Manila Standard - 2023 September 7 - Thursday

DTI: 25K SMALL RICE RETAILERS TO GET P15K AID BEFORE WEEKEND

By Othel V. Campos, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Joel E. Zurbano, Vince Lopez and Rio N. Araja

AN INITIAL batch of 25,000 resellers of regular and well-milled rice in Metro Manila markets will get a P15,000 subsidy to offset losses from having to sell their rice at government-imposed price ceilings before the week is over, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said Wednesday.

In an interview, Trade Assistant Secretary Agaton Uvero said the DTI has an initial list of 25,000 legitimate resellers who qualify for government assistance. He said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it will be able to distribute the financial assistance within the week. After the verification and validation process by the DTI with the help of LGUs and the Department of Agriculture (DA), the retailers on the list

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‘Fight hegemonic ambition’

• Marcos rallies ASEAN to let rule of law prevail • PBBM meets China’s Li, Canada premier Trudeau

PH leader meeting US VP, Japan PM too

By Charles Dantes and Maricel V. Cruz

JAKARTA—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

on Tuesday urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to protect the rules-based international order against countries with a “hegemonic ambition” at a gathering of the regional bloc’s leaders.

Mr. Marcos Jr. then met with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit here -- the first high-level pullaside discussion between leaders of the two nations amid heightened tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

“History will ultimately judge whether the supremacy of the rule of law prevails, ushering in an era where all nations truly stand as equals, independent and unswayed

Chinese PM: Major powers must keep cool to avoid ‘new Cold War’

CHINA’S premier said on Wednesday that major powers must keep their differences under control and avoid “a new Cold War,” in a thinly veiled reference to Washington, as top Asian and US officials gathered for talks in Indonesia. Beijing has expressed concern about

US-backed blocs forming on its doorstep while facing disputes with other powers in the region over the South China Sea and other issues.

“Disagreements and disputes may arise between countries due to misperceptions, diverging interests, or exter-

nal interferences,” Li Qiang said at the start of an ASEAN-plus-three meeting with Japan and South Korea in Jakarta.

“To keep differences under control, what is essential now is to oppose picking sides, to oppose bloc confrontation, and to oppose a new Cold War.”

$22m in pledges secured from Indonesia firms

By Charles Dantes and Othel Campos

NBI uses monkey photo on ID to register SIM card

By Joel E. Zurbano

SENATORS have expressed disappointment with telecommunication regulators after learning that the National Bureau of Investigation successfully registered a subscriber identity module (SIM) using a photo of a monkey.

The lawmakers are now planning to amend the implementing rules and regulations of the SIM Registration Act.

Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the committee on public services, asked

what identification card the NBI team used.

NBI Cybercrime Division chief Jeremy Lotoc said they tried to register SIMs bought from different telecommunications companies as part of their investigation. He added it is easy to craft government IDs online and just put a picture on it.

Lotoc said they entered the face of the monkey and different names, and it was still accepted for registration Poe requested the cooperation of the National

Telecommunications Commission to amend the SIM Registration Act rules, with Commissioner Ella Lopez promising compliance and addressing spurious registration issues in the post-registration validation mechanism.

Previously, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it confiscated a large number of illegal China-made “text blast” machines used by organized syndicates for text scams via mobile phone messaging.

Qiang also claimed that China has been working with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to “preserve regional stability,” asserting that “mutual trust” between the two parties has “grown deeper.”

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THE country’s capacity to improve on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital connectivity as well as to manufacture animal vaccines got a boost after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. secured some $22 million worth of investment pledges from Indonesian companies.

The Presidential Communications

Risa warns DepEd not to use intel funds to surveil teachers, students

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Risa Hontiveros on

Wednesday cautioned the Department of Education against using its confidential funds for surveillance operations on teachers and learners in a bid to stop alleged recruitment attempts of the New People’s Army in public schools.

Hontiveros noted that Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte herself admitted during the Senate’s budg-

et deliberations Tuesday that “learners, and our teaching and non-teaching DepEd personnel” could be included in their surveillance operation.

“This raises a lot of alarming questions. Who were collecting and conducting surveillance in schools?” Hontiveros said.

“Keeping our children safe includes keeping them away from the potential abuse associated with

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MONKEY BUSINESS. In this screengrab from an NBI presentation at the Senate on Wednesday, a picture of a monkey is placed inside a Philhealth ID, proving it was easy to fake a registration for a SIM card as required by law.

SIDELINE TALK. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and China’s Prime Minister Li Qiang talk face to face at the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit, which also drew global leaders such as (inset from left) US Vice President Kamala Harris, Australian Premier Anthony Albanese, Japanese Premier Fumio Kishida, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. AFP

LEADERS WITH GLADWELL. Iconic author and speaker Malcolm Gladwell (middle, seated) meets with corporate leaders, including SMPHI Chairman Hans Sy and SM Investments Vice Chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson, before serving as the Keynote Speaker of SM Supermalls’ Tenant-Partners Summit at the SMX Convention Center. The summit marks the start of the 65th-year celebration of SM in the Philippines.

COCs for village polls now at 1.4m

By Vito Barcelo

MORE than 1.4 million certificates of candidacy (COC) were filed for the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE), higher than the 2018 BSKE aspirants, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

However, Comelec Spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the final number will be known on September 19.

“The final number of candidates has

Li’s statement, delivered during the ASEAN-China Summit in Jakarta, comes a week after several ASEAN members and other countries condemned Beijing’s 10-dash line map that asserts China’s ownership of almost the entire South China Sea.

“We have been committed to treating each other with sincerity and our political mutual trust has grown deeper,” Li said.

“No matter how the international situation evolves, China and ASEAN have maintained close exchanges and communication, respecting each other’s development path,” he said.

Big power rivalries and regional issues from the South China Sea to North Korean missiles will be on the table at the 43rd ASEAN Summit (see related story -- Editors).

The regional bloc will hold separate summits with China, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Canada, providing an arena for big powers to lobby the bloc.

US Vice President Kamala Harris is attending in place of President Joe Biden, while Qiang is taking part instead of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“We seek common ground while setting aside differences. We both have a relentless pursuit of peace,” Li said in opening remarks at the ASEAN-China summit.

“As long as we keep to the right path, no matter what storm may come, China-ASEAN cooperation will be as firm as ever... against all odds.”

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will also attend.

They will meet with Li at an ASEAN plus three summit where a row between China and Japan over the release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant could again come to the fore.

Li was scheduled on Wednesday to visit a Beijing-funded high-speed rail project between Jakarta and the Javan city of Bandung, Indonesian officials said.

Myanmar will also be a major issue at the summits with China -- a key diplomatic ally of the junta.

China also upset several ASEAN members last week when it released a new official map claiming sovereignty over the majority of the South China Sea.

yet to be determined, though, as petitions for cancellation or disqualification may still be filed,” he said.

“As of September 5, 2023, a total of 1,414,487 filed their COCs for the Octo -

ber 30 BSKE,” he said. Of the figures, 96,962 individuals are running for Punong Barangay; 731,682 for members of the Sangguniang Barangay; 92,774 for chairperson of Sangguniang Kabataan, and 493,069 for members of the Sangguniang Kabataan.

Laudiangco said the number of filers for this year is more than the 2018 figure which was 1,193,368.

He also said that more aspirants filed their COCs compared to the 1,193,368 recorded in the last May 2018 BSKE.

Meanwhile, poll body Chair George Garcia says 936 prisoners will be able to vote for BSKE, a first for inmates in the New Bilibid Prison.

Garcia likewise thanked the Comelec personnel, law enforcement agencies, local government units, partner malls, and election watchdogs for a “successful” conduct of the filing period.

“The results are more than what we can ask for. Our congratulations and much appreciation to everyone who joined and assisted us in this activity,” Garcia added.

LTO extending drivers license validity 1 year

THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) said on Wednesday it would extend the validity of all driver’s licenses that expired from June, as a legal battle prevented it from receiving plastic cards for the licenses.

The agency is also looking into stamping the official receipt/certificate of registration (OR/CR) of vehicle owners as a temporary solution to the shortage of plastic driver’s license cards.

LTO chief Assistant Secretary Vigor

P1.6b in stipends for health workers unfunded—DOH

THE government is yet to fund around P1.6 billion worth of COVID-19 emergency allowance for health workers, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said Wednesday.

Herbosa disclosed this after House Deputy Minority Leader Marissa Magsino asked how much of the COVID-19 allowance for health workers had been disbursed.

state surveillance. Students should not become targets of surveillance aimed against abusers and criminals,” the senator added.

Hontiveros said there should be greater transparency on the scope and extent of these surveillance operations, especially as they are poised to infringe on the special protections and rights held by children.

“I reiterate my call to reallocate the DepEd’s proposed confidential budget of P150 million, which is larger than the proposed P101 million confidential budget of the Department of National Defense,” Hontiveros said.

“DepEd [should] focus on fulfilling its basic mandate of providing accessible, equitable, and quality basic education,” she added.

On Tuesday, DepEd spokesman Undersecretary Michael Poa said the department’s list of 16 public high schools in Metro Manila allegedly targeted by NPA recruitment has been vetted by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

Poa still refused to identify the schools, citing “the sensitive nature of the issue” but claimed all their information had been cleared with NICA.

by any single power,” Mr. Marcos added during his speech.

Meanwhile, Mr. Marcos will meet with US Vice President Kamala Harris and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, a government official said Tuesday.

Harris is attending in place of US President Joe Biden, while Qiang is taking part instead of Chinese President Xi Jinping (see related story -- Editors).

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also invited President Marcos to visit Canada next year during their bilateral meeting at the sidelines of the summit on Wednesday, Malacañang said.

In an interview, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez confirmed the meeting of the three countries’ leaders.

“The trilateral meeting was actually requested by both the United States and Japan for the Philippines to get together here in Jakarta,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez said the discussion will most likely be about the West Philippine Sea and economic cooperation.

