day to give our children a better future,” Poe said in her speech.

The senator also said the initial symbolic act to commemorate her late father through naming a station after him is one way to recognize Filipino artists.

“May each person who passes through FPJ station remember that his heart was always with the Filipino masses,” she said in a Facebook post.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte Duterte signed Republic Act 11608, renaming Roosevelt Avenue to Fernando Poe Jr. Avenue, with the street sign put in place in December last year.

Poe’s ancestral home is located on Roosevelt Avenue in the first legislative district of Quezon city.

The change in station name is in accordance with RA 11608, the Light Rail Manila Corp., the operator of the LRT

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Ayungin Shoal, where there is a small contingent of Marines on the BRP Sierra Madre, that was deliberately grounded to serve as an outpost.

He said there were probably Chinese Coast Guard ships in the area, but none of them have turned on their automatic information system (AIS).

"PLA Navy ships never broadcast AIS, so we seldom know where they are," Powell said.

"I think there are still CCG ships in the area, but none have turned on their AIS so it's hard to say how many. My guess is fewer than the 6 that were there before, since I don't think they plan to keep so many there all the time. Many of the militia ships also rotated back to Hainan Island," Powell added.

Powell also identified the ships that were frequently taking part in Chinese militia blockade of Ayungin Shoal against

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Line 1, said.

“In renaming Roosevelt Station to Fernando Poe Jr. Station, we hope that Filipinos will always remember and will be inspired by how FPJ lived with values of determination, courage, and hope. LRMC shares these values and supports the promotion of local arts and culture,” Juan F. Alfonso, LRMC president and chief executive said.

A commuters group criticized the renaming of the station however.

“It’s a good way to honor those who have truly contributed to the country when it comes to the arts, but it may cause confusion amongpeople, especially commuters,” Primo Morillo of the Passenger Forum said in an interview.

Morillo said commuters were used to referring to the area as Roosevelt or Muñoz and the sudden change could leave some of them at a loss.

“We get the intentions, but maybe there are other ways to honor FPJ without having to cause confusion among commuters,” he added.

Meanwhile, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte welcomed the Senate's approval of a measure renaming Agham

Filipino fishing vessels and Coast Guard ships.

"The 11 Qiong Sansha Yu ships are of the type that frequently take part in blockade operations at Ayungin Shoal," Powell said.

Earlier, the AFP spokesperson, Col. Medel Aguilar told the Chinese Coast Guard to "behave" as they will conduct a next resupply mission for the Filipino troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre located at the Ayungin Shoal.

"We therefore call on all relevant parties to abide by their obligations under international law and respect the Philippines' sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its maritime shoals," AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said in a media forum.

"All the consequences that their singular act will do, the blame will be to them and to the authorities above them. So they should behave," he added.

Meanwhile, the Tarlac City-based Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) announced that its littoral monitoring

Spain is the fifth team to lift the World Cup since the tournament began in 1991, joining outgoing champions the United States, Germany, Norway and Japan.

In front of Spain's Queen Letizia, defender Carmona scored what turned out to be the winner, rampaging from left-back to thrash the ball in low and hard on 29 minutes.

Wiegman had resisted the temptation to recall Chelsea attacker Lauren James after her two-match ban and kept faith with the team that beat co-hosts Australia 3-1 in the semi-finals.

Playing in their blue second kit, England had the first sniff of a chance in the fifth minute but Lauren Hemp shot weakly at goalkeeper Cata Coll.

There was little to choose between them in the opening exchanges before both teams had golden opportunities on the quarter-hour mark.

First, Manchester City forward Hemp struck the bar with a curler that had Coll well beaten.

Spain went up the other end and should have scored but Salma Paralluelo – in for Alexia Putellas – missed the ball in the six-yard box.

Then Alba Redondo hit a first-time strike straight at goalkeeper Mary Earps with the England goal gaping.

Hemp then had another tame effort saved, before the game was momentarily held up in the 24th minute when a spectator darted on to the pitch before being wrestled away by security.

Five minutes later Spain, who had never won a knockout game at the Women's World Cup until this tournament and had lost 4-0 to Japan in the group phase, were ahead.

Mariona Caldentey slid in an inch-perfect pass for Car-

MMDA...

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Earlier, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it is targeting to expand the protected bike lanes network to 2,400 kilometers by 2028.

To date, 564 kilometers of this network have been established so far in Metro Cebu, Metro Manila and Metro Davao.

The agency said it aims to promote road safety and raise awareness on the health impact and economic costs involved.

and BIR roads after the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

"I wholeheartedly support the move of the Senate to name the streets after the late senator,” she said.

“This is such a big honor for the city to carry the name of the senator who fearlessly fought corruption and stood for the welfare of the people,” she added.

With 22 affirmative votes and zero negative votes or abstention, the Senate approved on third and final reading House Bill 7413 seeking to rename the roadways of Agham Road and BIR Road to Senator Miriam P. Defensor-Santiago Avenue.

Santiago, who died in September 2016 after a long battle with lung cancer, held various positions in three branches of government.

She served as presiding judge of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, and worked as commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration and as secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform.

She also served as senator for three terms.

She was the first Asian judge elected at the International Criminal Court, the first Filipino as a commissioner for the International Development Organization and as a legal officer of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland. With Rio N. Araja

detachments have so far detected 22,474 foreign and domestic vessels in its maritime areas. In a news release, Nolcom acting public affairs office chief Maj. Al Anthony Pueblas said these detections were made possible by their monitoring detachments strategically positioned in Bani, Zambales; Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte; Batan and Mavulis, both in Batanes.

“Nolcom will continue to launch maritime patrols (MarPat) in collaboration with key government agencies such as the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to ensure the safety of our fellow Filipinos, specially our fishermen and protect our marine resources for the benefit of current and future generations," Nolcom chief Lt. Gen. Fernyl Buca said.

MarPat is a Nolcom routine security patrol which covers three maritime areas—Bajo De Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea, Philippine (Benham) Rise) and the Batanes Strait.

mona, who came flying unmarked down the left before lashing the ball into the bottom corner.

Vilda, who recalled three of the 15 mutineers for the World Cup, did not even raise a smile on the sidelines.

England looked uncharacteristically rattled and the 19-year-old Barcelona attacker Paralluelo, who was a constant threat, shaved the post with the last kick of the half.

Hermoso fails from spot

Wiegman, who suffered agony in the final four years ago when her Netherlands team lost 2-0 to the United States, made a double change at the break.

James and Chloe Kelly replaced Rachel Daly and Alessia Russo as Wiegman switched from a back-five to a flat back-four.

But it was Spain who nearly doubled their lead almost straight after half-time, Caldentey dinking inside and forcing Earps to turn the ball around the post.

Hemp was booked for clipping Laia Codina as England's frustration mounted.

Midfield schemer Aitana Bonmati, who has been one of the players of the tournament and was one of the three refuseniks recalled by Vilda, fired narrowly over Earps's bar.

With 20 minutes left, Spain were awarded a penalty when VAR was called into action and, after a long review, Keira Walsh was judged to have handled the ball in the box.

Jennifer Hermoso stepped up but her penalty was weak and Earps saved comfortably to keep England just about alive.

Officials indicated 13 minutes of injury time at the end, but if anything, it was Spain who looked the more likely to score as England's dreams of a first World Cup melted away. AFP

"As we rethink mobility and shift our focus on the most vulnerable road users, the call for responsibility and accountability on the road is further reiterated," the DOTr said.

"Everyone is also enjoined that all road users, particularly those who are most at risk, deserve uncompromised safety on the road."

The protected bike lanes is under DOTr's active transport program — one of the agency's flagship programs -- that is in accordance with the National Transport Policy and the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028. The use of protected bike lanes was

Trilateral...

From A1 quadrilateral talks where they committed to step up security cooperation in an effort to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific amid China's growing as-

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Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate ways and means committee, noted that the proposed P5.7 trillion budget for 2024 is 9 percent higher than the budget for the current year.

Gatchalian and Binay said there is no need to give additional funds to underspending government agencies.

They also wanted to see how these agencies plan to catch up on their spending on government projects.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada said that based on the cash operation report, the government spent below the P2.5 trillion disbursement program for the first semester.

"May we know the reason for underspending?” Estrada asked during a recent Senate hearing.

In response, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said underspendingwas caused by issues related to procurement by agencies and departments, low interest payments and various social programs that have yet to be fully implemented.

Other reasons she cited were:

• The learning curve of new officials under the new administration;

* • The need to verify beneficiaries of assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);

• A delay in the procurement of land by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for various infrastructure projects; and • Delays in the arrival of billing from

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Meanwhile, the head of the farmers’ group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), Rosendo So, is calling for the abolition of the National Food Authority (NFA) over what he said was the agency’s preference to import rice rather than buy from Filipino farmers.

In a statement, So said the latest showcase of the NFA’s skewed preference for imported rice was the ongoing negotiations with India for rice procurement.

sertiveness in the region.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the annual Asia Security Summit in Singapore.

It was during the meeting when the defense chiefs of the four countries reportedly first discussed possible joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea.

suppliers and creditors.

She said the underspenders are the Department of Information Technology and Communication, Department of Migrant workers, theCommission on Elections, the Department of Agrarian Reform, the DSWD, the Department of Energy, the Office of the Press Secretary and the Department of Tourism.

Last week, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered government agencies to boost spending on programs related to social protection with the goal of preparing the Philippine workforce for the further opening of the economy and the expected influx of foreign investors.

The President led the sectoral meeting in Malacañang to address underspending and determine the steps to improve agency budget utilization. Government agencies presented during the meeting their respective catch-up plans to speed up the delivery of social services.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said growth targets in the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) can still be met if government spending is sped up and inflation continues to fall in the second half of the year.

NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan told the Senate committee on finance that first semester disbursements reached only P2.41 trillion, 6.6 percent lower than the P2.58 trillion programmed, even though the Department of Budget and Management has already released 93 percent of the 2023 national budget.

Balisacan noted that the underspending was one of the factors behind the lower gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the second quarter this year.

well-milled rice, which cost P55/kg and P57/kg, respectively. A 50 kg sack of rice costs traders P2,500 and with the mark-up of retailers, the price of commercial rice is estimated at a range of P55 to P57/kg.

Despite this, PRISM maintained there are cheaper commercial rice varieties available at P48/kg. The group has allocated a cheaper rice variety that costs P38/kg only for poor families.

However, the group can only sell up to 5 kilos of rice per family per day.

implemented at the height of the pandemic in 2021, when there was limited mobility due to the pandemic restrictions. The bike lane network augmented public transportation and helped people safely get to work during the pandemic.

Based on a 2020 survey from Social Weather Stations and the Department of Health, 87 percent of Filipinos agree that roads in cities and municipalities will be better if public transportation, bikes, and pedestrians are prioritized over private vehicles.

So also questioned the NFA's decision to source Philippine rice stocks from abroad when it could buy rice at a much lower rate in the country's other agricultural regions. He cited Philippine Statistic Authority (PSA) data showing average buying rates for a kilogram of domestically produced palay was between P18.50 to P19.

The NFA can always look for lower rice prices, according to So. He also scored the NFA for justifying importation by announcing it has only 46,000 metric tons of rice left in its inventory, which is good for just 1.3 days.

On local rice prices, the Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholder Movement (PRISM), a group of rice millers, traders and importers, reported that the price of “laon” rice or old rice stock went down by P2/kg. Traders noted there is not much difference in the price of regular-milled and

Data from the Philippine Statistics Agency (PSA) showed paddy rice output went 3.4 percent to 9 million metric tons (MT) in the first semester of 2023, from 8.7 million MT during the same period in 2022.

Actual output in the first half is higher than the PRISM forecast of 8.7 million MT that was used by the DA in its rice outlook.

Agriculture undersecretary for Rice Industry Development Leocadio Sebastian is optimistic that full year 2023 output may surpass the 20 million MT mark, given bumper harvest in the first semester.

So also scored the NFA for justifying importation by announcing it has only 46,000 metric tons of rice left in its inventory, which is good for just 1.3 days.

This is the fault of the NFA, So said, since it has not been buying locally-produced rice to add to its stock.

He recalled the NFA saying at a congressional hearing that it still has P8.5 billion left for rice procurement, which was enough to buy palay at P19 per kilo.

WITH ‘DA KING.’ Senator Grace Poe strikes a pose with standees bearing the image of her father, the late National Artist for Film Fernando Poe Jr., on Sunday, August 20, 2023, when the LRT-1 Roosevelt Station was officially renamed after the late actor. Lino Santos

Oicial says PNP only has 2,700 body cameras

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) said only around 2,700 police officers have been issued bodyworn cameras.

The figure is less than 10 percent of the PNP’s requirement of 45,000 body-worn cameras, PNP Public Information Office chief Police Brigadier General Red Maranan said in a radio interview.

The body cameras are to be used by police to record incidents during the execution of search or arrest warrants.

Maranan admitted that the number of officers with body-worn cameras is “very, very limited,” adding that “our requirement for that is something like 45,000, but we only have 2,700.”

Maranan said that the PNP is targeting to procure more body cameras next year. The PNP, he said, has requested the budget from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

He related this to the case of six police officers involved in the killing of 17-year-old Jemboy Baltazar in Navotas City who did not wear their body cameras at the time of the operation.

“We have proven that the policeman involved had a body camera issued

Gatchalian pushes for more RE projects

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian

is pushing for the development of more renewable energy (RE) projects in the country to help bring down power costs and ensure sufficient energy supply.

He noted that based on data from the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), renewable energy plants provide the cheapest generation cost when compared to coal-fired and gas-fired power plants.

Gatchalian said data showed that in July, coal plants had the highest generation cost at an average of P8.0978 per kilowatt hour (kWh) while gas-fired power plants had an average generation cost of P5.6636 per kWh and RE power plants had an average generation cost of only P4.7052 per kWh.

The same data also showed that RE plants only contributed 7.69% of the

total power purchased by Meralco last month, he said.