“We’re all allies... So I’m sure… the West Philippine Sea will most likely be part of the discussion,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez added that the President is “very eager” to discuss pressing matters in the region, including the West Philippine Sea. He played down China’s reaction to such a meeting, saying it is nothing new to have a meeting among allied countries.

Mendoza II said all possible measures to address the current shortage of plastic cards are being considered in case the temporary restraining order (TRO) against LTO’s release of license cards is not lifted.

“We are looking into all possibilities in case the TRO against our distribution of license cards is not lifted. All suggestions are welcomed by the agency,” Mendoza said in a statement Tuesday.

In addition to stamping OR/CRs,

“I know that people are putting meaning into it... because of the situation in our part of the world, but at the end of the day, it is really a meeting of friends and allies and partners,” the ambassador said.

The schedule of the meeting is still being worked out, he added.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez backed the President’s call for the ASEAN to unite in fostering a rules-based order to preserve peace and defuse tension in the South China Sea.

“The President’s stance on a rulesbased approach in settling the South China Sea territorial disputes underlines our commitment to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Romualdez said.

“By reiterating this stand in the ASEAN forum, we are emphasizing the importance of peaceful dialogue and negotiations, ensuring that our sovereign rights are recognized and respected,” he added.

Without mentioning China, Mr. Marcos said the Philippines was not seeking conflict with other nations but was rather protecting its own sovereignty and territory.

“The Philippines firmly rejects misleading narratives that frame the disputes in the South China Sea solely through the lens of strategic competition between two powerful countries. This not only denies us of our independence and agency but also disregards our own legitimate interests,” the President said. He called for restraint as some activities could complicate the ongoing dispute in the South China Sea, and warned that tensions and mistrust between the nations involved could put

shifting to electronic or digital driver’s licenses or extending the validity of licenses are also being eyed.

“We will consult with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on what’s the best measure so that we will no longer add burden to our drivers and motorists,” he said.

However, Mendoza expressed confidence that the TRO would be lifted and the backlog for driver’s licenses immediately addressed. Rio N. Araja

the region in danger, with severe consequences for everyone.

“We therefore seek your support [to operationalize]...practical measures such as the ADMM Guidelines for Maritime Interaction,” he said, referring to the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting.

“The Philippines is also pleased to have hosted the 2nd ASEAN Multilateral Naval Exercise (AMNEX) off Zambales and Bataan,” he said, as well as talks to draft a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea.

Wednesday’s meetings were to be more regional in scope before an 18-member East Asia Summit on Thursday to be attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, where broader geopolitical issues are expected to top the agenda.

“At both summits, the vice president will underscore the United States’ enduring commitment to the Indo-Pacific generally and to ASEAN centrality specifically,” US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday, using another term for the AsiaPacific region.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will also attend.

They will meet with Li at an ASEAN plus three summit where a row between China and Japan over the release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant could again come to the fore.

Host Indonesia told an ASEAN leaders’ summit on Tuesday that the bloc would not become a proxy for big power competition as US-China tensions continue to flare over Taiwan, the South China Sea, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With AFP

“We requested additional money [for COVID-19 emergency allowance] because the total funding requirement is P63 billion. With P22 billion budget for 2022, P19.4 billion for 2023, and P20 billion for the [proposed] NEP [budget for] 2024, we hope to get some funds from our unprogrammed funds this year,” Herbosa said during the House appropriations panel hearing on the DOH’s proposed P199 billion budget for 2024.

“Last April, the Department of Health wrote the DBM and we are still awaiting their approval of a few billion pesos from the unprogrammed funds of DOH to be used for the [COVID-19] health workers emergency allowance,” Herbosa added.

The unprogrammed fund refers to budget items that will only be funded if there is an excess of target government revenues for the year, subject to the approval of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Herbosa said that most of the unpaid COVID-19 allowance for health workers involve those who work in private hospitals who take longer to secure documentary requirements compared with their counterparts in the public sector.

“For the government health workers, it is about 93% [who already got their COVID-19 allowance],” he said.

The Health Secretary said of the P22.8 billion budget for the COVID-19 allowance for health workers in 2022, 97.66% of such amount has been disbursed. Maricel V. Cruz

DTI:...

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will receive a one-time payment of P15,000 from the DSWD, Uvero said. Apart from financial and logistics support, the DTI is also preparing an interestfree loan assistance program for small businesses affected by the price ceiling. Some local government units have likewise voluntarily waived a month’s worth of rent from public markets where rice retailers have small stores or kiosks.

“From what we have heard, the DSWD intends to put up staging centers where legitimate retailers can access the subsidy,” he said.

He added that the government would like to extend the assistance to all rice retailers that are registered in their respective local government units (LGUs). President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier approved the imposition of a price ceiling of P41 per kilo for regular milled rice and P45 per kilo for wellmilled rice. The price cap took effect Tuesday, September 5.

Office on Wednesday said the pledges were made during Mr. Marcos’ meeting with Indonesian investors at the sidelines of the ongoing 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Publicly-listed firm PT WIR Asia Tbk. said it plans to invest some $20 million until 2028 through its subsidiary PT Mata Nilai Republik, Indonesia’s first Metaverse company, for the development of augmented reality technology with the use of virtual reality and AI.

Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN), on the other hand, updated Mr. Marcos on the memorandum of understanding it signed with WIT Philippines Inc. in September 2022 for the launch of a satellite in December this year.

The tie-up calls for the allocation of 13.5 Gbps of bandwidth for the Philippines using the soon-to-be-launched satellite.

PT Vaksindo Satwa Nusantara said it will work with its Philippine partner, Univet Nutrition and Animal Healthcare Company Philippines, on veterinary vaccines, such as avian influenza vaccine, through a $2 million investment.

Marcos, during his meeting with the investors and during the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, stressed the need for stronger cooperation between Indonesia and the Philippines to enhance business opportunities in several areas.

“I cannot say now how happy I am to be able to have met with you, some of you again, and to have this opportunity so that we can hopefully explore many areas that we have really not spoken about before but are particularly relevant when it comes to partnerships between our two countries both in the private and the public sectors,” the President said.

“We have adopted a policy of very close coordination and cooperation with the private sector and that I think is also the element that will add to the possibilities to excel,” Mr. Marcos added.

in the commission of cybercrimes.

The President likewise highlighted his administration’s goal of developing priority areas that include agriculture and energy.

“And we are, of course, continuing our infrastructure buildup which is the most important and absolutely critical in any – if we are to develop and industrialize larger parts of the economy,” he said.

Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual also thanked the Indonesian firms for their commitment to invest in the Philippines.

“Through your committed investments in the country, we see you as our valuable partner in pursuing robust economic growth and expansion. We look forward to our strategic collaboration and partnership in creating a sustainable and innovative future for the region,” Pascual said.

Private sector representatives from the Philippines and other ASEAN membercountries also signed an MOU for agriculture cooperation and small business development in line with the regional bloc’s economic integration bid.

The DTI earlier said most rice retailers in Metro Manila markets are complying with the new price ceilings of P41 per kilo of regular milled rice and P45 per kilo of well-milled rice.

“There has been a notable level of compliance observed among the retailers monitored, thus far. The initial rounds of inspections were conducted at various markets and supermarkets in the National Capital Region (NCR) by a composite team comprised of members from DTI and DA,” said DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual in a Viber message sent from Indonesia, where he is attending the ASEAN Summit.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Bejamin Abalos Jr., meanwhile, led the inspection at Mega Q-Mart public market and Save More Supermarket in Quezon City to check if rice retailers were complying with the price caps.

He said he assured rice retailers that the price ceilings were only a temporary measure to make sure rice was accessible and reasonably priced.

This developed as the PLDT Group vowed to support two bills -- one in the House of Representatives and the other in the Senate – that will strengthen the country’s current laws on cybercrime and imprison individuals who act as “mules”

“Many” of the text blast machines were confiscated, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy said in a Viber message to reporters, without indicating a number. “They are not legal unless the NTC approves it.”

He added that it is “challenging” to confiscate some of the text blast machines because “some of them are owned by local politicians.”

Uy did not mention which politicians owned such machines, which were used as recently as the 2022 national and local elections.

DICT Undersecretary Alexander Ramos said the text blast machines are typically connected to a computer or laptop and send random text messages to a series of numbers. Ramons said these machines are now

being sold at low prices.

Uy earlier blamed the continued “smishing” (SMS phishing) and text scams on organized syndicates that are buying pre-registered SIM cards from people willing to sell them.

“These people have little regard for protecting their identity or credentials, which is mostly from poor communities,” Uy said.

IN BRIEF

Navy getting 2 new Korean corvettes

THE Philippine Navy (PN) is set to receive two brand-new naval ships from 2025 to 2026, an official said on Wednesday.

These corvettes are worth P28 billion and are designed to be capable of conducting anti-ship, anti-submarine and anti-air warfare missions. PN vice commander Rear Adm. Caesar Bernard Valencia, in an interview with DZBB said: “We have a lot of naval ships coming. In 2025 and 2026, we will be receiving two brand-new corvettes from South Korea.”

Valencia said these brand-new missile corvettes are expected to backstop the two Jose Rizal-class missile frigates – the BRP Jose Rizal and the BRP Antonio Luna that are currently in service.

Taguig: 3k to benefit from SPES program

THE Taguig City government has announced it is now accommodating more beneficiaries in the Special Program for the Employment of Students and Out-of-School Youth (SPES).

From 2,000 beneficiaries last year, the program now accommodates 3,000.

Last week, 600 SPES beneficiaries received their salaries during the distribution held at Taguig City University Auditorium.

The program aims to build the youth’s character and prepare them for employment by providing them with a glimpse into their future. Sixty percent of the earnings come from the local government, while the remaining 40 percent comes from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through remittance centers. Joel E. Zurbano

ERRATUM

Editor’s Note: We are reprinting this story from our Tuesday Sept. 5 edition to clarify some factual inconsistencies at the request of the Quezon City Treasurer’s Office.

THE Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office has cleared two employees from the city treasury office of any involvement in a bribery allegation for insufficiency of evidence.

City treasurer Edgar Villanueva has nothing to do with the complaint filed by one Anthony Stephen Monteiro against the two employees, the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office clarified.