“The data clearly shows that the development of renewable energy would provide the most benefit for our consumers as it entails the lowest generation cost,” Gatchalian said.

He had earlier filed Senate Bill No.157 or the Energy Transition Act, which provides for the creation of an Energy Transition Plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and remove dependence on imported fuel.

Gatchalian, however, said the energy transition would require diversification of the country’s current energy sources.

He also filed Senate Bill 485, An Act Enhancing The Implementation Of The Net Metering Program, Amending For The Purpose Republic Act 9513, or The Renewable Act Of 2008. This

IN BRIEF

Guam magistrate visits PH, meets with Gesmundo

CHIEF Justice Robert J. Torres Jr. of the United States Territory of Guam paid a courtesy call on Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo in preparation for the 62nd Annual Conference of the 2023 American Judges Association on Sept. 9 to 14 in Hawaii.

The Supreme Court’s Public Information Office said Torres and Gesmundo will be speakers in a special session during the Hawaii conference where they will discuss the use of technological innovations in the judicial system.

Both Gesmundo and Torres “will also discuss issues faced by their respective judiciaries in pivoting to new technologies, such as issues on data privacy and cybersecurity,” the PIO said, in a statement.

During the courtesy call last Friday, Aug. 18, the PIO said that Chief Justice Gesmundo spoke about the Philippine judiciary’s use of technology in court processes, especially the use of video conferencing platforms in order to expedite trials during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It said that Gesmundo also pointed out that “the use of video conferencing in hearings will r main and become the norm even beyond the pandemic.”

Chief Justice Torres “stressed the importance of training judges on the responsible use of social media.” Rey E. Requejo

proposed legislation is designed to foster increased investments in the renewable energy sector and seeks to remove the 100-kilowatt (kW) ceiling on generation facilities that can participate in the net metering program.

Authorized under existing laws, net metering allows participants with their facilities to feed power back into the grid and have their contribution to the common pool of power deducted from their consumption.

Gatchalian also expressed hope that investors would take advantage of a recent circular issued by the Department of Energy (DOE) that removes limitations on foreign ownership of RE projects.

The circular effectively allows foreign nationals and foreign-owned entities to explore, develop, and use RE resources such as solar, wind, biomass, ocean, and tidal energy.

SPECIAL RUNNER. SM City Taytay recently held the SM Paw Run 2023, a pet fun run that perfectly captured the spirit of National Dog Day. Furry friends and their humans raced, laughed, and cherished the day, fostering a deeper connection between pets and their devoted companions.

Norman Cruz

Philippines, US launch energy policy dialogue

THE Philippines and the United States have formally launched the inaugural of US-Philippines Energy Policy Dialogue (EPD) to strengthen the two countries’ energy ties and clean energy transition.

The US State Department said its Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Energy Resources Laura Lochman, and the US Department of Energy’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the Americas Beth Urbanas co-led the US delegation, while Philippine Energy Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Felix William Fuentebella led the Philippine delegation.

In a statement, the US State Department said the delegations from both countries emphasized the centrality of energy security, decarbonization, and collaboration among nations with shared values to sustained economic development amid the region’s rapid economic growth and rising energy demands.

“The discussion reinforced the role of energy cooperation in strengthening the US-Philippines partnership and focused on accelerating the deployment of renewable energy, modernizing and expanding transmission, and reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels,” it said.

Both delegations reviewed the progress of current energy projects in the Philippines and established priorities for future cooperation and technical support.

The US State Department said that both countries reaffirmed the importance of nuclear energy as a key contributor to energy security. Rey E. Requejo

to him, but did not use or open it. What he was saying was that the battery was dead, but that is not an acceptable reason because to be a responsible officer, you should ensure that your body camera is fully charged before you start duty,” he said.

Maranan further disclosed that the PNP is conducting “early procurement activities” for the new supply of body cameras as well as possible suppliers.

“We are on early procurement activities now, and all will be done thru public bidding,” Maranan said.

Maranan also said that the PNP is targeting to procure enough materials and body-worn cameras for all the police officers on duty and those involved in operations.

In July 2021, the Supreme Court approved a resolution providing rules for the mandatory use of body-worn cameras during the execution of search and arrest warrants.

Under the resolution, law enforcers must have at least one body-worn camera and one alternative recording device or such number needed to record the relevant incidents during the execution of search or arrest warrants.

In case of unavailability of bodyworn cameras, law enforcers shall file a motion before the court to use alternative recording devices for justifiable reasons. Vince Lopez

BEAST OF BURDEN. A farmer in Capas, Tarlac uses his carabao to tend his rice eld to make sure that the eld is healthy and in good condition. Manny Palmero

IN A congressional hearing, DENR Sec. Toni Yulo Loyzaga was asked if there is a written order of suspension on the Manila Bay reclamation projects. She replied that she had ordered work stoppage on the projects on the basis of the president’s verbal directive.

It is important to have a written order that would define which are the projects, and which are suspended, since the president had earlier said only one project has been reviewed and deemed compliant with environmental impact assessment. Which is it?

The projects were individually assessed. Instead of studying the combined impact of all the 22 reclamation proposals that are now on various stages of implementation, and which have belatedly been suspended and only after the US Embassy complained.

Which means, if a project encompasses say a total 300 hectares, then that will not create a destructive environmental impact on the bay’s eco-system, from a stand-alone perspective.

But if PRA and the combined LGUs, along with their cohorts in DENR measured the impact of the totality, as Sec. Yulo-Loyzaga has stated, then the environmental effect is very different.

In street lingo, “ginoyo” tayo ng PRA and DENR, the present environment secretary excepted. The nearest descriptive in the English language is that those officials hoodwinked us all.

OPINION

Should we host Afghan refugees?

THE question has been raised since last year.

had “raised concerns” about the US request to grant special immigration visas (SIVs) to the Afghans in several meetings.

We

GM, who is doing the explaining, but his responses give rise to more and more questions.

The massive sand reclamation that we are seeing are those of SM, in joint venture with Pasay City, which is supposed to be 390 hectares; another Pasay joint venture, that of mega-contractor Charlie Gonzales of Ulticon Builders who formed a new Pasay Harbor City project covering 265 hectares; the Manila Solar City project of 148 hectares fronting the Coconut Palace; and that of Waterfront Development of the Gatchalians, which is right in front of the dolomite beach of Roy Cimatu, and covers the foreshore of the US Embassy.

I do not know if the Bacoor project of the Tiu-Laurel family has started actual work, nor the Navotas reclamation approved by the Tiangcos.

As far as I know, the Solar City project fronting the Coconut Palace, got its joint venture with Manila as far back as when Fred Lim was mayor.

But jurisdictional issues due to overlaps with Pasay delayed the project. It was finally given the go-signal in 2021.

The same is true with the Ulticon and SM reclamation projects, as well as Gatchalians’ Waterfront development, which was approved by then Manila mayor Erap Estrada, along with the Horizon Manila reclamation project.

One will likewise recall that Pres. Duterte in his time stated that he was against any reclamation in the Manila Bay area, aware as he was that the Supreme Court, under a continuing “mandamus” writ, directed both the national and local governments to rehabilitate the bay and bring it back to its pristine level.

What happened to that stand? And why did the PRA approve despite that public avowal of the president then?

Certainly all these are not attributable to Pres. Marcos Jr., nor his DENR secretary, Mrs. Yulo-Loyzaga.

But it appears the Philippine government has yet to reach a decision on the request of the US government to temporarily host former Afghan supporters fleeing from the Taliban government.

It was in October last year when the United States requested the Philippines to receive the Afghans whose applications to enter the US are being processed.

What Washington is asking the Philippines is whether it could serve as the transition area for Afghan nationals displaced by their homeland’s conflict before they are resettled in the US.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. previously said this arrangement posed logistical and security issues.

But last month, President Marcos said the government was still consulting the US on whether or not to host the Afghan refugees:

“We have made some progress but there’s still some major obstacles to us being able to do it, but we continue to consult with our friends in the US.”

The President, however, did not specify what these obstacles were.

“Well, we have not given ourselves a deadline. What we are talking about is that

hosted Jews fleeing the Nazis during World War II, we hosted Vietnamese refugees in the late 1970s to early 80s

we’re trying to see what are the problems, what are the issues…we are trying to find ways to remedy those issues that we feel are something that we have to deal with.”

“I would like to manifest the Filipino instinct of hospitality, and many times have happened there have been situations around the world where there are refugees, but they were not accepted. We accept from anywhere. We are not forgotten by those we help. That is the attitude of the Filipino,” the President said.

But Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo

It seems the majority of DFA officials were strongly against the proposal as it posed not only a security risk but a reputational one as well, since the Afghan applicants would have restricted freedom of movement.

At least two lawmakers, however, support the US proposal.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III has welcomed the move to provide sanctuary for distressed peoples from other countries, as the Philippines had done in the past.

“There is no problem with the nationality or origin of the refugees. The ‘who’ is not an issue. If they need a sanctuary then the Philippines can be a good one,” he said.

At the House of Representatives, Deputy Minority Leader France Castro said Filipinos commiserate with the Afghans who are suffering from the ongoing conflict in their Taliban-led country. “We understand that many Afghans are seeking refuge and we are open to the possibility of providing assistance to those who need it.”

They have a point there.

We hosted White Russians after the ouster of the Tsars, we hosted Jews fleeing the Nazis during World War II, we hosted Vietnamese refugees in the late 1970s to early 80s. So why can’t we do that now?

Clamor vs. mediocre electricity distribution utilities

IT’S a long weekend, one of two long weekends this month and many “Mega-Manilans” and urbanites all over the country are likely or are already out of town.

But there are also other electric cooperatives that need to reconsider other forms of delivery service to our people,” Lotilla said.

Now comes the PRA’s OIC who came up with the “literal” justification the projects constitute only some 5 percent of the entire Manila Bay which he says is all of 200,000 hectares, as if that 5 percent is in the middle of the bay from Bataan to Cavite, and not an eyesore that obstructs the everyman’s view of the bay and its fabled sunset, one of the free pleasures of living in this “brokedown” metropolis.

That’s trying to hoodwink us even more.

It will take many, many years before the developers will be able to construct the peripheral roads around the new islands where the common tao will be able to get a view of the sunset.

Meanwhile, that view will be confined to mountains of gray sand.

It should be interesting to find out when the individual projects were given their approval and notices to proceed by the PRA, and when the local governments concerned, whether Manila, Navotas, Pasay, Paranaque, Las Pinas, Bacoor, etc. gave approval to private developers on the basis of their municipal water jurisdictional authority, and thereafter apply with the PRA under the provisions of EO 74; and when the DENR, or whichever agency or instrumentality thereof, actually gave the ECC.

So, the local governments, whose view is always focused on more and greater real estate tax collections, on top of their share of the reclaimed land, went their merry way in approving reclamation proposals.

Then the PRA and the DENR gave their gosignal, almost all of the green lighting done in the last three or four years.

It is quite puzzling as well that as far as their website informs us, the PRA has no new chair and no new president, despite the fact that we are into the 14th month of the Marcos presidency.

In the early days of the new administration, people were already congratulating lawyer Ed Serapio who was rumored to be the Marcos appointee as chairman, and another lawyer, Jay Flaminiano, as the president of the PRA.

What happened?

Till now, it is Joseph Literal, an assistant

KHARKIV, Ukraine—Picking her way through charred ruins with a flashlight, Tetiana Bezatosna returned to her apartment after it was pummelled by Russian bombardment. The Ukrainian mother-of-two has little hope it will ever be rebuilt.

Her home in the northeastern city of Kharkiv is among hundreds of thousands of war-damaged civilian properties in Ukraine, with recovery at vast expense expected to take decades.

Fixing the colossal damage—unlike anything seen in Europe in decades—is further complicated by the non-stop bombardment of Ukrainian cities as Russia grinds through the second year of its invasion.

Highlighting what residents call the slow pace of recovery in Bezatosna’s Saltivka suburb—a hellscape of shell-pocked buildings and ravaged shops—jackhammers and cranes hovering over the damaged sites lie largely idle.

“We are not expected to return here soon,” Bezatosna, 44, told AFP as she walked up to her ninth-floor apartment.

“It’s very hard and painful to look at all this.”

Broken glass crunched under her shoes as she walked past scorched apartments, pointing her phone’s flashlight at the possessions

But some businessmen and even the renowned architect and urban planner Felino “Jun” Palafox have stated their fears that canceling the “approved” projects will have a negative effect on our investment climate.

It’s again a case of the sanctity of contracts and business unpredictability in our country.

That is the legal conundrum that government faces, because agencies under previous administrations, local and national, botched their responsibilities to safeguard our environment, and simply have no pride of place.

Now let us go to the “sunk costs” that the proponents will no longer be able to recover if their reclamation project is cancelled: One, if they have begun reclaiming, as SM, Ulticon, and Solar have, the first two in advanced stages, the losses would be quite big.

For those on the other hand who have yet to begin actual reclamation, the “sunk” cost will be the “padulas” or “pangiti” that they may have given to the officials who approved these, whether local government or the national agencies concerned.

Surely, these “pangiti” are way, way more than the value of a bunch of bananas, as in Binangonan.

To which many will simply say, “Beh, buti nga.”

On the other hand, given the world economic recession, especially in the target markets of the real estate speculators, which are China, South Korea and perhaps a sprinkling of other foreigners, there really might be very little profitability in their ventures.

Then what we will be left with are ugly unutilized and uninhabited islands of dirty gray sand which will waft into our nostrils whenever a strong wind blows eastward.

Sec. Yulo-Loyzaga, who is highly admired for being a no-nonsense official with a scientific mind, has now become the cynosure of public attention.

How she goes about identifying which are non-compliant, or at what point these projects are “much too much” such that they impact on the bay’s overall environment, the marine ecosystem, the livelihood of fishermen, and even the historic and cultural considerations in an uglified metropolis, will be keenly watched.

May the force be with her!

People will trek out for weekend trips to escape the congestion of the city which is good for our rising tourism industry which, according to Department of Tourism data, produced a combined domestic and international revenue of P1.78 trillion in 2022 and supports 5.2 million jobs. These long weekends are not just good for catching up on one’s work-life balance but great for the economy. Each time I do get a chance to go out for some rest and recreation, being a person used to 99.9 percent uninterrupted power, there is always that intermittent brownout that has become a spoiler.

For me it’s just an inconvenience, but for all businesses affected by a power outage, it’s a serious problem that impacts the viability of their operations.

In some provinces the situation has reached a crisis level.

Local government leaders are already making drastic moves against their distribution utilities (DUs) because their constituents and local industries have had enough of the low service quality, inefficiency, and high-power rates they have been suffering for years.

For instance, in April this year, the province of Occidental Mindoro was placed under a state of calamity because of their deteriorating electricity crisis.

They only had four hours of electricity in the off-peak hours.

That means practically no electricity during working hours. Apparently, this is also happening in other areas.

During the 54th anniversary celebration of the National Electrification Administration, DOE Secretary Popo Lotilla warned DUs to shape up “because at some point, if our people get tired of the quality of services that they receive, then they themselves will be the ones to clamor for change.”

Sec. Lotilla said that electricity cooperatives need to improve, and those that are performing well should continue to inspire other coops to do better.

“As I have said, we will give you full support to the extent that you are able to deliver.

The local government leaders of Laguna and Batangas are now taking proactive action against their respective DUs to respond to their constituent’s demand to improve power services.

In Laguna, mayors from Cavinti, Famy, Kalayaan, Mabitac, Paete, Pagsanjan, Pakil, Pangil, Siniloan, and Sta. Maria formally appealed to the House of Representatives not to grant a new legislative franchise to First Laguna Electric Cooperative (FLECO). They said that the residents of their jurisdictions have been subjected to “unreasonably high” electricity rates and “poor services”.

ten mayors to the House of Representatives and the Senate, FLECO has allegedly failed to mitigate the increasing electricity prices for its captive market, violating its mandate under the EPIRA to supply electricity in the least cost manner.

‘We urge the lawmakers to reflect on the wider ramifications and prioritize the collective interests of the community over the electric cooperative’s own interests,” said Pakil Mayor Vincent Soriano in a public statement.

In Pampanga, six mayors sought the assistance of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in resolving the high power rates of Pampanga Electric Cooperative 3 (PELCO 3).

Even establishments are already taking legal action.

The Metropolitan Medical Center, Evercrest Golf Club Resort in Nasugbu, Gulod Resort, and Chateau Royale Sports & Country Club have gone to court against BATELEC 1 for poor electric services that have paralyzed their operations.

These waves of complaints reflect the deep economic repercussions for these areas with unstable and very expensive power services.

Reports said that frequent brown outs and voltage fluctuations in Nasugbu are damaging appliances and equipment of residences and business establishments.

Residents have collectively petitioned for their local officials to transfer electricity services to Meralco which services Metro-Manila, and some nearby provinces, like, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.

“Nasugbu stands united, echoing the voice of over 22,000 signatures, demanding nothing short of excellence in electricity services.

Together, we urge a transition to Meralco, in our pursuit of quality power for our progressive community,” Mayor Barcelon had said.

According to the petition signed by the

Ukraine’s dilemma: Rebuilding in midst of war

residents had left behind—abandoned books, mold-covered kitchenware, Lego toys.

On one floor, a makeshift column propped up the staircase where the concrete had been riddled with holes.

‘It’s dangerous’

Bezatosna fled Saltivka, a once-thriving Kharkiv suburb with hundreds of thousands of people, after it bore the brunt of Russia’s initial assault when the invasion started in February 2022.

Her family returned when much of Kharkiv region was liberated last September.

Forced to rent another place, they plucked whatever they could salvage from their apartment, including a half-burnt washing machine and a bathtub.

A sign hung at the entrance of the building read: “Do not enter, it’s dangerous.”

Displaced residents, who put up the sign mainly to ward off burglars, were torn between two difficult options.

Some are desperate to move back despite the hazardous conditions and urged the government to make urgent repairs. Others, including Bezatosna, are demanding that the unstable building be torn down and a new one built in the same place.

“Ukraine must start rebuilding during the war to support its home front,” Orysia Lut-

sevych, deputy director for the Russia and Eurasia programme at the London-based Chatham House, told AFP.

“Despite daily missile strikes Ukrainians are not leaving the country in large numbers.

To remain in Ukraine they need housing and jobs.”

Along with homes, the war has also obliterated thousands of schools, hospitals and factories along with critical energy facilities, granaries and seaports.

Ballooning costs

Earlier this year, the World Bank said the cost of Ukraine’s reconstruction over a decade would be $411 billion—2.6 times its GDP in 2022.

As the war inflicts new losses with each passing month, billions are added to the estimate. At a conference in London in June, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said the overall cost of reconstruction “will grow”.

Ukraine, whose war-battered economy shrank last year, desperately needs funds just to make emergency repairs. Long-term reconstruction aid hinges on how much money allies including the United States and European Union are willing to put up.

The country is seeking to entice private investment, with post-war reconstruction expected to turn Ukraine into what observers have called the world’s largest construction site.

Companies from around the world are expected to attend the second “Rebuild Ukraine” trade exhibition in Poland in November.

“The recovery of Ukraine becomes the largest economic project in Europe of our time,” President Volodymyr Zelensky is quoted as saying on its website.

This situation will hinder the economic potential for power challenged provinces to develop their tourism and other local industries.

The initiative of these LGU leaders to transfer to better service providers should be supported by the DOE and ERC as this is a problem affecting many areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

A stable power supply with rational service rates is essential for attracting the development of tourism and manufacturing investors.

These jurisdictions with expensive and unreliable electricity service will miss out on the country’s accelerating momentum of economic growth if they don’t change their mediocre service providers.

In Kharkiv, close to the border with Russia, Mayor Igor Terekhov told AFP the war had left around 150,000 people homeless with about 5,000 buildings damaged. Around 500 multi-story buildings among them are so badly wrecked that they cannot be restored. He put the estimated cost of reconstruction at $9.5 billion, calling the figure “very approximate”.

No corner is safe

To wait until the end of war to rebuild is not acceptable, he said, adding that “citizens need to go back to their homes.”

But many fear Russian air raids, which they believe are aimed at making their cities uninhabitable and hampering already scant reconstruction efforts.

“I don’t know how you can rebuild” amid the ongoing war, said Bezatosna.

In Saltivka, residents have returned to apartment blocks that were spared the ravages of war, but no corner is safe due to random strikes.

Bezatosna said she had renovated her apartment just a month before it got smashed. Her friend in Kharkiv, she said, had managed to repair her war-damaged house but it got knocked down by another strike.

“So tell me, what’s the point of rebuilding?” she said. AFP

hosted White Russians after the ouster of the Tsars, we

In Saltivka, residents have returned to apartment blocks that were spared the ravages of war, but no corner is safe due to random strikes

Then what we will be left with are ugly unutilized and uninhabited islands of dirty gray sand which will waft into our nostrils whenever a strong wind blows eastward

These waves of complaints reflect the deep economic repercussions for these areas with unstable and very expensive power services

Honor Blanco Cabie, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DOH ’24 budget may suffer P10-b cut, but anti-cancer fight gets more

THE Department of Health (DOH) may have to be more prudent in its spending next year as its proposed 2024 budget might be cut by P10 billion.

Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Ralph Recto said however, that the Marcos administration was seeking a significant increase in the allocation for cancer control and cancer patient assistance funds in the proposed P5.76 trillion national budget for 2024.

But Recto gave assurance that “just like in the past, Congress and the Executive, in the spirit of cooperation, will find ways on how to increase the health budget.”

Recto blamed “the big payroll and overhead in maintaining a large bureau-

cracy, plus rising debt service” for boxing out social services.

“If the budget were a sculpture, then revenues are the clay from which it is made from. Hindi ka maaring humulma na malaki kung kulang ang materyales mo,” he explained.

But in a break from the past when Congress would chide the Palace for cutting cancer control and treatment allocations, this time the Marcos administration has proposed that this year’s Cancer Assistance Fund be

doubled to P1 billion next year.

The proposed P1.02-billion for the cancer control fund brings to to P2.02 billion the allocation to combat a disease which killed almost 60,000 Filipinos in 2021, or one every nine minutes. “Pwede pa idagdag dito ang proposed P28 billion para sa gamot sa susunod na taon, at panukalang P22.2 billion para pambawas ng hospital bill na nasa Medical Assistance for Indigent Fund (MAIF), Recto added.

Congress is also expected to ea mark P101 billion in premium payments to PhilHealth to achieve universal health care, which swells the DOH budget to P306.1 billion.

But some of these amounts, according to Recto, “should be treated as the floor

Solon backs wider franchise area for Davao power firm

and not the ceiling, and should be augmented as they are lower than what has been appropriated for this year.”

For example, the DOH budget will dip from P209.1 billion this year to P199.1 billion next year, as proposed by Malacanang, Recto pointed out.

“The MAIF will get a P10 billion reduction, from this year’s P32.6 billion to the proposed P22.2 billion for 2024, unless both houses of Congress restore it to this year’s level,” he said.

Meanwhile, four Quezon City-based major hospitals—Lung, Kidney, Heart and Children’s Centers—which President Marcos wants to replicate in the regions, will face a combined cut of a most P818 million.

REMEMBERING

NINOY. Ahead of the 40th death anniversary of former Senator Ninoy Aquino Jr., supporters gather at his monument on Ayala Avenue, Makati City on Sunday to pay their respects to the man whose assassination upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from self-exile in the United States brought about the ultimate end to Martial Law in the Philippines.

Danny Pata

By Rio N. Araja PUWERSA ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) party-list Rep. Margarita

Nograles on Sunday raised the urgency for the swift approval of proposals to expand the franchise area of Davao Light and Power Co. (DLPC) to include eight areas in Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro ultimately resolve these areas’ electricity woes.

Nograles said she was confident that the expansion of DLPC’s franchise area would receive the endorsement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. even in light of a prior veto on a similar measure as this would allegedly overlap and infringe on the existing franchise of the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative. She stressed that the new measure has clearly laid down the overarching need to uphold the common good and protect the best interest of the people by ensuring improved energy access for more communities and fostering economic growth.

According to her, the urgency to approve DLPC’s bid to cover at least eight areas in the northernDavao region as she pointed out thatNORDECO has been non-compliantwith the terms of their franchise asmandated by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act resulting in highelectricity cost and constant power interruption that is making life very difficult to many of their clients.

The eight areas included Tagum City, the Island Garden City of Samal, and the municipalities of Asuncion Kapalong, New Corella, San Isidro, and Talaingod in Davao delNorte, as well as the town of Macoin Davao de Oro.

Nograles said the proposed expansion of the DLPC franchise area should not be regarded as an impairment of NORDECO’s franchise which mandates the allowance of existing franchises to run their full term.

Robin

emphasizes ROTC relevance in national defense

MORE than “keyboard warriors,” a prepared citizenry with skills and discipline sharpened through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is needed to defend our country especially against foreign invaders, according to Sen. Robinhood Padilla.

Padilla feared that the Philippines could be affected by the tensions in Asia and other parts of the world, and will need its citizenry, especially the youth, to be prepared and organized for national defense.

“I hope for the day that youths will not think it is enough to defend the country by just being keyboard warriors,” he said.

“I hope they will be like you, with your discipline and love for your country and family,” he added.

He insisted there was nothing wrong with being prepared.

He said the sloppiest people are those who are unprepared.

Padilla also stressed that there are now many developments worldwide that could affect the Philippines, including the war in Ukraine and the tension in Taiwan.

He noted that while Asian neighbors such as South Korea and Singapore were prepared due to their mandatory military service requirement for citizens, there is none in the Philippines. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Tulfo questions BSP on takeover of national ID cards production

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Raffy Tulfo has slammed the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) over its take over from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) the printing of the national identification cards with a huge P28 billion contract.

In an earlier hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance, Tulfo asked why the BSP, which is tasked to print money,

IN BRIEF

Acorda revives campaign vs. e-sabong

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. on Sunday said that he issued a directive to all police commanders to take necessary action and responsibility on the cases of e-sabong operations in the country.

The order was in line with the instruction of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr..

“In line with the SILG, Atty. Benjamin Abalos Jr.’s instruction to rid of e-sabong in the country, the PNP commits to an honest and aggressive law enforcement operation towards its optimal success,” Acorda said in a statement.

“I am also sending a warning to all the commanders to take immediate action and full responsibility,” he added.

The PNP chief also said that police officers and commanders found guilty with neglect or involvement in e-sabong would be dealt with accordingly. Vince Lopez

Mall voting: An idea whose time has come

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Sunday disclosed it would allow mall voting in next year’s elections.

This as the poll body said mall voting will be held in 10 sites during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) this October.

Eight of the malls are in Metro Manila and one each in Cebu and Legazpi City, said Comelec chairman George Garcia.. “Ito po ay libreng ipinagkakaloob sa atin ng mall owners o operators… lahat po ng mga pasilidad, kahit mga gamit at mga tao nila, ay

interfered with the printing of IDs.

Worse, Tulfo noted that after the PSA got the project from BSP, the contract was passed on to AllCard, Inc.

This was despite the fact that the AllCard had previous problems with various government agencies, including delays in contract implementation. Since the National ID law was passed in 2018, only 36 million physical national ID cards have been printed, re resenting

roughly one-third of the government target of 92 million.

“Now, AllCard was delayed anew in the implementation of its contract with the BSP. But delay was not the only problem of All Card as it also committed a huge blunder,” Tulfo said.

According to the senator, the BSP failed to correctly design the QR code for the national ID cards since the design was too small and not enough to

store important information.

As a result of this, the BSP may need to destroy millions of cards that have been initially printed to be replaced by a new design.