Villanueva welcomed the resolution of Prosecutor IV Crisistomo Dario Jr., the city’s Inquest Division chief (Non-Drug Cases), and prosecutor Criscelyn Cabayugan-Lugo dismissing the complaint for direct bribery and violation of Section 13 of Republic Act 11032 (Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act) against the employees of the treasury office — Ulysses dela Cruz and Shaine Ann Marie Cabuang, who maintained their innocence.

The accusation hurled by the complainant did not involve Villanueva.

Dela Cruz and Cabuang stressed there was no corruption involved since they even prepared a business tax bill, and that they even used a counting machine to count the money from Monteiro in front of the other employees.

The prosecutor’s office ruled in favor of Dela Cruz and Cabuang, both Civil Service eligibles, who presented strong and sufficient evidence. Rio Araja

Crespillo takes Galido’s post at Westmincom

QUIAPO BLAZE.

A firefighter tries to hoist a hose to put out a blaze in a residential/ commercial building along Globo de Oro Street in Quiapo, Manila on Wednesday morning. Norman Cruz

Plea vs. CA ruling favoring red-tagged journo denied

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Court of Appeals (CA) has denied the appeal of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) seeking the reversal of a January 27, 2023, CA ruling on the search warrant against a journalist and a union organizer.

The CA earlier affirmed the decision of a Mandaluyong regional trial court to quash the search warrant issued against red-tagged journalist Lady Ann Salem and union organizer Rodrigo Esparago.

In a resolution, the CA’s Twelfth Division through Associate Justice Jose Lor-

enzo dela Rosa held that the OSG failed to raise new arguments that would warrant the reconsideration of its January 27 decision.

“The motion for reconsideration fails to present any new and substantial matter, or any cogent and compelling reason which would justify reconsideration of

this Court’s ruling,” the CA stressed.

“Let it be emphasized that the filing of a motion for reconsideration does not impose on this Court the obligation to discuss and rule again on the grounds relied upon by petitioner, which were mere reiterations and of the issues previously raised and thorough determined and evaluated in this Court’s decision,” it said.

Salem, editor of Manila Today, and Esparago were arrested on December 10, 2020, after authorities claimed that they found illegal firearms including pistols, grenades, and ammunition during a raid at her residence in Mandaluyong.

PHILIPPINE Army (PA) vice commander Maj. Gen. Steve Crespillo was formally installed on Tuesday as the new commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).

PA spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad, in a statement Wednesday, said the change of command ceremony at the Westmincom headquarters in Zamboanga City was presided over by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr.

Crespillo replaced Lt. Gen. Roy M. Galido who was earlier appointed as Army chief on Aug. 7.

“Before his designation, Maj. Gen. Steve D. Crespillo served as the vice commander of the Headquarters Philippine Army and chief of the Office of the Army Ethical Standards and Public Accountability,” Trinidad added.

Crespillo, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1990, also served as commander of the 501st Infantry Brigade, 5th Infantry Division in 2021; chief of staff of the 6th Infantry Division in 2017; chief of Unified Command Staff of Westmincom in 2016; and commanding officer of the 54th Infantry Battalion, 5th Infantry Division.

“I urge everyone to focus on contributing our individual and group efforts to accomplish our campaign objectives. Let us work, serve the people of Western Mindanao for the greater glory of our country, for the Filipino people,” he added. With Vince Lopez

Robin wants BI to fix ‘mistaken identity’ arrest

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Robin Padilla has demanded justice for a 62-year-old Muslim arrested in August over a case of mistaken identity because the person had the same name as a man who has nine warrants of arrest.

In his privilege speech, Padilla questioned the case of “mistaken identity” and possible discrimination against Mohammad Maca-Antal Said who was arrested on August 10.

“Mr. President, I am bringing this to your attention so we can give justice to this elderly Muslim who up to now remains behind bars. We inquired about his case before the courts, but they said we have to follow procedures,” he said “What procedures are there to follow when the one he is confused with has been dead? I cannot understand,” he said.

Padilla further said: “If we want to restore public trust and form a just society, no Filipino should suffer the same fate as Said.”

FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH. Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel and Antipolo residents join a free seminar on ultrasound, cryotherapy, and breast and cervical cancer screening led by the Rotary Club of Makati Circle of Friends; Rotary Club of Rizal Premier; Kaulayaw Coffee; Philippine Cancer Society; Nation Builders; Mosliv Awards; and the Antipolo City government on Wednesday. Joey O. Razon

BOC, PEZA sign pact on electronic tracking system

By Vito Barcelo

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) signed a data-sharing agreement for access to the BOC’s Electronic Tracking of Containerized Cargo (E-TRACC) System.

The E-TRACC System will allow the BOC to track, monitor, and audit the location and condition of cargoes, as well as obtain real-time alarms on, among others, diversion and tampering of cargoes.

Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said the bureau, mandated with

overseeing the handling, custody, and delivery of goods at all ports of entry, is entrusted with a pivotal role in safeguarding the nation’s interests.

“The E-TRACC System, introduced through Customs Memorandum Order No. 04-2020, has been instrumental in real-time monitoring of containerized goods’ inland movements,” he said.

“Key provisions of the agreement focus on data privacy, security, storage, and retention of confidential information,” the official added.

The BOC will have an E-TRACC System dashboard showing the data collected

OCD to commemorate Bohol quake in drill

THE Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Wednesday said it would commemorate the 2013 Bohol earthquake by conducting the third quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on Thursday.

In a statement, OCD administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said the ceremonial pressing of the button of the third quarter NSED will be held in Tagbilaran, Bohol at 2 p.m.

Bohol was selected as the ceremonial site for this quarter’s NSED to mark the 10th anniversary of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck the province on Oct. 15, 2013. A fullscale exercise focusing on a magnitude 7.2 earthquake scenario due to the movement of the East Bohol Fault would be conducted.

Nepomuceno also stressed the need to enhance the response capabilities of local government units and communities against massive earthquakes.

The OCD and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) will spearhead the simultaneous earthquake drill. Tagbilaran City will host the ceremonial pressing of the button and the full-scale exercise focusing on a magnitude 7.2 earthquake scenario due to the movement of the East Bohol Fault.

The exercise will test the city’s earthquake emergency plans through a demonstration of response capabilities; command and control systems and processes; and interoperability of rescue teams, officials said.

and transmitted by the system service provider. This will allow BOC to monitor the movement and location of all containers as well as get real-time alarms both on the dashboard and by email.

Importers will be able to monitor the movement of their containers through the system and can also authorize their customs brokers to have access to the system. Booking for the E-TRACC trip can be made a day before or up to one hour before departure of the container.

PEZA will be responsible for regulating, supervising, and facilitating business operations within economic zones.

Padilla said Said, who is also called “Tatay Mohammad” was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 as he was preparing to depart for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

But he said “Tatay Mohammad,” who hails from Balo-i, Lanao del Norte, happened to have the same name as one Mohammad Said a.k.a. Ama Maas who had nine warrants for his arrest. Padilla also said “Tatay Mohammad” and Ama Maas look very different.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) meanwhile clarified its role in the interception of Filipinos with arrest warrants in ports of entry and exit, saying the bureau is not mandated to arrest Filipinos.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco made the clarification after Padilla raised the concern in his privilege speech over the arrest of a foreigner at the NAIA. Padilla mentioned the case of Said, who reportedly arrested by the BI after attempting to depart for Malaysia last August 10.

Bill on teenage pregnancy gains House approval

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE House of Representatives has unanimously approved on third and final reading a bill that aims to prevent teenage pregnancies and protect young mothers.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said House Bill (HB) 8910 seeks to address the social problem of early pregnancy and young mothering, which has adverse effects on both the mother and the baby, and on society in general.

He said based on surveys, the problem worsened during the pandemic when the government advised people, including the youth, to stay home to stave off the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 virus.

“The social cost of this issue and the negative impact on the national budget could run into billions - in terms of the government having to take care of young mothers and their babies. There is also the human development aspect,” Romualdez said.

He added that the state has to prepare the youth for a healthyadolescent and adult life, as well as responsible parenthood by instilling in them the appropriate moral and sexual values.

One of the bill’s principal authors, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman lauded the overwhelming support of the House in its passage on third reading of HB 8910.

Lagman emphasized in his explanation of affirmative vote that “legislating a comprehensive law on preventing adolescent pregnancy is imperative to institutionalize policies and strategies on eliminating or mitigating adolescent pregnancy, and extend social protection to adolescent parents and their children.”

Group urges tariff body to broaden EV incentives

A CITIZEN advocacy group has called on the Tariff Commission “to act with urgency” on the Department Of Energy’s (DOE) recommendation to include two-and three-wheeled vehicles in an executive order providing incentives to the importation of electric vehicles.

Lawyer and former congressman Christopher Belmonte, co-convenor of CitizenWatch Philippines, said while the EO covering four-wheeled electric vehicles is already commendable.

“It has to expand to cover other vehicles that are more affordable to maximize the full impact of green transport options to the Filipino public.

“This will certainly accelerate the shift away from air-polluting vehicles and provide an even better mobility experience to the people,” Belmonte said.

Electric vehicles, being new technology that is not yet in the mainstream, may come at prices beyond the purchasing power of ordinary Filipinos even if they shift to environment-friendly commuting, and even if they are clearly starved for efficient transport options given the sorry state of public transportation in the country.

“Most importantly, the soaring price of fuel has made many Filipinos suffer,” Belmonte said.

“The government has to do its part by enabling the people to make this shift, by making it easier for them to own electric vehicles,” he said.

EO 12 series of 2023, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last January 13, invokes Republic Act 11697 or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act that says the State to provide an enabling environment that permits the development electric vehicles, including options for micro-mobility as an attractive and feasible mode of transportation.

PhilHealth chief admits, vows to pay P27-b debt to hospitals

THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) now owes hospitals in the country some P27 billion, but promises to settle them in the next 90 days.

PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Ledesma cited the agency’s more than P400 billion in investible funds and over P68 billion in net income as proof of its liquidity and capability to meet its financial obligations.