Tulfo also questioned why the BSP tapped an Australian company to print the P1,000bills. He said this only means that Philippine money is made and imported from Australia. According to Tulfo, he will file a resolution to investigate these issues against the BSP and the AllCard.

Cataroja reenacts his great escape from the NBP maximum security

BUREAU of Corrections (BuCor) officials were given personal insights into the daring escape of a maximum security prisoner whose disappearance was initially misinterpreted as another mysterious killing at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.

Inmate Michael Angelo Cataroja, who is serving time for violation of the anti-fencing law, reenacted how he slipped through the NBP’s tight security by squeezing himself underneath a garbage truck that was leaving the prison compound last July 7.

The BuCor has released a video of the reenactment. Cataroja, 25, was recaptured at his parents’ home in Brgy. San Isidro, Angono, Rizal last Aug. 17. He was initially reported missing on July 15 and was believed killed, his body believed dumped into a septic tank at the NBP. He underwent inquest proceedings on Aug. 18 and was remanded back to NBP

on the same day.

BuCor chief Gregorio Catapang Jr. has created a board of inquiry to look into Cataroja’s incredible escape.

Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier noted that Cataroja, who also has pending charges for car theft, was an expert in motor vehicles and this knowledge helped him leave the NBP maximum security compound without being detected.

Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights will also look into the Cataroja issue in a public hearing on Tuesday.

The panel chaired by Senator Francis Tolentino held an inquiry last week following the alleged discovery of a mass grave beside a septic tank inside the national penitentiary. The investigation also unraveled a supposed scheme on how drug syndicates smuggle and repack prohibited drugs inside the NBP.

because the whole polling place was air-conditioned and secured, while the process was seamless and speedy. Helen Graido, policy consultant of election watchdog Lente, urged the Comelec to move polling areas to the malls’ ground floor, which she said was more accessible for seniors, persons with disability, and the pregnant. She also suggested a wider information drive for voters who will be part of the mall voting’s pilot run.

SBMA regains lot from delinquent rm

SUBIC Bay Freeport—The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has repossessed a 1,500-square meter land from a delinquent company in keeping with the agency’s thrust to regain idle areas and lease it to other investors.

“We are repossessing leased areas of companies that do not comply with the agreement between them and the SBMA, and offer these areas to other investors,” said SBMA chairman Jonathan Tan said.

The SBMA took back the lot located at the Boton Area, Argonaut Highway from the Silver Arrow Import and Export Services which allegedly failed to meet some contractual obligations.

AccordingtoTan,SilverArrowfailedtocomplywithitsInvestmentand Development Commitment as provided in Section 7, Article II of the Lease Agreement between the company and the SBMA. Part of the said default is the failure of the company to develop the area with a funding allocation of at least US$1,000,000. Butch Gunio

ipinapagamit po sa atin nang libre,” Garcia said in a radio interview.

The Comelec on Saturday conducted simulated mall voting in four areas. Garcia quoted some of the participants as saying the experience was great

GIANT COCONUTS. A girl and her younger brother have their pictures taken with giant coconut facsimiles for a backdrop at the Quezon provincial capitol compound in Lucena City which is celebrating “Niyogyugan Festival” after a three-year hiatus in light of the COVID pandemic. Joey O. Razon

THE GREAT ESCAPE. Prisoner Michael Cataroja reenacts before the Bureau of Corrections board of inquiry how he brie y regained freedom by eeing the maximum security facility of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City by hiding underneath a truck that was leaving the compound last July 7.

Mass evacuations as Tenerife wildfire rages on

LA OROTAVA, Spain—Firefighters battling a vast wildfire on Tenerife are facing another very difficult night after severe weather conditions worsened the blaze, forcing thousands to flee their homes on the Spanish holiday island, regional officials said.

The huge blaze broke out late Tuesday in a mountainous northeastern area of the island, quickly morphing into the Canary Islands’ biggest-ever fire.

“It is a devastating fire... a fire on a completely different scale, a scale that the Canary Islands has never experienced before,” said Rosa Davila, head of the government of Tenerife.

So far the blaze, which now has a perimeter of 70 kilometers, has burned through 8,400 hectares, the equivalent of just over 4.0 percent of Tenerife’s overall surface area of 203,400 hectares.

In an update late on Saturday, Canary Islands regional president Fernando Clavijo said the voracious wildfire had so far displaced “a total of 12,279 people”, citing figures provided by the Guardia Civil police.

Earlier, regional officials had given a figure twice as high, with the emergency services saying “provisional estimates suggest that more than 26,000 people may have been evacuated”, which government officials later clarified was a number “based on census figures” from the areas subjected to evacuation orders.

And they did not rule out further evacuations, warning of a difficult night ahead.

“Last night was very complicated and tonight is likely to be just as bad, if not worse,” said Clavijo of an overnight battle with “severe weather” characterized by strong winds and higher-than-expected temperatures that saw the flames spreading to the north, forcing a fresh wave of evacuations.

“Tonight’s work is going to be very difficult but it will be vital for containing the fire,” he said.

As the fire spread down the mountainside towards the northern town of La Matanza de Acentejo, Candelaria Bencomo Betancor, a farmer in her 70s, looked on in anguish.

“The fire is close to our farm, we’ve got trucks, vans, chickens, everything... it’s a business that is going well but if the fire comes, it will totally ruin us,” she told AFPTV, on the verge of tears.

“They have to do something because the fire is right there.”

So far the blaze has affected 11 municipalities on Tenerife, the largest of the seven Canary Islands. AFP

The Forest Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will be having an Online Public Consultation on the proposed amendment of certain provisions of DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2004-16 “Prescribing the Revised Schedule of Forestry Administrative Fees on the following dates and time:

Dates: August 29-31, 2023

Time: 0 I :00 PM - 05:00 PM

Everyone is invited to join and participate in the said public consultation.

Interested participants can register to: https://bit.ly/ConsultationAdminFees

Details of the proposed policy can be accessed through this link: https://bit.ly/AdminFeesPosting

For more details, you may visit the Official FMB Website: https://forestry.denr.gov.ph

KELOWNA, Canada—Officials in western Canada’s British Columbia implored tens of thousands of residents to heed warnings and evacuate Saturday as “severe and fast changing” wildfires threatened large parts of the scenic Okanagan Valley, including the city of Kelowna.

The situation in the popular boating and hiking destination was “highly dynamic,” said Bowinn Ma, the province’s minister of emergency management.

Around 30,000 people were under evacuation orders while another 36,000 were under alert to be ready to flee, she said.

“We cannot stress strongly enough how critical it is to follow evacuation orders when they are issued,” Ma said at an afternoon news conference.

“They are a matter of life and death not

only for the people in those properties, but also for the first responders who will often go back to try to implore people to leave.”

Kelowna, a city of 150,000, was choked with thick smoke as it became the latest population center hit in a summer of dramatic wildfires across Canada that has left millions of acres scorched. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had spoken with British Columbia Premier David Eby about the “rapidly evolving and incredibly devastating wildfire situation” and pledged federal resources in responding to the disaster.

Blazes far away in the neighboring Northwest Territories have meanwhile prompted the evacuation of regional capital Yellowknife, leaving the remote city of some 20,000

IN BRIEF

UN slams Russian strike on Ukraine city

CHERNIHIV, Ukraine—A Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s northern city of Chernihiv killed seven people and wounded 144 on Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, in what the UN denounced as a “heinous” attack. The strike came during the Orthodox holiday of the Transfiguration of the Lord, as some attended morning church services in the city.

“It is heinous to attack the main square of a large city, in the morning, while people are out walking, some going to church to celebrate a religious day for many Ukrainians,” said Denise Brown, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine.

“I condemn this repeated pattern of Russian strikes on populated areas of Ukraine... Attacks directed against civilians or civilian objects are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law,” she added.

Audrey Azoulay, director general of the UN’s cultural organization UNESCO, said she was “appalled” by the attack, in a post on social media.

Ukraine’s culture ministry said the center of Chernihiv, a city with a thousand-year history, is a candidate for nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List. AFP

Niger military ruler warns vs attack

NIAMEY, Niger—Niger’s new military ruler has warned any attack on the country would not be a “walk in the park,” as a delegation from West African countries made a final push to find a diplomatic solution following last month’s coup.

General Abdourahamane Tiani—who took power after army officers toppled Niger’s president Mohamed Bazoum on July 26—said in a televised address that a transition of power would not go beyond three years.

largely a ghost town. Winds have been fanning the wildfires towards Yellowknife, but Saturday saw some relief after overnight rain brought a sharp dip in temperatures.

Since the evacuation was ordered Wednesday, most people have fled by road with several thousand taking emergency flights, Northwest Territories environment minister Shane Thompson said Saturday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Approximately 1,000 essential staff remaining in the city and surrounding area,” he added.

Those crews were remaining to erect defenses from the flames, while water bombers have been seen flying low over the city, with the Canadian military also helping out. AFP

Dangerous Hilary hits California

CABO San Lucas, Mexico—Hilary brought heavy rains Saturday to portions of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and the southwestern United States, as officials warned the powerful hurricane was likely to cause “catastrophic and life-threatening” flooding.

The storm had weakened Saturday from a powerful Category 4 to Category 2 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale—but it was still deemed capable of “extensive damage,” and hurricane conditions were expected to continue along the Baja California coast through Sunday morning, the US National Hurricane Center said. By Saturday afternoon, Hilary was packing maximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour (175 kilometers per hour), with higher gusts, the NHC said. “Heavy rains” were affecting portions of Baja California and the southwestern United States, with “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding likely.”

“The center of Hilary will move close to the west-central coast of the Baja California Peninsula tonight and Sunday morning then move across southern California Sunday afternoon and Sunday night,” the hurricane center said.

The storm is expected to weaken to a tropical storm before reaching southern California and southern Nevada, with heavy rainfalls and flooding still possible.

Residents and workers in the Mexican tourist resort of Cabo San Lucas have put up protective boarding and laid thousands of sandbags as large waves began crashing ashore. Military personnel were seen patrolling the beach in the city, a popular destination for both Mexican and foreign tourists.

“We took all the precautionary measures last night,” Omar Olvera told AFP on Saturday at the Cabo San Lucas beachfront restaurant where he works.

the right to reject any bids, waive any formality therein, accepts proposal most advantageous to the Cooperative and assumes no obligation to

But he added: “If an attack were to be undertaken against us, it will not be the walk in the park some people seem to think.”

He spoke after a delegation from West African bloc Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) visited Niger for a final diplomatic push before deciding whether to take military action against Niger’s new military rulers. They met ousted president Mohamed Bazoum on Saturday, and a source close to ECOWAS told AFP he was “in good spirits”.

Bazoum remains under detention and has been held with his family at the president’s official residence since the coup, with growing international concern over his conditions.AFP

With sandbags piled protectively around the restaurant, he said, “We’re just looking out for the workers and waiting for the weather to come.” Streets in the town of Todos Santos, on the west coast of the peninsula, were largely deserted Saturday while the beach in nearby Cerritos was closed due to rough waves. AFP

...while 30,000 ready to flee Western Canada wildfires

INCREDIBLE EXODUS. A helicopter drops water as the McDougall Creek wildfire continues to burn in West Kelowna, British Columbia, on Sunday. Around 30,000 people were under orders to evacuate their homes in Kelowna in western Canada’s British Columbia, while 36,000 more are on standby alert. AFP

HIGH-POWERED HURRICANE. General view of the Medano beach in Los Cabos, Baja California State, Mexico, during the passage of Hurricane Hilary, on Sunday. Hilary brought heavy rains to portions of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and the southwestern United States. AFP

By Julito G. Rada

debt-to-GDP ratio stood at 61 percent, lower than the full-year target of 61.4 percent.

additional taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages and salty products such as junk foods.

FINANCE

Secretary Benjamin Diokno said over the weekend the implementation of prudential measures would help bring down the government’s debt-toGDP ratio below 60 percent.

The debt-to-GDP ratio calculates the country’s public debt as a percentage of its gross domestic product. It allows finance managers to determine the capacity of a country to settle its debt, including principal amortization and interest payments.

Diokno said in a statement reduc-

Analysts see tough trading this week

ANALYSTS expect a challenging trading week on hawkish signals from US Federal Reserve and concerns about China’s economic slowdown.

“Investors face a potentially challenging trading week after the index broke below its five-month consolidation range and printed its lowest close since November 2022,” China Bank Capital managing director Juan Paolo Colet said.

Colet said investor sentiment turned negative in view of rising US bond yields and growing worries about China’s economic slowdown and risks from property and shadow banking sectors.

He said investors would remain cautious this week ahead of the Fed’s annual economic policy symposium at Jackson Hole, Wyoming later this week.

“All eyes and ears will be on the speech of Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, which investors hope could offer clues on the direction of US monetary policy, particularly whether the narrative is ‘how high will rates go’ or ‘how long will rates remain high’,” Colet said. The local index could see support in the 6,150 to 6,200 area with resistance in the vicinity of 6,370 to 6,400 this week.

Jenniffer B. Austria

DTI says private sector key to economic growth

DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry

secretary Alfredo Pascual underscore the importance of the private sector in ensuring continued growth and stability amid the challenges brought about by the pandemic and geopolitical tensions.

Pascual, speaking during the ASEANBusiness Advisory Council meeting on Aug. 19, 2023 in Semarang, Indonesia, called for a comprehensive and collaborative approach on climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, promotion of renewable energy sources, responsible urban planning and enhanced regional cooperation in disaster risk reduction.

He said partnership with the private sector is critical in developing and implementing sustainable business models, including those relating to technological innovation in production and product development in agriculture.

Pascual also encouraged the private sector to continue advocating for sustainability as a core business principle. He said continued public and private partnership would generate high-quality and better-paying jobs for all.

The Philippine delegation welcomed the key initiatives of the private sector under Indonesia’s ASEAN 2023 chairmanship.