Ledesma told the House Appropriations Committee they would be rolling out soon the debit credit payment mechanism for the purpose.

During the committee hearing, AGRI party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee scored the PhilHealth for not being able to pay the hospitals.

As a consequence, Lee said some hospitals no longer accept PhilHealth pay-

ments even as they could no longer afford the salaries of its staff.

“I’m happy to state to honorable congressmen that we will completely, hopefully, or very high percentage po within 90 days [mabayaran] ‘yung P27 billion,” Ledesma said.

“I’m confident that within 90 days from today bulk or majority if not all of the P27 billion will be paid off and hopefully that will make the hospitals and the doctors happy,” Ledesma said.

Ledesma asserted that their cash position was high so they are also looking at reforms in the company.

Ledesma also revealed they have started revising the benefit case packages,

among other reforms.

“We have a pending review for a reorg. Once that’s approved we will increase the number of employees of PhilHealth from the current roughly 7,000 employees it will go above 10,000 employees,” Ledesma also said.

Lee urged the PhilHealth to fulfill their mandate to provide reliable health insurance coverage to the people and to promptly pay their dues to private hospitals using the profits it earned from its investments.

Lee said he has received numerous complaints regarding the PhilHealth’s debts to hospitals despite the agency possessing an enormous amount of available investible funds and income.

“Based on our discussion, I am confident that within 90 days from today, the bulk or the majority of the P27 billion will be paid off,” Ledesma said.

NO TO DOH BUDGET

CUT. Members of the Alliance Health Workers trooped to the House of Representatives to resist the proposed P13.98-b cut in the Department of Health’s 2024 budget. Manny

IN BRIEF

Solons asked to give more teeth to bike lanes law

CYCLIST Allan Bandiola, who figured in a road rage altercation with a former policeman has urged senators to give more teeth to the exclusive bike lanes law to ensure safety of the riders.

While putting up bike lanes and other infrastructures for active transport was part of Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, there was no law enforcing their use.

Some local governments in Metro Manila have even removed or neglected to maintain bike lanes that were put up during the pandemic lockdowns, according to transport reform advocacy group Alt Mobility PH.

“Lagyan nila ng pangil ng batas ‘yung bike lane. Dapat irespeto nila. Kasi kung nirerespeto ‘yung bike lane, wala pong papasok don eh,” said Bandiola during the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs hearing led by Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. Macon Ramos-Araneta

More toll plazas adopt cashless deals

MORE toll plazas in Luzon’s expressways will implement cashless collection for the second leg of the two-month dry run starting Sept. 8, the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) said.

The TRB, an attached agency of the Department of Transportation, said the dry run was a “necessary procedure” to ensure the readiness of tollway concessionaires and operators of expressways for the smooth and efficient reimplementation of the program.

Only selected toll plazas will participate in the dry run implemented in batches.

The dry run for cashless toll collections on selected toll plazas began on Sept. 1.

‘AFP favors sale of military assets for MUP startup’

CAMARINES Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Wednesday said the military supports the proposal of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to dispose of its real property as well as assets left from its Retirement and Separation Benefits System (RSBS) worth about P44 billion, and use the proceeds as seed capital for a new and separate pension fund

DOJ says HSAC orders ‘final and executory’

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has ruled that decisions of the Human Settlements and Adjudication Commission (HSAC) are final and executory 15 days after copies of the order have been received by the parties unless stayed by the Court of Appeals (CA) through a restraining order or preliminary injunction.

In a legal opinion, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla stressed that unless restrained by the CA when appealed, HSAC decisions are final and executory despite the pendency of the appeal.

The opinion was sought by HSAC on what it perceived as conflicts in Sections 15 and 18 of Republic Act No. 11201, or

the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Act.

Citing RA 11201, Remulla said “it is clear that the decisions of the Commission En Banc become final and executory after the lapse of fifteen (15) calendar days from receipt there by the parties, in the absence of a stay order from the CA.”

Section 15 of RA 11201 states: “The decision of the Commission shall be final and executory after fifteen (15) calendar days from receipt thereof by the parties.”

Section 18, on the other hand, provides: “The decision of the Commission upon any disputed matter may be brought upon to the Court of Appeals in accordance with Rule 43 of the Rules of Court.”

for our soldiers. Villafuerte said newly confirmed AFP chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. during the Commission on Appointments (CA) hearing on the latter’s recent confirmation.

When asked by Villafuerte on whether Brawner shares Teodoro’s position on the substitute Military and Uniformed Personnel (MUP) pension reform bill passed last month by a

House ad hoc committee, Brawner said he supports the defense secretary’s position on the sale of AFP assets and the establishment of a pension system for our soldiers separate from those of other uniformed personnel.

“I share the same sentiment, especially on the separation of the military from the other uniformed services when it comes to the pension system, Brawner said in reply to Villafuerte’s query. Maricel V. Cruz

Non-participating toll plazas will continue to collect tolls through RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) lanes and cash lanes.

In an earlier interview, TRB spokesperson Julius Corpuz said the initial implementation of the dry run is going well.

Free

master’s course for state workers pushed

A PARTY-list legislator has pushed for the passage of a measure that aims to provide free tuition to government employees aspiring to complete their master’s degrees in state universities and colleges (SUCs).

Bicol Saro Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan said his House Bill (HB) 8834 will promote career advancement and a culture of lifelong learning in government, which will in turn, lead to a higher standard of service to the Filipino people.

“Apart from improving the quality of public service, we owe it to our government employees to assure them that as they tirelessly and generously provide their services and expertise on the one hand, the government backs their goals for career growth and professional development on the other,” Yamsuan said. Maricel V. Cruz

COFFEE SHOP TALK. Senate Blue Ribbon and Committee on Justice chairman Francis Tolentino stresses a point as he fields questions from the media during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay. Norman Cruz

Manny Palmero

Palmero

Politi-crazy

ASSUMING without accepting the DA, DTI and the President mismo believe that “cartels” are manipulating rice prices and taking advantage of the external price upsurge, which is the official reason given for imposing price caps on retail prices of the staple at P41 to P45, far below what the market equilibrium is at present, I wonder why they did not:

First—call the members of the “cartel,” or the big rice traders and importers, as well as the rice millers to Malacanang, during which the president cum DA secretary appeals and threatens, in that order, and strikes the fear of the law (read that as the BIR), so that an agreement close to the equilibrium market price is agreed upon, instead of punishing the rice retailers and in the forthcoming harvest, the farmers who even now are getting lower prices for their early harvest;

Second—cross-tabulate the Bureau of Plant Industry records on import permits with the Bureau of Customs’ records on import arrivals, for which they exact a 35 percent tariff, to be able to determine the actual volume of imported rice stockpiled in the bodegas of the rice trade chain.

I found it funny that after “raids” by the BoC and the HoR leadership, the former gave the traders until 15 September to produce evidence that those stocks were legally imported, or smuggled; And third—I find it strange that per news reports, the BPI issued 2,082 sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for close to 2 million metric tons of rice only in the past two months (July and August).

Why not earlier, when NFA told the president and other DA officials as early as end-April that they had precarious stocks good only for two days, and when DA already knew that the summer crop (March-May) fetched prices as high as P23 to P28 per kilo of palay from private traders such that NFA with its buying price at P19 simply could not compete?

Meanwhile, less funds go to the basics: health, education, infrastructure. What a country!

And these importers will ship in their imports at the height of the typhoon season?

And now, with world market prices having gone almost $200 per metric ton higher than May prices?

One wonders, who could have advised the president to impose the price ceilings on rice?

DTI, DA, his economic managers? That does not seem likely.

If they thought imposing price ceilings would be effective, why didn’t they tell the president to do so with onions when the bulbs went up to P600-P700 per kilo?

Is it because there are only a few players in sugar and onions?

Easy to talk with for you know what?

Up to now, no one has been reported charged with economic sabotage or price manipulation, especially in onions, except one dummy who the House detained the other day.

Rice is a different animal.

There are many industry players, big and small, some specializing only in their respective provinces and regions.

What media and legislators call cartels are dispersed, unlike sugar which at one time was controlled by the “Big Seven.”

Our friend, Philstar’s Jarius Bondoc had an interesting theory in his column yesterday about the possibility of a government-blessed rice importer.

When I was appointed to head the NFA in the first days of PNoy’s government, I was aghast that government-to-government deals could only be made with Vietnam through a supply agreement made possible only with presidential approval.

Immediately I had a supply agreement drafted with Thailand, which PNoy readily approved.

Then I drafted another with Cambodia, and it was in the agenda for an ASEAN summit, but our president tabled the agreement because Hun Sen, the presiding chair, refused to place the WPS issue for discussion.

It was subsequently approved after two years.

But that’s all water under the bridge, because as I keep stating, the NFA has been castrated by the hastily-passed rice tarrification law of 2019, no longer allowed to import, no longer allowed to regulate traders and retailers, no longer allowed to sell except to DSWD and LGUs and, of course, the resurrected Kadiwa where government lost P12 to P13 per kilo sold, and is now an invisible

CARTI SUGTUPU, Panama—On a tiny Caribbean island, hundreds of people are preparing to pack up and move to escape the rising waters threatening to engulf their already precarious homes.

Surrounded by idyllic clear waters, the densely populated island of Carti Sugtupu off Panama’s north coast has barely an inch to spare with houses crammed together -some jutting out into the sea on stilts.

The island’s Indigenous community of fewer than 2,000 souls scrapes by without potable water or sanitation.

They live off fishing, the harvesting of starchy crops like cassava and plantain, traditional textile production and a bit of tourism. It is not an easy life, with intense heat and a lack of public services adding to the discomfort of overcrowded conditions on an island the size of five football fields.

And now, climate change-induced sea level rise is threatening to make life even more difficult.

Why not a US-funded port in Batanes?

commodity in the few operating stores. Look at DA’s Bureau of Plant Industry, or the Philippine International Trading Corporation, and of course, the Bureau of Customs.