Othel V. Campos

Davao Light sets P2.4-b capex for ‘24 expansion

DAVAO CITY—Davao Light and Power Co. Inc. is looking at capital expenditure of P2.4 billion in 2024 as it undertakes capacity expansion to serve the needs of customers.

Davao Light president and chief operating officer Rodger Velasco said about P200 to P250 million of the capex would be spent for underground cabling.

The underground cabling project aims to upscale the image of Davao as an internationally competitive city and enhance the safety and reliability of power and telecommunication services not only in the Kadayawan route, but also in the central business district.

“The rest for expansion and new substation, more on capacity expansion,” Velasco said.

Davao Light’s capex was about P1.5 billion to P1.6 billion annually prior to the pandemic.

“Last year, capex was close to P2 billion. We ramped up starting last year. We’re going full blast. The challenge is capacity so we are upgrading capacity,” he said.

Davao Light is a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corp., the holding company for the Aboitiz Group’s investments in power generation, distribution and retail electricity services. Alena Mae S. Flores

ing the debt-to-GDP ratio to less than 60 percent is possible through fiscal consolidation, prioritization of quality spending, prudential borrowing and effective management of the Maharlika Investment Fund.

He said the latest numbers showed that as of the first semester of 2023, the

“The economic team will ensure that the debt-to-GDP ratio will be below 60 percent by 2025, if not earlier, through the following measures: adherence to the fiscal consolidation program of reducing the deficit gradually from 6.1 percent this year to 5.1 percent next year and 4.1 percent in 2025 to slow down the accumulation of debt,” he said.

He said the government could further narrow the deficit by passing new revenue measures such as those proposed by the Finance Department, including the

Debt-to-GDP ratio expected to fall below 60% before 2025 IN BRIEF

Diokno said the continuous support to rapid economic development through the budget would also help by prioritizing quality spending such as investments in human capital development and modernization of public infrastructure.

“The contribution of these investments is not limited to the government’s direct participation in the economy, but also because improving our human and physical capital are likely to improve our chances of attracting foreign capital,” he said.

Meralco unit spending P18b in more solar, wind projects

By Alena Mae S. Flores

MERALCO PowerGen Corp., the power generation arm of Manila Electric Co., announced over the weekend an investment of about P18 billion to accelerate its renewable energy buildout in line with the group’s long-term sustainability strategy. The investment will cover more than 2,000 megawatts of gross RE capacity from solar and wind that the company, along with its partners, aims to build through 2030.

MGen, through renewable energy unit MGen Renewable Energy Inc., targets to bring its attributable RE capacity to 1,500 MW with investments in more and larger green energy projects, including battery energy storage systems.

JAPAN’S DONATION. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries turns over 10,000 bags of milled rice for the families affected by the eruption of Mayon Volcano under the Tier 3 Program of ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve. Attending the turnover ceremony are (from left) APTERR Secretariat general manager Choomjet Karnjanakesorn, Department of Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, National Food Administration special assistant to the administrator Roger Navarro and Department of Social Welfare and Development director Michael Christopher

More cars, higher toll lifted NLEX Corp.’s income in first half

By Darwin G. Amojelar

the weekend net income grew 28 percent in the first half from a year ago, driven by vehicle traffic recovery and increased toll.

The operator of North Luzon Expressway and Subic-Clark Tarlac Expressway said it earned P4.5 billion from January to June, higher than P3.5 billion it posted in the same period last year. Six-month revenues climbed 23 percent to P10.4 billion from a year earlier on strong traffic demand and implementation of toll adjustments.

NLEX implemented toll adjustments on NLEX and SCTEX in May 2022 and June 2022, respectively.

All vehicle classes posted doubledigit growth in revenues, with Class 1 revenues growing by 19 percent, Class 2 by 31 percent and Class 3 by 21 percent. This was partly due to the base effect of mobility restrictions still enforced in the first quarter of 2022, the company said.

The company said that as of June 2023, average daily traffic on NLEX reached 322,540 daily vehicle entries, higher than the 2022 figures by 16 percent, while average daily traffic in SCTEX went up 14 percent to 80,938 daily vehicle entries.

Cost of services amounted to P3.7 billion, up 17 percent from P3.2 billion in the same period last year.

NLEX paid P999 million in conces-

sion fees to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, representing 50 percent of toll revenues on SCTEX.

The company said that as of the second quarter of 2023, concession fees increased 37 percent from the same period in 2022, driven by higher toll revenues on SCTEX.

Philippine National Construction Corp.’s fee amounted to P519 million, which consisted of the government’s share in NLEX revenues.

NLEX spans about 105 kilometers or 598 lane-kms. and is the main infrastructure backbone that connects Metro Manila to Central and Northern Luzon. SCTEX is a 93.77-km four-lane divided highway, traversing the provinces of Bataan, Pampanga and Tarlac.

MGreen’s RE portfolio includes the 55-MW BulacanSol solar plant in San Miguel, Bulacan in partnership with Powersource Energy Holdings Corp.; the 68-MW solar farm in Currimao, Ilocos Norte with Vena Energy’s Pasuquin Energy Holdings Inc.; and PH Renewables Inc.’s 75-MW solar farm in Baras, Rizal with Mitsui & Co.’s Mit-Renewables Power Corp.

PHRI recently completed commissioning tests for phase one of its project involving 67.5 MW scheduled for commercial operations this month. Phase 2 of the project is targeted to be operational by mid-2024.

“We will continue to work with the energy industry, government, and other pertinent stakeholders to help further accelerate the country’s energy transition as we aggressively pursue more renewable energy projects. This is in line with Meralco’s long-term sustainability strategy to embark on a just, affordable and orderly transition to clean energy,” MGen president and chief executive Jaime Azurin said.

He said more RE projects are under development and assessment in line with One Meralco’s target to reduce direct emissions by 20 percent through 2030 as it drives to be coal-free before 2050.

PH1 World eyes 9 new residential projects as prices continue to soar

PH1 World Developers Inc., the real estate arm of Megawide Construction Corp., disclosed plans to build nine new projects in Luzon, including two high-rise condominium towers in Metro Manila. Megawide chairman and chief executive Edgar Saavedra expressed optimism on the strong demand for the projects, which incorporate new technologies and design that give up to 38-percent more usable space in the form of lofts at no extra cost.

Saavedra said PH1 World’s projects are designed to have large and comfortable space, unlike the “shoebox” units of other developers. It is possible through the unique add-loft technology that delivers additional living spaces in each unit, he said.

He said the company’s residential towers are also equipped with up to eight elevators per building, which reduce queues among homeowners during busy hours.

THE country’s balance of payments position posted a lower deficit of $53 million in July 2023, an improvement from the $1.8-billion shortfall a year ago, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said over the weekend.

“The BOP deficit in July 2023 reflected net outflows arising mainly from the national government’s payments of its foreign currency debt obligations,” the BSP said in a statement.

This resulted in a cumulative BOP surplus of $2.2 billion in the first seven months of 2023, a reversal from the $4.9-billion deficit recorded in the same period last year.

“This development reflected mainly the

improvement in the balance of trade and the sustained inflows from personal remittances, net foreign borrowings by the national government, trade in services and foreign direct investments,” the BSP said. The BOP surplus allowed the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to raise its gross international reserves. Data from the BSP showed that the GIR increased to $100 billion as of end-July from $99.4 billion as of end-June. The latest GIR level represented a more than adequate external liquidity buffer equivalent to 7.4 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary in-

come, the BSP said.

It was also about 5.9 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4.1 times based on residual maturity.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said BOP data in the coming months could still improve “with the continued growth in the country’s structural inflows as the economy reopened further towards greater normalcy.”

These include the OFW remittances, busi

ness process outsourcing revenues, exports, foreign tourism receipts and POGO revenues. Julito G. Rada

PH1 World, established in 2014 as MySpace, is the company behind The Hive Residences in Taytay, Rizal with 978 residential units; My Enso Lofts along Timog Ave. in Quezon City with 1,204 residential units and 21 retail units; One Lancaster Park, a 15-tower mid-rise project in Imus, Cavite in joint venture with Profriends Inc. which when completed would have 10,166 residential units; the 16-hectare Modan Lofts Ortigas Hills in Taytay, Rizal with add-loft technology; and Northscapes San Jose del Monte, its first horizontal project with 343 residential units.

PH1 World invested about P600 million in the San Jose del Monte project in Bulacan province.

The company recently secured a P3-billion loan from BDO Unibank Inc. to finance its projects. PH1 World president Gigi Alcantara said they are in negotiations for the development of two new vertical projects, including one in Quezon City and another in Pasig City. Both sites are located near Light Rail Transit Line 2, she said.

Balance of payments posted $2.2-b surplus in 7 months; GIR rose to $100b

NLEX Corp. said over

Mathay.

AXA VOLUNTEER. AXA Philippines chief executive Bernardo Serrano Lopez demonstrates his commitment to empowering women by participating in the Support a Start-up activity at AXA Week for Good. More than 400 liters of dishwashing soap were created for women beneficiaries to use as capital in starting their own small businesses. The week-long engagement is a global, AXA-wide initiative where all employees come together by offering their time and skills to champion various social impact initiatives.

A studio unit at My Enso Lofts

MGen president and chief executive Jaime Azurin

Gov’t, DENR finally addressing PH water infrastructure backlog

THE government is finally tackling the water infrastructure gap in the Philippines.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources wants to refocus government’s water security strategy to maximize the utilization of the country’s resources through infrastructure projects with multi-purpose objectives.

Blessed with rich water resources, the Philippines is poor in infrastructure that can exploit and conserve its most precious asset. The advent of the El Niño weather phenomenon, or extended drought, earlier sent jitters to national and local government officials. The dry spell earlier led to water rationing in the capital region and dry irrigation canals in the provinces―a bane for Filipino farmers.

The DENR in a recent statement said the government was considering to tap water sources and recycle wastewater. It stressed the need for stable and steady water supply increases on the back of growing demand and the threat from the El Niño weather condition.

El Niño would have been a minor inconvenience for many Filipinos if policymakers and local government leaders treated the water supply quagmire with more resolve. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier called on the world to safeguard water resources to avert conflict and ensure future global prosperity.

Water, according to the UN chief, is “the most precious common good” and “needs to be at the center of the global political agenda.”

Between two and three billion people worldwide experience water shortages, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and UN-Water in the latest edition of the UN World Water Development Report.

Environment Secretary Antonia Loyzaga said the DENR would work closely with other concerned government agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the National Economic and Development Authority, the Local Water Utilities Administration and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System

on the possibility of building public water supply facilities for multiple usage, including irrigation, power generation, industrial and commercial use as well as domestic consumption.

“We are looking at our respective budgets and our programs to see how we can design multipurpose infrastructure to actually serve the different needs of agriculture, power, water for domestic use, and for industry,” Loyzaga said.

She said the DENR and DPWH were jointly studying the construction of more water collection and impounding systems as well as flood control structures as mitigation approaches to cli-

An inside look at the beauty and benefits of mangroves

Conclusion

ALONG with other measures, investments in mangroves are expected to generate benefits around four times greater than the costs. Mangroves have also been found to be an effective defense against tsunamis, reducing wave heights between five and 35 percent.

Haven for threatened animals

Of the over 1,500 species that depend on mangroves for their survival, 15 percent are threatened with extinction. This number is increasing when looking at mammals: Nearly half of mammals living or feeding in mangrove forests could go extinct in coming years, with trends worsening for most of them.

Protecting and restoring mangrove forests thus means bringing back critical habitat for vulnerable animal species like tigers and jaguars. The good news is that restoration works! Initiatives in Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates have been recognized as UN World Restoration Flagship for bringing back nature in coastal ecosystems. Food security

As biodiversity havens, mangroves support a huge variety of plants and animals, many of them important for food production. They act as nurseries for young fish and home to honey bees.

mate change and its impacts.

The Philippines’ growing urban population, meanwhile, will remain mired in a Third World setting if the water infrastructure remains in the post World War II era.

For decades, Metro Manila and its adjacent provinces have solely relied on the water provided by the 50-year-old Angat Dam.

Loyzaga said water conservation and efficiency, along with multipurpose water infrastructure such as dams, reservoirs, sewage treatment plants, and irrigation canals would address water security challenges in the country. RSE

Restoration of wetlands helps farmers in Indonesia

FARMERS in the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo are adapting their agricultural techniques with a more climate-friendly approach by ending the burning of land.

Progress is already being made: a school building was saved from burning down; farmers are earning 50 percent higher incomes; and a healthier peatland is reducing greenhouse gas emissions, thanks to an initiative by Indonesia’s Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM), with support from the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

Since its launch in 2019, the program, which includes training for villagers and critical infrastructure upgrades, has dramatically reduced fire risk and equipped the residents of 121 villages in coastal West Kalimantan with new skills and resources to benefit their communities.

“We learned how to work the land without burning the bush and crop residues and in the meantime found ways to grow crops we can sell for more,” said Suprapto, a farmer in the village of Limbung, just south of Pontianak, the provincial capital.

“The training we received made everything so simple,” said Sumi, who heads a women farmers’ group in Jongkat. “Thanks to the market research by BRGM and its partners, we also learned which are the crops we should be growing for cash.”

Limbung and Jongkat are on peatland, wetlands whose soil consists almost entirely of organic matter derived from the remains of dead and decaying plant material. Under certain geological conditions, peat eventually turns into coal.

Like coal seams, peatland stores enormous quantities of carbon dioxide until it catches alight. Fires do not only devastate villages and farmers’ livelihoods, but they also release a substantial amount of carbon dioxide.

Burning bush to clear land and plant residues after harvest led to 245 fires in the district around Limbung in 2021, a staggering number given that a 2009 government decree forbade farmers from burning on peatland. “But without knowing any other methods to farm, we had no other options,” Suprapto explained.

motorbikes, and finance their children’s education.