Now let’s input the coming harvest. With the massive rains and floods, and the clouds covering the sun, our palay farmers know that the yield per hectare will be lower, and the grains of inferior quality.

Photosynthesis, our science teachers in high school taught us. The DA people know that very well.

Rice is a fungible commodity, meaning, inferior quality can be mixed with better quality to earn more, as very few consumers know by looks or smell, what is truly dinorado or sinandomeng or whatever, even whether it is locally produced or imported.

And with the price ceilings, the market is instantly discombobulated, as we wrote last Monday, and a cacophony of negative reactions by both media and the business community, as well as farmers, save for a few who think repealing the law of supply and demand can be done.

On the first day of its implementation, many retailers either defied the ceilings or sold some at P45 with long faces and limited stock.

Others just closed shop, which officials, even with the optics of some Metro Manila mayors and the DILG/DA/DTI officials in the usual markets where TV crews monitor prices, could not prevent.

Some could have mixed even the sweepings with their 25 percent brokens just to have a few kilos labelled regular milled at P41 per kilo.

Meanwhile, PSA reportedfood inflation rose to 8.1 percent last month, up from 6.3 percent in July.

In August 2022, food inflation was lower at 6.5 percent. Along with weekly oil price increases, inflation rose to 5.3 percent, up from 4.7 percent in July when our economic managers were telling us the worst is over.

Well, yesterday, the Brent crude oil benchmark upped to $90 per barrel, mainly due to the cartel of OPEC+Russia. It has been rising by anywhere from 50 cents to a dollar each day the past week and now. More bad news on the external dis-economies.

The president before he left for Jakarta to attend the 43rd summit of an ASEAN that is increasingly irrelevant and dis-united, assured retailers of “ayuda.”

Lahat na lang, ang solusyon— ayuda.

4Ps which made the poor more dependent and lazy; delayed ayuda for transport sector; selective ayuda for farmers; promised ayuda for rice retailers, all subsidized by taxpayers.

And the biggest ayuda of them all: pork barrel for legislators so they earn from their favored contractors, or as many have done, be the contractors themselves.

Meanwhile, less funds go to the basics: health, education, infrastructure.

What a country!

LATE last month, a wire news report indicated the United States military is holding talks with the Philippine government to develop a civilian port in Batanes province.

The report did not say whether the US is talking with officials of Batanes province—and, presumably, with the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

But what is clear is that the planned development of the Batanes port for military use, if it comes to pass, would boost American access to strategically located islands facing Taiwan.

The spokesperson of the US Embassy in Manila was quoted in the news report as saying the US Embassy and US Army Pacific (Usarpac) officials and experts had been talking with the Batanes governor and local government, “at their request, to discuss ways Usarpac can support engineering, medical and agricultural development projects in the province.”

Batanes province lies less than 200

kilometers from Taiwan, which China claims is a renegade province that must be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary.

The Bashi Channel between Batanes and Taiwan is considered a choke point for vessels moving between the western Pacific and the contested South China

The AFP is said to be interested in the possible installation of radar and other monitoring facilities in Batanes

Sea and a key waterway in the case of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

The Chinese military regularly sends ships and aircraft through the channel, according to Taiwan’s defense ministry.

This news report is likely to send alarm bells ringing wildly in Beijing as the plan could “stoke the fires” of already simmering tension in this part of the Pacific.

Batanes Governor Marilou Cayco,

however, has said she had sought funding from the US for building an “alternative port” in Basco island that would assist in unloading cargo from Manila in rough seas during the monsoon season.

She said she was seeking investments to build seaports and airports in the island province with a population of 18,000.

The province could also offer safe haven to Filipinos fleeing Taiwan if conflict breaks out there, according to Batanes local government officials.

But two other unnamed Filipino officials said the US military had visited Batanes recently to discuss the planned port.

The AFP is said to be interested in the possible installation of radar and other monitoring facilities in the area.

If China has already built artificial islands even in our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) complete with airstrips and even suspected missile sites on the basis of its dubious and mythical “ten-dash line” covering nearly all of the South China Sea, what should stop us from asking for US help to build a port right in our northernmost island for combined civilian and military use?

Demanding, unforgiving basketball fans

it was the Japanese team that qualified for the

***

The Comelec has announced almost 1.2 million candidates filed their CoCs for the upcoming barangay and SK elections come October 30.

They will be vying for 42,000 barangay chair seats; 294,000 kagawad positions plus that trapotraining ground called the SK.

Many of the candidates, as expected, are wives, sons, daughters, brothers and other kin of the barangay chairmen and their kagawads, or the mayors and councilors themselves, further perpetuating local dynasties in this country.

As in the past, expect vote-buying. That is the lay of the land. What their mayors and congressmen do, the barangay and SK officials will likewise, with less comparative cost.

My friend Comelec chair George Garcia calls the forthcoming elections a sign of our democracy. Truth to tell, it shows how feudal and dynastic our political order is.

This is not to say that all chairmen and their kagawads are not imbued with a desire to serve their community well. But that seems to have been more exception than rule; self-service more than public service.

Or maybe it is a sign of the economic times: unemployment and under-employment get everyone who cannot be OFWs abroad, or get jobs which pay even less than living wages here at home, instead vie for positions with some power and some compensation, with a few rackets on the side.

Mabuti na kesa nga-nga at istambay.

As we have kept observing here, politics is business in this country. Big business for national legislators, governors and city mayors; medium to small businesses for barangays.

Oh, what a politi-crazy country!

With homes already flooded on a regular basis, experts say the sea will engulf Carti Sugtupu and dozens of neighboring islands in the Guna Yala region by the end of the century.

Forty-nine of the isles are populated, and rest just less than one meter above sea level.

“We have noticed that the tide has risen,” retired teacher Magdalena Martinez, 73, told AFP as she sat embroidering a brightly colored toucan onto a “mola” cloth traditional to the Guna people on Carti Sugtupu.

“We think we’re going to sink, we know it’s going to happen,” she said.

Martinez is one of hundreds of inhabitants of the island expecting to move soon to a settlement on mainland Panama newly built by the government -- a move that may save the islanders, but puts at risk their culture and way of life.

“This will change our lifestyle quite a bit,” said Martinez. But, she added, “it won’t change our spirit, it won’t change our habits.”

ALTHOUGH our 2023 FIBA World Cup campaign did not end the way we all wanted, we at least preserved a bit of our basketball pride by winning against our perennial and toughest Asian rival, China. And what a game it was. As Jordan Clarkson said himself, it was hard not to respond with the crowd totally behind the Gilas team. If that was the way the fans behaved in the previous games, perhaps we could have won more than one game. As it was, the Filipino basketball fans were booing their own national team together with the coach, Chot Reyes prior to the games which was totally mystifying and uncalled for.

Reyes did not deserve that kind of treatment from the crowd and they should be ashamed of themselves.

It is just a game folks.

In team competitions, the support of the home crowd is essential because they can motivate the home team to sometimes perform beyond expectations as they did in the game with China. Instead, the crowd was booing their own team which was demoralizing to the entire team.

As Fil-Am Jordan Clarkson again said in an interview, it was a weird experience for him to see the home crowd booing their own team. It was more than weird. It showed that we still have a lot to learn. Notwithstanding our passion for the game, we have to learn how to be part of the country effort in supporting our home team to win.

I am sure all the members of the Gilas team together with Coach Reyes also wanted to win and they tried their best as shown by the closeness of the scores. All the losing games that they played could have gone either way except perhaps the game with newcomer South Sudan. But sometimes, just like in any sport, one bad break could be disastrous and we have to accept that. Booing the Coach and the team while they are in the court trying their best was to say the least disgusting. Team Australia which is rated third in the world did not make it to the second round but will nonetheless make it to the Olympics because it is the best of only two teams in the Oceana region. China was also knocked out and has been

After years of promises and delays, the government has announced that by the end of this year or early 2024 it will be ready to move families to the mainland

“The fact is that with sea levels rising as a direct cause of climate change, almost all the islands are going to be abandoned by the end of this century,” Steven Paton, a scientist at the Panama-based Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, told AFP.

completely eliminated from the Olympic Games in Paris.

It shows the toughness of the competition.

One thing to remember also is that the Gilas team got together to practice as a whole team only about two weeks before the actual tournament.

In team sport, no matter how individually gifted players are, enough time is needed for the players to blend together and develop unit cohesion.

Even Kai Sotto our center, who was already in the country, reported late because of some issues.

There are also other factors in play in any sports tournament.

Luck, bad officiating and hometown support are also important elements.

Victory or defeat cannot all be blamed on the coach.

Chot Reyes should still be at peace with himself in the knowledge he and his players gave their all and did their best

And those who behaved shamefully during the Gilas games have a lot of introspecting to do.

So, what happens next?

So far, the SBP has remained quiet about it.

This is probably because the FIBA tournament is still going on.

But it looks like there is now a quiet search for a new Coach and player selection going on.

Question is who it will be.

It also looks that there will be a new set of players bannered by old guards.

But since the Asian Games is just around the corner, we will know who will be the new Coach and players soon enough.

We all wanted to see Gilas winning more games, qualify automatically for the Olympics and end up as the best in Asia but, unfortunately,

‘There is no room’ On Carti Sugtupu, there is no drinking water, and residents have to go out in boats to collect it from rivers or buy it on the mainland. Few have reliable electricity. Most residents receive a few hours of power per day from a public generator. A few have solar panels feeding their homes built of zinc and wood, with floors of dirt.

None have their own toilets, and residents have to visit communal cubicles at the ends of piers where wooden boards perched over the sea serve as latrines.

“There is no room to expand homes or for children to play,” Human Rights Watch said in a recent report on the island.

“Floods and storms have made life even harder... affecting housing, water, health and education. Such extreme weather is only expected to become more common as the climate crisis accelerates,” it said.

After years of promises and delays, the government has announced that by the end

Olympics and became the best Asian performer in the tournament.

With one win and four loses however, we are not yet out of the running for a place in the Paris Olympics next year.

It is just going to be a lot more difficult getting into it.