In Jongkat, local farmers identify which crops are best suited to their land and to non-burn farming, with support from BRGM and a non-governmental organization (NGO) engaged by UNOPS as part of a project funded by the Government of Norway.

Around 20 families received training, on non-burn agriculture and on the use of natural fertilizer, and are now showing the methods to their friends and families in other communities. “There is a joke that it is good to marry someone from Jongkat because you then learn more profitable ways of farming,” Sumi said with a grin.

Blocking canals, retaining water

Training villagers in non-burn farming methods is crucial to making West Kalimantan’s coastal villages more sustainable. Equally important is upgrading irrigation infrastructure to keep rainwater in peatlands.

For 1.5 billion people, fish is the most critical source of protein and in low-income food-deficit countries, nearly 20 percent of the average animal protein intake comes from fish. The disappearance of mangroves would have dramatic consequences for fisheries in developing countries.

Conversely, restoring mangroves could add 60 trillion young, edible and commercially valuable fish and invertebrates to coastal waters every year, providing a significant boost to food security as our human population continues to grow.

Natural recovery

Bringing lost ecosystems back to life is a daunting task. However, one of the most effective ways to protect and restore damaged mangroves is through enhanced recognition and implementation of Indigenous Peoples’ collective rights and actions across the broader spectrum of environmental governance and rule of law as envisaged in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

This is particularly important given that “globally, indigenous peoples are custodians of 80 percent of the planet’s biodiversity with 5,000 unique traditional cultures and ancestral lands covering 32 percent of all global land and inland waters across 90 countries.”

When communities along the coast of Java, Indonesia, started replanting mangroves to conquer rising sea levels, the results were sobering: only 15-20 percent of planted saplings survived. The rest was simply washed away with the tides.

Restored peatland

Increasing farmers’ options has had a profound impact, helping to reduce the number of fires that broke out last year to just 21.

But, that’s still 21 too many, says Jany Tri Raherjo, who leads BRGM’s operations in Kalimantan and Papua: “We need to reach zero fires and fully restore peatland.”

Thanks to BRGM’s interventions, much of the peatland around Limbung is moist again, enabling farmers to grow vegetables such as cucumber, tomatoes, chili, and eggplants.

“Horticulture really pays off,” Suprapto said. “The income of the villagers that are part of the program is up by half.”

The additional income, Suprapto said, has in just one year helped families to renovate their houses, buy new

UNOPS provided design and financing for the construction of a few pilot canal blockers–concrete structures that retain water in the canals that crisscross the area, making it available year-round for firefighting and irrigation. Better irrigation prevents the land from cracking, drying out, and decaying, thereby reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Peatland restoration also involves re-vegetation of the area, which in turn keeps the soil moist and decreases the chances of fires and decomposition.

With government financing and a design based on the UNOPS model, BRGM and its partners have built 179 canal blockers in 27 villages in the area.

“Knowhow from the UN was a great launchpad,” Raharjo said. “We have adapted it to local conditions and improved the designs year after year. We are now rolling out canal blockers that cost about half as much to build as the original.”

UNEP News

With the help of researchers and partners–such as Wetlands International–the villagers tried out a new solution: trapping the mud with seawalls made of natural materials, giving young mangroves space to recover naturally. The results were astounding. Mangrove survival rates shot up from 20 to over 70 percent. The Building with Nature Initiative has since been recognized as UN World Restoration Flagship for its success.

Natural regeneration is now recognized and tried out in other parts of the world, together with other restoration approaches suited to local conditions. Understanding and addressing the drivers of mangrove loss is the first step towards ecosystem restoration.

UNEP News

Once in danger, Mexico’s ‘green jewel’ has become a model of conservation

MARTHA Isabel “Pati” Ruiz Corzo moved to the Sierra Gorda–a dramatic expanse of wilderness in the heart of Mexico–four decades ago in search of a quiet, idyllic place to raise her family.

But what the former music teacher from Querétaro City found instead was a land scarred by logging, road building and other types of oftenunregulated development, which were whittling away at Sierra Gorda’s unique mix of jungles and cloud forests.

That led Ruiz Corzo to launch a grassroots movement that has spent 40 years protecting one of Mexico’s most ecologically diverse areas. At the effort’s core is the idea that local communities should play a leading role in conservation and that preserving Sierra Gorda’s natural spaces could be more profitable than razing them.

“We have lost that natural world that we once had contact with. So, all that remains is sacred to me,” said Ruiz Corzo, who in 2013 was named a United Nations Champion of the Earth, the UN’s

highest environmental honor. “I believe our society should connect with the nature that sustains us as a loving mother.”

Today, Sierra Gorda is home to a web of thriving ecosystems that host an array of wildlife, including more than 1,100 species of birds and butterflies, and endangered animals, such as the jaguar. The region is widely viewed as a rare conservation success story, one that is receiving more attention as countries try to stem the erosion of the natural world. Globally, unchecked human expansion into once-wild places is one of the reasons more than one million species are being pushed towards extinction.

“The success of Sierra Gorda is proof that it is possible to reverse nature’s decline and to create more sustainable communities,” said Juan Bello, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Regional Director. “In the 10 years since Pati Ruiz Corzo received the Champions of the Earth award, Sierra Gorda has continued

to serve as a shining example of how conservation can go hand in hand with economic development.” A leading model of community action Covering more than 380,000 hectares, almost a third of the state of Querétaro, Sierra Gorda is filled with mountains, rivers, jungles, semiarid deserts and mist-shrouded cloud forests.

UNESCO has described the area as Mexico’s “green jewel.” Ruiz Corzo moved to Sierra Gorda in the 1980s and soon came to find that what was once a pristine wilderness was becoming laced with roads, garbage dumps and logging operations. That led her to found the Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda with her husband and local residents.

“It was impossible not to act,” Ruiz Corzo said.

Thanks to Grupo Ecológico’s efforts, Sierra Gorda was declared a protected area by the federal government in 1997, and UNESCO named it a Biosphere Reserve in 2001. UNEP News

People are transported by boat on a river in Indonesia. https://news.un.org/

Saavedra shines as Tams whip Green Spikers

FAR EASTERN University survived the first match that went the distance in the week-long V-League Men’s Collegiate Challenge marked by straight-set romps, repelling De La Salle U, 25-22, 2025, 25-23, 16-25, 17-15, on Sunday at the Paco Arena.

The Tams overcame huge deficits to upend the Green Spikers, including a 9-13 hole in the decider as Dryx Saavedra stepped up to anchor the team’s stirring 8-2 closing run capped by back-to-back kills that ended that tense-filled two-hour, 24-minute match.

Games

Saavedra wound up with 25 points, all from spikes, as the Tams rebounded from a shutout loss to the fancied National U Bulldogs in the opener last Wednesday for a 1-1 slate.

“Yung nangyari sa game is make-or-break din kasi balikatan ‘yung laban. Sa mga ganyan din, test of character din ng players kung paano mag-handle ng pressure,” said newly-installed head coach Ed Orcullo.

Andrei Delicana added 16 points on 12 spikes, three blocks and an ace, while Jomel Codilla finished with nine markers for FEU.

Noel Kampton paced De La Salle with 20 points on 18 kills and two aces while Vince Maglinao produced 17 points, 15 of which came from attacks.

Turnovers a concern for Reyes

GILAS Pilipinas may have shown flashes of its full potential when it won over many-time African champion Ivory Coast in a recent tuneup game, but coach Chot Reyes sees a lot of room for improvement, like limiting their errors to the minimum.

“We had 18 turnovers. And that’s something we have to address,” said Reyes after his wards subdued African qualifier Ivory Coast, 85-62.

Reyes watched for the first time how NBA star Jordan Clarkson and sixtime PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo played together with Scottie Thompson and Kai Sotto on Friday night at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Clarkson and Fajardo scored 13 points apiece to tow five Gilas Pilipinas players in double figures for Team Philippines.

“It’s the first time for us to play with Jordan, Kai and Scottie with the team, and we still have kinks in our offense,” said Reyes.

AJ Edu had 12 points and seven rebounds, Thompson added 11, and the 7’3” Sotto knocked in 10 points on 5 of 6 shooting.

With the win, Gilas got some confidence going into their first game in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup starting August 25 against the Dominican Republic.

Clarkson played without relief in the first half and had six rebounds, but sat out the first four minutes of the third quarter and the entire fourth period.

Gilas opened up scoring in the third period, getting double-digit leads before taking a 60-53 lead going to the final 10 minutes.

“We moved the ball. And we showed great intensity in moving the ball,” said Reyes. Peter Atencio

Gilas alumnus tells young PH players: Play your hearts out

By Peter Atencio

THE young members of the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team should once again play with their hearts out in the coming 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Former Gilas cager Marc Pingris said this with a week left before action starts simultaneously in Manila, Okinawa and Jakarta.

“Sana hindi puro talent ang ipakita, sana may puso din,” said Pingris on Friday afternoon before the start of the Sun Life 3x3 Charity Challenge at the Chili’s restaurant at the Atrium of the SM Megamall.

Now 41 and retired, Pingris believes that with passion and

faith, Gilas may have a chance to get past the group stage.

Utah Jazz cager Jordan Clarkson is leading the Gilas campaign, with 7’3” center Kai Sotto expected to join June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, and AJ Edu as the men in the middle during their coming campaign. This combo got tested when Gilas Pilipinas took on FIBA World Cup African qualifier Ivory Coast in a closeddoor tuneup game at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

“Ang mga players natin, matatangkad din. Para sa akin, may pag-asa tayo,” added Pingris, who was with Gilas when they earned the silver medal in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship that

sent them to the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Gilas Pilipinas was set to have friendlies against world No. 18 Montenegro and No. 31 Mexico on August 21. During the event, players like Jollo Go showed his talent in the three-point challenge and 3x3 games, which took place at the Megamall activity center. For every participant, who played, Sun Life donated P4,000 to help rebuild basketball courts, and launch fitness programs in different communities. The same amount was donated for every like, share and post on social media, with the hashtags, #MovementMatters and #SunLifePartnersforLife.

SunLife officials said the event was also in support of Canada Basketball’s participation in the FIBA World Cup, which has NBA stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kelly Olynyk in its roster.

Lagrada most bemedalled archer in Asean tourney

CEBU CITY—Bouncing back from a dismal outing the previous day, Ada Lagrada anchored Olympus Archery Club to a pair of victories in the recurve Under-21 women’s team and mixed team events, respectively, to emerge as the most bemedalled athlete at the end of the 1st Asean Youth Archery Championships here Saturday.

Learning her lessons from her heartbreaking loss in the Olympic round finals of the women’s recurve singles to teammate Charlene Santos last Friday, Lagrada was deadly accurate in adding two more mints to her collection in the competition supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.

The world youth meet veteran combined with teammates Santos and Alexis Samantha Pioquinto in outclassing the Singaporean trio of Celestine Choo, Janice Lau and Tabitha Yeo 5-1 (50-49, 50-42, 49-49) in capturing the women’s team gold in the tournament also backed by the Cebu city government.

Cassey Gatdula: Balancing academics, athletics with grace

By Jessica Luna

RARE is the student athlete who excels in both academics and athletics.

One such athlete is Carla Ellaine Vargas Gatdula, a 12-year-old graduating student of Rosario V. Maramba Elementary School of Naga City.

She is currently the president of the Supreme Pupil Government (and Vice President of the Student Council Organization of Naga City) and the school valedictorian.

But what makes Carla Ellaine— Cassey to friends and family—special is that aside from being an honor student, she is one of her school’s top athletes—a taekwondo jin specializing in Poomsae.

When asked why taekwondo, she said in a quick interview, “it’s my preparation for joining the uniformed service, gusto ko po mag-PMA (Philippine Military Academy) and serve.”

“And sport din po ito ni daddy,” Cassey says, referring to his father Carlos, a call center operations’ manager, who dabbles in taekwondo.

Let’s take a lesson about Poomsae and learn from her experience, shall we?

According to Cassey, taekwondo has two categories, Kyorugi, which is about sparring, and Poomsae, which focuses on form and the harmonious relationship of bodily movements.

“It’s more like how the body rhythmically moves along with the principles of the art. In Kyorugi, if you have the basics -- speed, power, stamina and technique, the possibility of hitting your opponent is very high and luck is a big plus. Unlike in poomsae, there is no luck, even if you memorize the forms, you would need also to check the degree of elevation of your block, position of your punch, speed and delivery of kicks, turns,” Cassey explained.

She added: “Akala po nila madali, basta mataas lang ang kick mo with a very high angle. It will not count, unless you know the science and art of Poomsae.”

“Sa Poomsae may power din po. If that is not evident in the performance, it’s a point deduction. When you do a

180-degree sidekick with power, pushing all there is in your life to the blade of your foot for power, it can discord or imbalance you that may lead to stammering of your standing leg and that is a point deduction po.”

Cassey said she is thankful to her coaches and trainers, namely Grace Guevara of RVMES (coach and coordinator), Raul Oas of the Naga City Ravens Taekwondo Club and Emmanuel “Noli” Bayonito of the Robinsons Dragons Taekwondo Club.

“Sir Noli gave me last-minute coaching sa TABACO, Albay (provincial meet). It really helped me, was able to outperform Albay and CamSur, magagaling na sila talaga, ang taas ng mga kicks nila, but sabi ni Sir Noli, it’s not how high, it’s about accuracy.”

With a year of training in taekwondo, she has equally dedicated her time to academics and athletics, balancing the two adeptly.

“Hours of stretching and full splits, hours of video recording, rectifying my positions improving power and accuracy,” said Cassey, whose hard work

Lagrada then teamed up with Jonathan Ebbinghans Reaport in whipping the University of Baguio Archery Club pair of Renian Keith Nawew and Faith Anne Laruan 5-1 (31-26, 28-27, 32-32) to cap a fruitful day at the Dynamic Herb Sports Complex. She boosted her medal collection to four, counting her gold in the qualifying round and silver in the Olympic round, of the inaugural international youth tournament organized by World Archery Philippines also backed by FR Sevilla Industrial Corp. owned by WAP chairman Felizardo Sevilla Jr.

“I was able to make proper adjustments after my loss to Charlene last Friday and executed better today so I am happy to help our team,” explained Lagrada, 19, of her better outing in what could be her first and last outing in the Asean Youth Archery championships.

“This is a bittersweet experience

because I believe this will be my last Asean Youth tournament since I will be turning 20 early in May next year and might not be eligible compete for the next one. It could be in the next two years so I will be overaged by then,” she pointed out.

Singapore’s Jyan Seow, Boxiang Tang, and Kaeden Wee, performing under the banner of Salt & Light Archery Club, topped Cebu Archery Club’s Aldrener Igot Jr., Zyril James Fano and Kien Zhyron Torreon 6-0 (53-50, 51-49, 55-52) in ruling the men’s Under-18 recurve team event. Udyong Archery Club’s Irish Angel Licudan, Kyla Marie Pascua and Zajara Sky Petilla routed Metro Archery Club’s Jemina Kesiya Aglipa, Penelope Juli Aldiano and Mariella Liza Valbuena 6-0 (41-35, 47-39, 43-38) in capturing the women’s Under-18 recurve team championship.

Cassey

her medals Training timeCassey displays her regional gold medal

finally paid off when she won the gold medal in the regional games, besting eight other jins for the right to represent the Bicol Region in the Palarong Pambansa national games.

“My parents would have been contented with the silver, but I got the gold! After days of sleeping wearing my dobok because I was too tired to get up and had to read and review pa for examinations to maintain my

academic standing sa school, this is, is truly an academic-athletic balance na sabi na mahirap magawa. Mahirap, pero kaya,” she said.

As a result of Cassey’s achievement, she is being serenaded by top private schools of her city to be part of their Taekwondo Varsity Team, but the kiddo opted to continue her studies at the Naga City Science High School. And her journey continues.

The FEU Tamaraws celebrate their 5-set romp over the La Salle Green Spikers.

Gatdula shows

Marc Pingris

Chot Reyes

Ada Lagrada

Teammates hold up Inter Miami’s Argentine forward Lionel Messi as they celebrate after winning the Leagues Cup final football match against Nashville SC at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee.

AFP

Bataan nips Marikina; Muntinlupa, GenSan win

BATAAN banked on Arvie Bringas and Yves Sazon to edge Marikina, 7673, on Saturday and remain in playoff contention in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season elimination round at the Bataan People’s Center in Balanga. Sazon sandwiched Bringas’ two charities with two free throws and a triple as the Bataan Risers recovered from a 64-66 deficit to gain control, 71-66, with 1 minute and 33 seconds left.

Messi powers Miami to 1st title with League’s Cup win

NASHVILLE—Lionel Messi scored a screamer and won his first trophy in North American soccer as Inter Miami beat Nashville on penalties (10-9) after their final ended 1-1 in 90 minutes.

The Argentine World Cup winner had put Miami ahead in the 24th minute with a wonder strike into the top corner but Fafa Picault levelled for Nashville in the second half.

After Messi hit the post and Leonardo Campana missed a last second chance to win the game in regulation for Miami, the game went to a shootout which ended in a duel between the two keepers and Elliot Panicco’s shot being saved by Miami’s Drake Callender.

Messi and his team-mates rushed to celebrate with the American goalkeeper, who had made some key saves late in the game to keep his team alive.

Miami, in their third season of existence, were rock bottom of Major League Soccer when Messi joined them a month ago but Messi, along with Spanish pair Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, has utterly transformed the team leading them on a seven game unbeaten run to the League Cup title.

Co-owner David Beckham, who created the club, said he was stunned by the way the former Barcelona trio had been able to bring about change so quickly.

“It is like a movie, you watch these players play and it is, emotionally, everything about their play is beautiful,” he said.

Seven-times Ballon d’Or winner Messi has now scored 10 goals in seven games in the pink shirt of his new club and on Wednesday has the chance to reach another final when his team take on Cincinnati in the semi-final of the US Open Cup.

This was not the dominant, entertaining Miami that in the past month has lit up the tournament, featuring MLS and Mexican Liga MX clubs, but the win was sweet nonetheless.

“I am very happy to win our first title in just one month, the club’s first. The team is growing by leaps and bounds and we are very happy,” said midfielder Busquets.

Leaps and bounds

“We have infected the team with our spirit, our work, our character and experience. We are making a solid team ... And then we have Leo, who makes a difference because he’s the best in the world.”

Nashville set out with the clear intention to limit the impact of Busquets and by extension Messi and they were effective in forcing Miami to play a slower type of possession football, deeper in their own half.

Gary Smith’s side sent an early warning that they could trouble Miami at set-pieces with Walker Zimmerman’s header from a Lukas MacNaughton corner forcing Callender into a low save.

Miami were probing, with Messi dropping deeper and looking for gaps in the home defense.

But with Walker Zimmerman marshalling the back line well chances were hard to come by until Robert Taylor spun and turned and fired a fierce drive which Nashville keeper Elliot Panicco did well to keep out.

Three minutes later, Miami had the lead—and the source of their breakthrough was no surprise.

Taylor’s attempted pass inside was blocked and the ball fell to Messi who

zipped past Zimmerman, opening enough space to his left to unleash an unstoppable drive from over 25 yards out which flew into the top corner past the helpless Panicco.

Miami looked in total control, playing with confidence bordering on swagger, but it was a different story after the interval.

From a corner Picault won a header at the back post which ricocheted in off the foot of Benjamin Cremaschi and Callender.

Suddenly Nashville had the belief and their German forward Hany Mukhtar came alive, testing Miami with his speedy runs and Callender with a blast from the right.

Messi went close to another Hollywood ending with a 71st minute shot from just outside the box which shaved the outside of the post.

But in the final seconds, his Ecuadorian team-mate Campana should have won the game for Miami, when he rounded Panicco but from a tight angle could only hit the post with the goal at his mercy.

Then came penalties and with all 10 outfield players having shot, with one miss for each side, it came down to the keepers and Callender kept his cool with his shot before denying Panicco and launching the celebrations. AFP

QC-Wilcon rules Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 Quest 3.0

By Peter Atencio

STA. ROSA, LAGUNA—Teamwork and timely baskets from members of Quezon City-Wilcon earned them an 18-13 victory in their clash with the giant-killing Pasig-Banh Mi on Sunday evening in the finals of Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 2023 Quest 3.0 in Santa Rosa City, Laguna.

TH Tumalip, Spanish reinforcement

Jose Antonio Blasquez (later named MVP) and Yutien Andrada took turns in hitting shots that gave Quezon City a five-point edge in the final two minutes of action at the Ayala Mall-Solenad activity center.

Their big plays earned Quezon City a seat to the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Cebu Masters and ₱100,000 in cash.

“Honestly, we did not expect anything. We just wanted to give our best heading into the competition,” said QC coach Anton Altamirano.

With Pasig incurring 10 fouls halfway in the contest, inside plays from Bahamian cager Jean Rony Cadot and

Quezon City players celebrate their 3x3 triumph. Peter Atencio outside shots from Louie Vigil saw Banh Mi coming back from a 5-13 deficit and overtaking their foes.

Pasig came to within match point, 1914, following a driving shot from Vigil.

The 26-year-old Blasquez, who was fighting off jet lag after arriving in the

country two days before, took MVP honors for his heroics, helping QC move away from a 10-9 edge with his baskets during a run that gave them a 15-10 edge with 1:47 remaining. “It’s my first time playing here. It was an amazing experience. I had jet

lag. But my teammates were amazing,” said Blasquez.

In the semifinals, a deuce from FilAmerican Robert Keith Datu gave Quezon City match point and a 22-20 victory over the Makati City-Kingpins with 2:47 left in the game clock.

Pasig-Banh Mi scored an upset on their way to the finals, rallying from eight points down to oust the Chico Lanete-coached Manila-Chooks, 2114, off Vigil’s drive and deuce in the final 48.2 seconds.

Manila-Chooks, with Marquez Letcher-Ellis finalizing the count in the final 2:02, settled for third place with their 21-15 stopping of Makati.

QC reached the semifinals after sweeping their three-game Pool A assignment, brushing off Gerald Anderson’s Botolan, 21-13, Pasig-Banh Mi, 21-11, and Taguig-Happy Hotels, 2110, along the way.

Pasig’s journey to the finals came with a 22-14 point victory over Taguig, and a 21-6 verdict over Botolan to finish second place in Pool A.

Tolentino to use Visayas leg as benchmark for future ROTC Games

ILOILO CITY—Sen. Francis Tolentino said the organizers of the ongoing Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Games will use the Visayas Leg as a benchmark when they stage the next editions in Mindanao and Luzon.

Tolentino, the brainchild of the event that put ROTC cadets to test in the weeklong multi-sports tournament, said they will bring the lessons from Iloilo and make the next legs just as successful.

“Sa tingin ko naman po success-

ful, kasi ito iyong kauna-unahan and we’ve learned a lot of lessons,” Tolentino told Radyo Pilipinas 2 in an interview recently. “Para sa pagpunta po doon sa Mindanao leg sa Zamboanga City ay mas lalo pong maisaayos,” he added. He also expressed his appreciation to the Philippine Sports Commision, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Commision on Higher Education, which all helped in organizing the games. Alongside the Department of Na-

tional Defense, Tolentino said they are looking to institutionalize the ROTC Games.

“Ang Philippine ROTC Games po ay nagpapakita ng ating pagmamahal sa bayan sa pamamagitan ng sports.”

“Ito ay nagsisimbolo ng patriotism, volunteerism at pagsisilbi para sa ating Inang Bayan kaya kami po na mga ahensiya ay nagkakasunod na makilala ito bilang isang respetadong institusyon,” Tolentino said on a presscon on Monday.

The Shoemasters threatened at 7374 on a drive by Marwin Dionisio with 13 seconds left, but Sazon came through with two split free throws in the last 7 seconds to hand the Risers their sixth straight win and a 13-12 record in the North Division.

Marikina, on the other hand, saw its victory run snap at seven and drop to 14-11, shakily occupying the magic No. 8 spot in the 15-team division. Asserting his burly frame, Bringas wound up with game-highs 21 points and 15 rebounds plus 3 steals to earn best player honors over Sazon, who posted 18 points, 10 in the fourth quarter, 4 rebounds and 3 assists for Bataan, which needed to sweep its three remaining games to displace either Marikina or Pasay (14-9) from the playoffs.

No. 1 Alcaraz, Djokovic

set

powerhouse Cincinnati final

CINCINNATI—Carlos Alcaraz saved a match point on the way to a three-set victory over Hubert Hurkacz Saturday as he lined up title clash with Novak Djokovic at the ATP Cincinnati Masters.

World number one Alcaraz held on for a 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 victory over Hurkacz, rallying to beat the big-serving Pole for the second time in as many weeks.

World number two Djokovic beat Germany’s Alexander Zverev 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 to reach the final, which will be a repeat of last month’s epic Wimbledon final won by Alcaraz. Alcaraz has won two of three career meetings with Djokovic, but the Serb was looking forward to their first hard court clash.

“It’s the ultimate challenge at the moment for me,” Djokovic said, noting he’d beaten Alcaraz on clay at the US Open this year before falling in five sets on grass at Wimbledon.

“Now it’s going to be the first encounter on a hard court. It’s a very good test prior to the US Open,” Djokovic said. “Obviously different conditions.

“It’s still facing the top player of the world now who is in form. It’s the biggest challenge I could get, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Djokovic was trying for a second time to serve out the match against Zverev when he was distracted by a nearby amusement park’s fireworks display, but managed to regain his focus and finish it off.

He’d dropped his serve two games earlier, only to come back with a break of his own.

“I played a very poor game, but I bounced back and sealed the deal in the 12th game of the second set,” Djokovic said. “I could have done some things better, but I’m pretty happy about winning in straight sets.”

Alcaraz’s victory, after two hours and 18 minutes over Hurkacz, ensures the 20-year-old will remain atop the world rankings heading into the US Open, which starts a week from Monday. AFP

Sen. Francis Tolentino

Bataan’s Arvie Bringas

JulieVer headlines Taste of Manila, Pista ng Bayan in Vancouver

JULIE Anne San Jose and Rayver Cruz banner the highly anticipated Taste of Manila and Pista ng Bayan Vancouver 2023 in Vancouver, Canada.

These vibrant festivals, organized by the Society of Philippine Artist, Recreation, and Community (SPARC) and the United Filipino Canadian Associations of British Columbia (UFCABC), in partnership with GMA Network’s flagship international channel GMA Pinoy TV, promise an unforgettable experience for the Global Pinoys.

Taste of Manila, recognized as “the largest Filipino festival outside of the Philippines,” commemorates its momentous 10th anniversary this year on the streets of Toronto, Ontario, along Wilson Road, and Bathurst Street. The Sparkle stars attended the colorful and bustling celebration of Filipino culture on August 19.

During the two-day event, Global Pinoys immersed themselves in a feast of flavors, indulge in delectable Filipino cuisine, and experience the vibrant entertainment, cultural performances, and activities for all ages that Taste of Manila has become renowned for. Following that is the Pista ng Bayan Vancouver on August 26 and 27 at Robson Square in Downtown

Vancouver, British Columbia. Julie Anne will again be present to celebrate with the Global Pinoys.

Organized by the UFCABC, the Pista ng Bayan Vancouver aims to promote and preserve Filipino culture, heritage, and traditions within the Filipino-Canadian community. The festival will feature vibrant performances, traditional dances, art displays, and an array of tantalizing Filipino delicacies.