With Jordan Clarkson already quite busy preparing for the coming NBA season, he will not be available to buttress the Gilas team for the elimination rounds later this year. Brownlee if he is healthy will apparently take his place together with Ange Koume. Our other local standouts who will also be reporting back to their clubs and miss the Asian Games in China.

In the meantime, even with the tournament still going on, many in this basketball crazy country of ours who believe they know a lot about basketball have already analyzed what happened and know why we did not win more games. One valid observation is the late formation of the Gilas team which did not give the players enough time to blend with each other perhaps caused us one defeat.

That observation must be referring to the GilasDominican Republic game.

But in all the commentaries that I read, no one castigated the rude behavior of the fans.

Be that as it may, Chot Reyes should still be at peace with himself in the knowledge he and his players gave their all and did their best.

As his interviews have shown, he was greatly hurt by all the criticisms thrown at him.

As he said, he did not ask for the job but because the country beckoned, he felt he had to report for duty like any good soldier regardless of the consequences and that is more than anything the country can ask from him.

of this year or early 2024 it will be ready to move families to the mainland, a 15-minute boat ride away, where it has built a new neighborhood that includes a school.

“We are building 300 homes for 300 families, with an average of five people per family,” Marcos Suira, national director of engineering and architecture at the Ministry of Housing and Territorial Planning, told AFP.

“It’s a pilot plan.”

Each family will have 300 square meters, including a two-bedroom house, drinking water and electricity, according to the government.

Resident teacher Braulio Navarro, 62, told AFP he has to cross the island every morning just to go to the toilet.

He cannot wait to move.

“I have no alternative but to go in search of a better quality of life,” said Navarro.

“I know that there will be 24hour electricity, there will be fans, air conditioning, there will be a great benefit for my family.” AFP

‘We’re going to sink’—with hundreds ready to abandon Caribbean island home

September power rates likely higher on increased fuel costs

By Alena Mae S. Flores

POWER rates may go up in September as higher fuel costs pushed up generation charges, an executive of Manila Electric Co. said Wednesday.

“Although we have yet to receive the final billings from our suppliers, there may be upward pressure on the generation charge this month,” Meralco vice pesident and spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga said.

Zaldarriaga said the forecasted increase in generation rates “is expected to be driven by higher fuel prices in the world market during the supply month.”

World oil prices went up in the past two months, leading to nine straight weeks of domestic pump price hikes.

“The depreciation of the peso against the US dollar is expected to

have an impact as well on our suppliers’ charges for the incoming billing month,” he said.

Zaldarriaga said these factors “can somehow be mitigated by lower WESM [Wholesale Electricity Spot Market] charges that may result from lower demand and lower average capacity on outage.”

The WESM is the trading floor of electricity where the company sources part of its monthly power supply requirements.

Meralco announced a reduction in August electricity rates of P0.2908 per kilowatt-hour, with the overall rate for a typical household going down to P10.8991 per kWh from P11.1899 per kWh in July.

Residential customers consuming 200 kWh saw their rates go down by P58 in their monthly electricity bill.

SC ruling seen derailing Makati subway

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE recent Supreme Court ruling on the territorial dispute between the local government units of Makati and Taguig could jeopardize the construction of the proposed $3.7-billion Makati IntraCity Subway project, its proponent said Wednesday.

Philippine Infradev Holdings Inc. said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the big-ticket project “may no longer be feasible” because of alignment issues as some areas previously within the jurisdiction of Makati City were ruled to be within Taguig City.

Philippine Infradev, led by businessman Antonio Tiu, earlier formed a joint venture with the Makati LGU for the

IN

BRIEF

GSIS plans to keep

stake in Metro Pacific PENSION fund Government Service Insurance System said Wednesday it plans to remain a shareholder of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. even as the latter plans to delist from the local bourse.

GSIS said in a letter to the Philippine Stock Exchange it is aware of MPIC’s plan to delist from the exchange, and it intends to remain a shareholder after the infrastructure conglomerate’s voluntary delisting.

GSIS on Tuesday revealed that it purchased additional common shares in MPIC, resulting in aggregate holdings of 3.43 billion common shares, equivalent to 11.98-percent stake in MPIC. “The GSIS understands that based on the PSE Rule on Minimum Public Ownership, any shareholder with a holding of 10 percent or greater of total issued and outstanding shares shall be considered nonpublic. Pursuant to this rule, GSIS understands that its shares in MPIC are now considered non-public shares,” it said.

A source from the Securities and Exchange Commission said, however, this provision could be subject to interpretation. “Does GSIS intend to influence the MPIC’s management? Does GSIS have a director in the MPIC board? How can GSIS influence the management if they don’t have a board seat,” the source asked. Jenniffer B. Austria

PAL, LinkedIn team up for workforce upskilling

PHILIPPINE Airlines teamed up with the world’s largest professional networking platform to equip its workforce with vital skills for a fast-changing and competitive business environment.

PAL, through LinkedIn’s intelligent skillbuilding platform, is offering to all its employees free access to more than 21,000 expert-led online learning courses, including an estimated 60 new courses per week on some of the most in-demand business, technology and creative skills.

“The pandemic taught us that we need to be agile. We at Philippine Airlines began our journey of digital transformation by strengthening one of our core assets, our people, through the development of programs to prepare them for the demands of the future,” said PAL vice president for human capital Jo-Ann Maluenda.

“With a PAL Multiversity powered by LinkedIn Learning, we open up a wealth of opportunities for learning and empowerment, helping us to build a powerhouse team that will take excellence and creativity to a new level,” she said.

Darwin G. Amojelar

BSP promotes Islamic banking, finance in PH

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said it promoted its initiatives to develop Islamic banking and finance in the Philippines.

BSP assistant governor Arifa Ala, lead advocate on Islamic banking and finance and the chairperson of the Islamic Finance Coordination Forum, recently led the briefing at the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on “Islamic Banking and Finance in the Philippines” for the stakeholders in Saudi Arabia, including Philippine Embassy staff and their dependents.

Ala also shared the major milestones in the development of the Philippines’ Islamic banking and finance ecosystem. He cited the vast opportunities for investments and potential benefits in terms of wider reach and greater financial inclusion that an expanding Islamic banking and finance industry can bring to the country and Filipinos abroad.

“The business model of Islamic banking is beneficial to all types of banking clients regardless of religion. Hence, the goal is to provide the public, in general, whether Muslims or non-Muslims, with appropriate financial choices that suit their risk appetite and financial needs and make the Philippines aligned with global developments,” Ala said. Julito G. Rada

Makati subway project.

“Under the joint venture agreement executed between the Makati City government and the company, the depot and a few stations of the Makati City subway system will be in the affected areas. Also, the alignment of the subway will no longer be feasible,” the company said.

Philippine Infradev said given

this development, it sent a notice of intent to the Makati City government to propose the commencement of discussions in light of the Supreme Court decision.

The SC earlier ruled with finality that Taguig has jurisdiction over Fort Bonifacio and the 10 barangays of Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Pitogo, Rizal, Northside and Southside.

Philippine Infradev in 2018 was awarded the contract to construct and operate the Makati Subway. It also posted a $350-million performance bond.

The company through its subsidiary Makati City Subway Inc. earlier teamed up with Chinese firms to help finance and construct the project.

The project also obtained fiscal incentives from the government, including four-years of income tax holiday, which will be followed by five-years of enhanced deductions and duty exemption.

The subway project, which is expected to be completed within five years, can accommodate 700,000 passengers daily and will have 10 stations.

The stations will be built on Ayala Ave.-EDSA, Paseo de Roxas, Buendia Ave., Makati Fire station, JP Rizal Ave and Sacramento St., Makati City Hall, Rockwell, Guadalupe Bridge MRT 3, Makati University, East Rembo and Ospital ng Makati.

The subway will also have connections to the Metro Rail Transit Line 3, Pasig River Ferry Service and the planned Metro Manila Subway.

ALSONS’ PIVOT.

Alsons Power Group senior vice president for business development and marketing

Ernesto Joseph Nocos, in a speech during the 32nd Mindanao Business Conference in Pagadian City, says the Alcantara-led power firm remains steadfast in helping address the dual challenges of meeting growing energy demands and ensuring a secure, reliable and affordable power supply, along with the pursuit of achieving a sustainable energy future in Mindanao and the rest of the country. Alsons Power has a portfolio of three power facilities with an aggregate capacity of 413 megawatts serving over eight million people in 14 cities and 11 provinces in Mindanao. Nocos says the company now sets its sights on achieving a roughly 60:40 ratio of renewable to nonrenewable capacity balance across its portfolio.

Shift to variable-rate format to cut lag effects of BSP actions

By Julito G. Rada

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expects shorter lag effects of policy rate actions with the shift to a variable-rate format in the auction for the overnight reverse repurchase facility beginning Sept. 8, an official said Wednesday. “The lag effects of the policy rate can be shortened or [even] strengthened,” BSP Deputy Governor Francisco Dakila Jr. said in an online briefing Wednesday.

Dakila said data should be gathered first to really see the impact of the scheme on monetary policy lag. It could take around six to nine months for the BSP’s policy moves to fully work their way into the financial system.

The BSP said earlier the changes were part of the set of planned reforms dating back to the adoption of the interest rate corridor framework in 2016. They are

largely operational in nature and do not constitute any shift in the BSP’s monetary policy stance.

“These initiatives are geared towards enhancing the transmission of monetary policy by strengthening the link between monetary policy strategy and implementation. The shift to the variable-rate auction format will also help strengthen the price discovery process by providing market participants and monetary authorities alike a market-determined interest rate that conveys the prevailing cost of and demand for overnight funds in the financial system,” the BSP said.

“With these changes, the BSP further aligns its implementation of monetary policy with the best practices in other jurisdictions,” it said.

Two key changes will be implemented in executing this shift to a variable-rate auction format. The BSP’s

monetary policy rate will be called the “Target RRP Rate”. The BSP will signal its monetary policy stance through the Target RRP Rate.

The Target RRP Rate will be set after each meeting of the Monetary Board on the BSP’s monetary policy stance, and the RRP facility remains the BSP’s primary monetary policy instrument.