“GMA Pinoy TV is thrilled to be part of Taste of Manila and Pista ng Bayan Vancouver this year. And we are bringing no less than Julie Anne San Jose and Rayver Cruz to celebrate with our kababayan in Canada. It is always an honor for us to celebrate the rich Filipino heritage and culinary traditions with our Global Pinoys,” says GMA First Vice President and Head of International Operations Joseph T. Francia SPARC Executive Director Sani Baluyot also expresses his delight in the support of GMA Pinoy TV, “Taste of Manila is grateful for the collaboration with GMA Pinoy TV. This will be an exciting week full of activities for the Filipino community in Canada, especially with Julie and Rayver on board. With this partnership, we will make sure that our 10th-anniversary celebration is a successful one.”

Aljur Abrenica, AJ Raval bring scintillating chemistry to life in 'Sugapa'

THE set of photos sent by Vivamax to Manila

Standard Entertainment casts a captivating spell, featuring none other than Aljur Abrenica and AJ Raval. The couple, draped in pristine white, entwine on a bed, their bodies locked in an embrace that oozes sensuality and undeniable chemistry.

These images form a tantalizing teaser for their upcoming film, Sugapa, a daring Vivamax Original Movie that challenges love to triumph over all obstacles.

In the heart of this tale are two young souls, bound by love and dreams of a brighter future. The allure of the city beckons them, promising prosperity and success. Ben, portrayed by Aljur, and Anna, brought to life by AJ, stand united in their aspirations, pledging unwavering support for each other. Their journey toward the bustling metropolis is painted with optimism and shared ambition.

But the city’s reality shatters their expectations, hurling them into a maelstrom of challenges that test the very foundation of their love. As they grapple with the complexities of money, desire, addiction, obsession, and the thirst for power, the question looms large: will their sacrifices be rewarded? Can their love weather the storm, or will their paths diverge?

Dreams of Hollywood meet true passion

Vivamax’s newest film, ‘Sugapa’, tackles about a couple who are bound by love and dreams

According to AJ, she and Aljur worked closely together while filming Sugapa, “Everything became easy for me because AJ was my partner here. I didn’t feel awkward at all, even in the intimate scenes, because I was comfortable with Aljur being with me.” She also mentioned that they were able to perform th e love scenes perfectly with the guidance of their director.

Helmed by Lawrence Fajardo, renowned for his pulse-pounding creations like A Hard Day and Reroute Sugapa promises a rollercoaster of emotions, punctuated by heart-pounding sequences. Completing the cast are Art Acuña Lander Vera Perez, Lou Veloso, and Dyessa Garcia. Sugapa streams exclusively on Vivamax on August 25.

EDUARD Bañez has embraced the role of an educator as his current vocation. Presently, he serves as a physical education and sports teacher at Ralph Waldo Emerson Middle School in Los Angeles, California.

Having transitioned from his former endeavors as a Star Magic talent and news anchor, Eduard wholeheartedly embraces this calling due to his unwavering belief in the intrinsic value of education.

His dedication revolves around imparting knowledge to the upcoming generation, specifically catering to students aged between 13 and 15 years. His curriculum encompasses essential subjects such as health—both physical and emotional—discipline, sportsmanship, and, naturally, the cultivation of good manners and ethical conduct. These elements stand out as paramount in his educational approach.

“Physical education is great, not just for physical interaction and stimulation but for mental health as well,” Eduard says. “Nowadays, kids, or the so-called Generation Z are always just in front of the computer and their other gadgets, playing games, researching, studying movies, and other stuff. Through P.E., I want them to move around, play, have fun, sweat, and enjoy the warmth of the sun and the breeze of the air. And with the activities that they do, they establish not just camaraderie but friendships.”

The star teacher shares that when he sees his students sharing a laugh and actual conversations, cheering and shouting, cheeks getting red, exchanging high fives and having old-fashioned fun, “Priceless and precious,” declares Banez. “They are only young once, you know so I

make it a point that all the physical activities are satisfying for them. Their satisfaction is the most important.”

Eduard values the respect his students give by addressing him as “teacher.” He prioritizes setting a genuine example and fostering personal interactions in his P.E. class. With his Asian identity, he aims to counter antiAsian sentiment, promoting understanding through teaching and spreading love across cultures.

What a teacher misses the most is the warmth and welcoming nature of fellow Filipinos, the comfort and deliciousness of Pinoy food, and the communal atmosphere of the joyful chaos that is Manila. These are the things he yearns for the most. “Nothing beats Manila, the Philippines,” he enthuses.

Eduard acknowledges that his Hollywood dream may have dimmed, but he believes in God’s timing. Teaching, his current passion, brings him fulfillment. He’s aware that success, whether in Hollywood or any field, demands dedication, hard work, and faith.

He concludes, “Teaching makes me happy, and my Hollywood future remains bright. Fueled by passion and love, my dreams will come true.”

Belgian university enters new era with Taylor Swift course

FROM Alice in Wonderland to The Great Gatsby, Rebecca to Jane Eyre, the songs of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift are filled with clear and subtle literary references.

Now, a literature professor in Belgium has seized on the bookish qualities of Swift’s lyrics to launch a course using the US superstar’s songs to delve into the greats of English writing and the themes of their work.

For Elly McCausland, an assistant professor at Ghent University, Swift’s songs offer an opportunity to explore feminism, for example through “The Man,” and the anti-hero trope through the aptly named song “Anti-Hero” from her 2022 album, “Midnights.”

McCausland decided earlier this year to mastermind a course to start in September inspired by Swift’s work after listening to “The Great War,” also from “Midnights.”

“The way she uses the war, like a metaphor for a relationship, made me a bit uncomfortable and it got me thinking about Sylvia Plath’s poem Daddy, which does a similar thing and also it’s very uncomfortable reading,” the academic told AFP

McCausland knew all too well the power of the singer’s work as a “real Swiftie” herself and insists that the course, “Literature (Taylor’s Version),” is a way to make literature “more accessible” and “not to create a Swift fan club.”

“The whole point is to get people to think that English literature is not a load of old books from a long time ago festering in a library. But it’s a living, breathing thing and it’s continually evolving and changing,” she said.

The academic stressed other artists and media could be used for the same goal, for example, Beyonce or even the video-sharing platform TikTok.

McCausland’s course uses Swift’s lyrics as a gateway into reading some of the greats of the literary canon such as William Shakespeare, Charlotte Bronte, Geoffrey Chaucer, and William Thackeray Swift refers to the works of several more writers, including Charles Dickens and Emily Dickinson, and McCausland noted parallels also with the style of other writers including British Romantic poets of the early 19th century.

In the songs “Wonderland” and “long story short”, Swift mentions going down a “rabbit hole”, a reference to Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. AFP

Former Star Magic talent Eduard Bañez shares that it is his goal to impart his knowledge to the next generation

Sparkle artists Julie Anne San Jose (left) and Rayver Cruz

‘Sugapa’ stars real-life couple Aljur Abrenica (left) and AJ Raval

Aljur (left) and AJ reveal they work closely in their upcoming film, ‘Sugapa’

American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift

Oktoberfest coming soon ‘All OBeer The Country’

SAN Miguel Brewery Inc. (SMB), the leading beer producer in the country, is gearing up to spread a wave of festive delight with the revival of the San Miguel Beer Oktoberfest, bringing joy “All OBeer The Country.”

Considered to be the most-anticipated alcohol beverage event on the calendar, San Miguel Beer Oktoberfest makes a grand comeback. Fans of the tradition who missed the spectacle can expect plenty of excitement as SMB prepares to stage a series of bar and cluster events nationwide starting this September.

Headlined by some of the country’s top local acts, each San Miguel Beer Oktoberfest party promises to be chock-full

of exciting promos, fun activities, and premium item giveaways, not to mention the overflow of signature San Miguel beers.

San Miguel Beer Oktoberfest re mains to be the largest fiesta in the coun try recognized by the Department of Tourism since 2005. Year after year, the event has hosted epic festivities, making it synonymous with the Filipino culture of drinking, feasting, and musical enter tainment.

re-try recognized by the Department of of drinking, feasting, and musical enter-

Stay tuned on the event schedules followFace-

Stay tuned on the event schedules and latest promos by liking and follow ing San Miguel Oktoberfest on Face book (www.facebook.com/SanMiguelOktoberfest).

Room for more:

Shang welcomes popular dining establishments

SHANGRI-LA Plaza, a leading lifestyle destination in the metro, is giving foodies and mall guests more options for their casual lunches, special dinners, and big gatherings as it sees the opening of well-known restaurants from Shangri-La The Fort and The Bistro Group.

One of the homegrown Shangri-La The Fort restos that’s now at Shang is the famous burger joint Raging Bull Burgers at Level 1, North Wing and opening from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 mn. It’s best known for its patties that are made from choice cuts of steak-quality grain-fed and grassfed Australian and American beef. All are chargrilled and topped with a spe-

The Bistro Group is expanding its collection of casual dining brands and homegrown concepts at the mall.

Families who want to create special moments together are going to love Bulgogi Brothers on Level 6, East Wing for their authentic Korean cuisine, especially their sweet-savory bulgogi or Korean barbeque that the entire brood can cook and relish together.

For fresh and scrumptious seafood dishes, find Fish & Co. at Level 5, East Wing which offers new and hearty recipes like fish and chips, prawn fettuccine, and hefty seafood platters. Never go wrong with American comfort food classics with the

Vancouver’s haven for Pinoy foodies

EVERY time I travel out of the country, after about a week, I hanker for Pinoy food, and if I can’t find any, I go for Chinese or Japanese, or Korean. With this trip, it didn’t take me long to start dreaming of my favorite Pinoy specialties.

Since my US and Canada-based siblings joined me in Vancouver to help me celebrate my birthday, we decided to go for real, honest-to-goodness Filipino cuisine.

come with their Filipino roots and traditions. Thank goodness for sensible restaurateurs like them who felt the need to highlight Filipino culture by way of food, we certainly found the perfect match for our gustatory cravings.

cial in-house sauce and served with soft and sweet corn buns and organic fresh veggies.

Some must-tries at Raging Bull include Kickass with Angus beef patty and Raging Wagyu with Australian Wagyu beef patty. Vegan options are also available to satisfy more palates. For a more lip-smacking experience, have some of Raging Bull’s personalized beers.

Another fave from Shangri-La at The Fort is the vibrant yet cozy Bake House that’s now whipping up freshly baked sweet and savory bites also at Level 1, North Wing. This cake and bake shop delights further with environmentally conscious practices like using natural and trans-fat free ingredients and making a Conscious Cookie out of their ingredient leftovers.

Other delectable offerings include reliable sweet treats like pasteis de nata and croissants; savory goods like pancetta quiche and beef pide; and whole cakes in Strawberry Lychee, Quark Cheesecake, Ohaina, and other decadent flavors. Open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 mn, Bake House is a great spot for friends who want to hang out and catch up, or for anyone who wants to study or work remotely over sweets and some coffee, too.

newly opened TGI Fridays at Level 6, East Wing to present their whiskey-glazed baby back ribs and Cajun shrimp and chicken pasta as well as some local eats such as pork liempo, all best paired with a drink or two from the bar.

Savor sought-after vin from the famed wine-making French region of Bordeaux and start a new epicurean chapter with Wine Story, now that it’s back at a new location on Level 1 (near the Shaw Blvd. entrance in front of Healthy Options). Whether reliving travel memories or celebrating life with the dearest, the luxury wine retailer is offering the very best reds and whites from the finest vineyards along with immersive tastings and pairings that aim to enrich one’s wine experience.

“With a longer list of dining options available, our mall guests have more opportunities to explore their taste buds and find new spots to enjoy moments with their loved ones, whether it’s a simple weekday dinner or a grand weekend gathering,” says Joy R. Polloso, EVP for Retail and Commercial at Shang Properties. “It is all part of our vision to build better and provide them with a distinct dynamic mall experience that fits into their personal lives.”

Naturally, we had to scrounge the Internet for whatever we deemed would be the best restaurant among those which offered Filipino culinary delights. It’s a good thing that my Seattle-based daughter already did some research before my birthday, so she immediately pushed forward what she considered fit to be on the same level as our “Mama’s home cooking.” My siblings and I were looking for dishes that we used to enjoy over Sunday lunch with our parents, recipes that were really meticulously prepared by Mama’s magic hands. We looked forward to traditional food like those carefully prepared by any loving mother for her children.

Trusting my daughter’s choice, we made arrangements with the restaurant that, for my birthday, we would close the whole place for ourselves because my siblings, nephews, and nieces, plus my children and grandchildren were more than enough to fill up the entire venue.

Kulinarya was established by co-owners Rosette Samaniego, Philip Samaniego, and Roy Pagulayan. The restaurant opened its doors to the public at its first location in Coquitlam back in 2009, then expanded to Vancouver, on Commercial Drive, in 2017. We were at the Coquitlam location.

A chat with one of the owners revealed that the restaurant’s philosophy revolves around keeping their cooking technique Pinoy, using local meats and vegetables freshly prepared while staying true to the flavors that

What we did was order various platters, each containing their top-seller specialties. This way we could really have a taste of all the popular delicacies that the restaurant offers. The platter of appetizers, as shown in the photos, was filling enough. The Fried Lumpia was crunchy-crunchy all the way, and the Lechon Kawali which came with a mango and veggies salad was heavenly.

But a very pleasant surprise was their version of the Lumpiang Ubod, as shown in the photo. One order could easily feed three people! No kidding! A giant round dough was folded over to keep the ubod and the minced meat inside, sprinkled on top with grated peanuts and minced veggies, and served with an abundant supply of tangy garlic sauce. It is really delicious. Even just writing about it makes me crave another serving!

It was definitely a satisfying culinary experience at Kulinarya. The best part about our evening get-together was that all of us in the family felt we were right at home because partaking of good Filipino food brought us back to the Sunday lunches that we used to have with our parents when we were still in our teenage years in Cebu City. I guess our “probinsyano” taste will always be with us wherever we go.

And I have to give credit to Kulinarya’s owners because they have succeeded in reframing how people think of Filipino food, as

something that is modern, authentic, and relevant, and not just as an afterthought. Next time I visit Vancouver, I’ll know where to go for “Mama’s home cooking.”

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