The BSP will also introduce a formal operational target, which will be called the “Overnight [ON] RRP Rate”. An operational target is a market-determined, short-term interest rate that central banks can guide on a day-to-day basis using their monetary instruments to reflect the prevailing monetary policy stance.

The shift to variable-rate RRP auction format will yield a market-determined rate for overnight funds, the ON RRP rate that conveys the results of the daily RRP auctions.

SM INVESTMENTS Corp. bagged the top spot in two categories in the recently concluded 13th Institutional Investor Corporate Awards by Alpha Southeast Asia magazine. The winners were based on a poll of investors and analysts in the region.

This is SM Investments’ 12th win for the Most Organized Investor Relations and its eighth win as the company with the strongest adherence to corporate governance in this annual investors’ poll.

“We are grateful to Alpha Southeast Asia and industry investors for recognizing the company’s work in upholding the highest standards in investor relations and corporate governance,” said SM Investments president and chief executive Frederic DyBuncio.

SM Investments was also named as one of the top companies with Best Senior Management IR Support and Best Strategic CSR.

“We are cognizant of how our developments impact many communities. We are committed to serving these communities and enhancing value for all our stakeholders,” DyBuncio said.

The poll was conducted from January to June this year based on tallied votes among 586 investors and analysts with exposure to the Southeast Asia region, according to the Hong Kong-based investment magazine.

SM Investments is a leading Philippine company that is invested in market-leading businesses in retail, banking and property. It also invests in ventures that capture high-growth opportunities in the emerging Philippine economy.

Lazada discloses plan to hike PH investments on rising e-commerce demand

By Darwin G. Amojelar LAZADA

Group, an international ecommerce company, said Wednesday it is pouring more investment in its Philippine operations to serve the rising demand from Filipino shoppers. Lazada chief executive Carlos Barrera said the company is heavily investing in its Philippine operations amid the robust demand from millions of Filipino shop-

pers who have enjoyed the convenience of buying goods online.

“We are proud to have such a strong seller community, and we are confident we can achieve even more success together. We have been focusing our investments in key areas that will allow our partners to grow faster and gain more market share, and we want everyone to win,” Barrera said.

“We are happy to reaffirm our partnership not only during this Mega Campaign

season but the rest of the year,” he said. Its “MasMabilisSaLazada” banner campaign has cemented Lazada’s position in providing a superior online shopping experience for both sellers and consumers. Lazada has been rolling out more promotions, such as the Cashback program, which has been effective in keeping customers loyal, as they earn back a percentage of the money they spend while shopping on the platform.

ZERO HUNGER. Century Pacific Food Inc. one of the leading food and beverage manufacturing companies in the Philippines, together with Gawad Kalinga, spearheads the National Zero Hunger Summit, a gathering of multiple stakeholders aiming to spur action and chart a path towards a zero hunger Philippines. The event is attended by the largest assembly of Zero Hunger Champions including students, teachers, civil society organization representatives and employees from both private and government sectors.

Lazada’s 9.9 seller conference features a panel discussion with some of Lazada’s seller ambassadors.

Tan assumes top post at ASEAN Golf Federation

SINGAPORE—Tan Chong Huat, President of the Singapore Golf Association (SGA) has been appointed as the President of the ASEAN Golf Federation (AGF) for a one-year term at the AGF Annual General Meeting held on August 23, 2023 at The Mines Golf Resort in Malaysia.

Besides helming the SGA where one of his key objectives is to enhance the golf ecosystem in Singapore, Tan’s role at AGF will see him further strengthen the bonds of friendship amongst member associations, promote the development of golf in the region and key tournaments such as the South East Asian Amateur Golf Team Championships.

“I am deeply honoured and privileged to take on the role of President of the ASEAN Golf Federation for the upcoming year. As we embark on this journey, my commitment is to foster the growth and development of golf in the ASEAN region.

No smooth sailing for Gilas in Hangzhou Asian Games

By Randy Caluag

DOES it look like Gilas Pilipinas got a favorable draw at Group C in the Hangzhou Asian Games?

Certainly not.

The Philippines is slated to face Bahrain on Sept. 26 on opening day, then Thailand on Sept. 28, and Jordan on Sept. 30 in the Group Stage of the men’s basketball competition at the Hangzhou Olympic Stadium in China.

While Bahrain used to be a favorite doormat for Filipinos in past tournaments, it has certainly made progress with the recent acquisition of former PBA import Wayne Chism as a naturalized player. He led Rain or Shine to the finals in the 2015 Reinforced Conference finals and was named Best Import.

And what more do we know about Bahrain, which might have acquired more naturalized players?

Against Thailand, Gilas cannot be complacent as its perennial rival in Southeast Asia has managed to acquire naturalized imports.

The task with Jordan appears to be the most difficult as Gilas will face a fellow World Cupper, backstopped by NBA veteran and former PBA import Rondae-Hollis Jefferson.

Assuming Justin Brownlee becomes 100 percent healthy and available for Gilas, it would be a return meeting for the two imports since their last showdown in the 2022-23 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals a few months back.

Hollis-Jefferson put one over Brownlee that time, becoming the conference’s Best Import and leading TNT to a 4-2 Finals win over Brownlee’s Barangay Ginebra.

Despite the challenges, PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, who is assisting the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas in the formation of the team, ex-

pressed confidence that the Asiad-bound Gilas will be a fighting team.

“Sa akin naman, kahit sinong coach ipadala natin, kahit sinong mga players ipadala natin, laban ‘to. Laban ‘to, itong team na ‘to,” Marcial told the hosts of SPIN POV episode.

With the Asian Games’ requirements more relaxed than that of FIBA, countries willing to strengthen their lineup just need to provide local passports for their imports.

The Philippine Olympic Committee has already submitted an initial lineup to the Asian Games organizers, although the SBP and PBA will jointly announce the final composition of the team on Thursday, including the new coach.

Chot Reyes resigned from his Gilas coachinf post in the faceof criticism from fans, who were disgruntled by his handling of the PH squad in the World Cup.

The Philippines hopes to improve on its fifth-place finish in the Asian Games held five years ago in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Alcala seeks 3rd win-in-row in 5150 Dapitan

JOHN Alcala sets out for another stab at triathlon glory, top-billing a stellar cast out to foil his drive for a third straight win in endurance racing in 5150 Dapitan, which fires off Sept. 10 in Zamboanga del Norte.

The Digos City native upstaged a tough international cast in the first IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa late last year then ruled the 5150 Subic last June, making him the top pick for the overall championship in the Olympic-distance race set over the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40km bike and 10km run distance.

It also marks the first time that the historic Dapitan City is hosting a triathlon event with no less than Mayor Seth Jalosjos guaranteeing a memorable racing experience for the competing field that also includes those vying in the Go for Gold Sunrise Sprint.

A sub-category to the 5150 triathlon series, the short-distance triathlon series, also dubbed as S2, will be disputed over the 750m open-water swim, 20km bike ride and a 5km run. It provides fun and friendly racing experience present in all Sunrise brand of triathlon but with lesser of the challenges offered in the longerdistance races, like the 5150.

Ushering in the main event is the Noli Run, a 3km fun run on Sept. 9, according to the organizing The IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc.

The men’s and women’s 5150 Dapitan winners will receive P175,000 each while those who will top the Go for Gold Sunrise Sprint will each get P75,000. Also on tap is the relay event with 16 teams making up the early roster. For details and listup, log on to www.ironman.com/5150-dapitan-

Castil hobbles but recovers to regain LPGT lead

BUKIDNON—Unshaken by a wobbly frontside stint, Velinda Castil battled back in a fashion rarely seen in a junior golfer, birdying two of the last four holes to salvage a second straight 73 and back to where she was at the start—on top of the ICTSI Del Monte Championship heap.

Castil’s birdies on Nos. 15 and 18 made up for her double-bogey on the first hole and a bogey on the ninth and her late rebound stood out in a rain-hit day when Harmie Constantino and Daniella Uy limped with mishaps on Del Monte Golf Club’s tough finishing holes and fell off the leaderboard. With a 146 aggregate and a one-shot lead over new pursuer Pamela Mariano, the 15-year-old Castil candidly admitted the pressure to deliver in his first title crack in a pro tournament is mounting while doubts begin to creep into her young mind.

“Medyo kinakabahan ako kasi 1-up lang ang lamang ko,” said Castil, who

is coming off a runner-up finish in the 15-18 age group category of the Junior PGT VisMin Classic at Pueble de Oro last Sunday that earned her a slot in next month’s national finals.

“Sana lang, bukas (Thursday), ma-maintain ko lang ang score ko,” added the Manolo Fortich native who thus moved 18 holes away from becoming the youngest – and the first junior golfer – to win on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

Then amateur Princess Superal won the final leg of the LPGT’s inaugural season in Baguio in 2013 at age 16.

But out to spoil her record run is a couple of title hungry pro contenders, including Mariano, who also rallied with birdies on Nos. 14 and 16 to turn in the day’s best 71 and take the challenger’s role at 147.

“I just enjoyed the game and was able to correct some of my mistakes in the first round,” said Mariano, referring to her big

recovery from a first Unlike in her first stab at Mount Malarayat last year where she wound up tied for fourth after a final round 77, the 25-year-old shotmaker liked her chances this time, saying: “I think familiar ako sa greens, mas kabisado ko ang speed at play ng greens dito.”

Yvon Bisera, who finished runnerup to Uy in the last LPGT leg at Forest Hills, carded a second straight 74 on a four-bogey, two-birdie round and lay just two strokes off Castil with a 148 in a tie with a charging amateur Mafy Singson, the runaway winner at Valley, who also fought back from a three-over card with birdies on Nos. 11 and 15.

“Okay lang ang laro pero me mga holes naman talaga na nagkakamali,” said Bisera, pointing to her three-bogey skid from No. 6 marred by a three-putt miscue on the seventh where she flubbed a birdie chance and missed a par-putt bid from short range.

philippines-register.

But while Alcala looms as the man to beat, a slew of seasoned campaigners are also coming into the blueribbon event all geared up, including last year’s Bohol 5150 winner Satar Salem, Andrew Remolino, Jailani Lamama and Jonathan Pagaura, among others.

Other age-group titles to be disputed are 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 6064 and 65-69 in both the men’s and women’s divisions.

Headlining the Go for Gold Sunrise Sprint bidders are Matthew Hermosa, Lawrence Uy, Kian Manabat, Cedric Mascariñas, Renz Corbin and John Lalimos (men’s) and Raven Alcoseba, Nicole del Rosario, Sophia Belican, Julie Jaylo, Sherr Daniot and Karen Manayon.

“Together with fellow member associations, we will work collaboratively to promote key regional tournaments (such as the South East Asian Amateur Golf Team Championships), training events and conferences of international standard, and golf tourism in ASEAN.” said Tan on his appointment.

The members of AGF include the Brunei Golf Association, Cambodia Golf Association, Indonesia Golf Association, Laos Golf Association, Malaysian Golf Association, Myanmar Golf Federation, The National Golf Association of the Philippines, Singapore Golf Association, Thailand Golf Association and Vietnam Golf Association. Other countries out of the ASEAN region may join subject to the approval of the Federation.

Messi back as qualifiers for World Cup ‘26 begin

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay—After a dazzling start to his career in Major League Soccer, Lionel Messi returns to international duty with Argentina this week as South America’s long qualifying road to the 2026 World Cup kicks off on Thursday.

Nine months ago, Messi crowned his glittering career by leading Argentina to a World Cup crown in Qatar cementing his status as the greatest player of his generation.

Since that magical night in Doha, the diminutive 36-year-old superstar’s life has gone through a period of upheaval.

After an acrimonious end to his career with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi was courted by Saudi Arabia before ultimately deciding to forge a new chapter of his career with Inter Miami.

That move has proven to be an inspired decision, with Messi and his family settling in Florida seamlessly while enjoying success on the field, leading Inter to their first silverware and into the US Open Cup final.

Inter coach Gerard “Tata” Martino, the former Argentina and Barcelona player, says Messi has been “liberated” by finally leading Argentina to the World Cup last year after several agonising major championship near-misses.

But the question hanging in the air as South America’s qualifying campaign gets under way this week, is whether Messi will be around when Argentina aim to defend their title in 2026, when the tournament is co-hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Messi appeared to pour cold water on that prospect in comments made in June, saying he did not expect to play in the 2026 finals. AFP

John Alcala

Velinda Castil Manny Marcelo

Tan Chong Huat

Mahomes chases another Super Bowl title as NFL starts

WASHINGTON—Reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes will begin his quest for a fourth Super Bowl trip in five seasons on Thursday when the 104th NFL season kicks off.

Mahomes, the 27-year-old quarterback who led Kansas City to a second Super Bowl title in four campaigns last February, will guide the Chiefs against visiting Detroit in the opener.

He’ll be trying to spark Kansas City to a conference final for the sixth consecutive season in hopes of reaching Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas on February 11, 2024.

Most NFL clubs will launch their season on Sunday, while Buffalo will visit the New York Jets, now quarterbacked by four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, on Monday.

Mahomes says he is motivated by his desire to capture yet another Super Bowl crown.

“I think I always have that chip on my shoulder,” Mahomes said. “It’s more that I understand how lucky I am to be here.

“You don’t have these windows where you can win Super Bowls too long usually, and luckily for us that window has been very big. But you go out there and you have that mentality every single year, you’re going to try to win that thing again.”

The Chiefs are without a key player in their defensive unit as tackle Chris Jones remains a contract holdout, hoping for a better deal. Jones, 29, was part of a career-high 44 tackles and matched his career best with 15.5 sacks, starting every game in his seventh NFL season, all with Kansas City.

“He’s the best defensive player in the league,” Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said. “He’s deserving of all the money in the world.”

Kelce, the top target for Mahomes, caught 110 passes for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. But his status was in doubt after suffering a hyperextended knee in a Tuesday’s practice.

While the Chiefs remain the beat to beat, no club has won back-to-back Super Bowls since Tom Brady guided the New England Patriots to victory in the 2004 and 2005 NFL championship spectacles.

But for the first season since 1999, legendary quarterback Brady will be missing, retired after a record haul of seven Super Bowl titles. AFP

Record-setting Djokovic, Gau march to semifinals

NEW YORK—Novak Djokovic charged into a record 47th Grand Slam semi-final on a steamy Tuesday at the US Open with a straightsets win over Taylor Fritz, while home favourite Coco Gauff stayed on track for her first major title.

Quiban pulls ahead with 2nd 67 as Mondilla slips

BUKIDNON—Justin Quiban came out on top after a searing hunt for birdies in a frontside finish coming off a brief rain delay, storming past Reymon Jaraula and Jhonnel Ababa for a one-stroke lead with a second 67 halfway through the ICTSI Del Monte Championship here on Wednesday.

As first round leader Clyde Mondilla wrestled with his putter after pounding the Del Monte Golf Club’s surface with a twoeagle, six-birdie blitz against two bogeys in a lead-grabbing 64 Tuesday, Quiban stuck to his game plan and stayed on track of his target, coming away with another five-under card that shoved him to the top of a stellar field at 10-under 134.

“It’s pretty much the same,” said Quiban, when asked to assess his game in the first two rounds. “I was just trying to stick to my strategies. It’s a tight course so I need to hit the fairways and try to capitalize on the par-5s.”

He did as he birdied all but one of the four long holes, including the last on No. 9 that moved him past Jaraula and Ababa, who also put up big frontside windups to momentarily seize control at 135s after a 65 and 69, respectively, until Quiban toppled them in a flight behind.

Djokovic shrugged off ninth seed Fritz 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 to extend his dominance of American players in New York and take another step closer to a record-extending 24th men’s Grand Slam title.

The 36-year-old Serbian star will appear in his 13th US Open semi-final, eclipsing the mark he shared with longtime nemesis Roger Federer for most appearances in the last four of a Grand Slam.

Djokovic awaits the up-and-coming Ben Shelton, who took down 10th seed and 2022 semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe in an all-American affair in Tuesday’s night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I’ve been playing on this court for many years, so many epic matches and I cannot wait for another one in a few days’ time,” said Djokovic, a three-time US Open champion.

Djokovic defeated Fritz for the eighth time in a row, weathering stifling conditions as the temperature topped 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) and humidity rose above 55%.

“It was very humid conditions. Difficult to play but that is why we train and try to get ourselves in the best conditions to deliver. Not easy but you have to fight,” said Djokovic.

Fritz had lost serve just once across four three-set wins in reaching his first US Open quarter-final, but the 25-year-old was broken three straight times to start the match.

Djokovic resisted four break points at 2-1 in the second set and hauled himself over the line after a rollercoaster final few games in the third set, maintaining his quest for a triumphant return to world number one next week.

The unseeded Shelton unleashed 50 winners, using his booming service and blistering forehand to devastating effect to beat Tiafoe 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-2. AFP

Mondilla later rued his poor putting that led to a number of missed chances and a 72 as the local ace fell to solo fourth at 136 with Rupert Zaragosa also settling for an even-par to likewise dropped to fifth at 137.

“Putting made the difference but at least, I’m still in the position,” said Mondilla, who actually stayed in command with two birdies in the first four holes at the back before his putting turned a bit shaky, leading to two bogeys and muffed birdie opportunities.

“I hit an errant drive and missed a four-footer for par for my bogeys on Nos. 16 and 1, so my putting really didn’t click,” said Mondilla, seeking to score a follow-up to his victory at Forest Hills last June. “Lamang talaga ang magaling mag-putt dito.”

Art Arbole fired a 68 to move up to joint sixth at 139 with Nilo Salahog, who struggled with a 73, while Ferdie Aunzo shot a 68 for a 141 as he joined Zanieboy Gialon, who carded a 69, and Ira Alido, who shot a 70, at eighth with 36 holes left in the P2.5 million championship backed by the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.’s official apparel Kampfortis Golf.

Bernaldez levels up, bags 2 titles in PPS-Mati

CHELSEA Bernaldez raised the girls’ 18-andunder trophy for the second straight week and added the 16-and-U crown for good measure as she emerged the lone “double” winner in the PPS-PEPP City of Mati national junior tennis championships at the Sainz and Clergy courts in Davao Oriental last weekend.

Like in her tough three-set escape over AJ Acabo in the Maragusan leg in Davao de Oro, Bernaldez survived another cliffhanger, overcoming top seed Sanschena Francisco, 2-6, 6-2, 10-7, in the finals of the centerpiece age group division in the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.

The Tagum City find earlier routed Faith Lazaro, 6-2, 6-2, to clinch the 16-and-U trophy and the MVP honors in the week-long event which served as the second of a three-leg PPS-PEPP swing in the Davao region.

Tagum City will the last stop on Sept. 7-11 in Davao del Norte. For details and listup, contact event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 09154046464.

Young Kresthan Belacas from M’lang, North Cotabato grabbed a piece of the spotlight

as he posted a victory and a runner-up finish to emerge the top performer in the boys’ side of the country’s longest talent-search put up by Palawan Pawnshop under president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Belacas crushed Jaycee Compa, 4-0, 4-0, in the 10-unisex finals but fell short of his twotitle bid as top seed Matt Docena foiled him, 7-6(5), 6-1, in the 12-and-under championship.

Other winners were Lazaro from Tagum, Princess Placa from Digos City, local bet Duane Batad, and Maragusan’s Bench Neri and Vancidrik Rosalinda.

Lazaro thwarted Placa, 6-2, 7-6(3), for the girls’ 14-and-U crown; Placa took the 12-and-U title with a 6-1, 6-1 romp over Justine Gumbao; Batad stunned top seed Randy Pausanos, 6-3, 6-2, in the semis then upended No. 2 Kristofer Espinoza, 7-5, 6-4, to complete his surprise title run in the boys’ 18-and-under; and the top-seeded Neri blasted Anton Yee, 6-0, 6-2, for the boys’ 16-and-U trophy. Rosalinda also made it two-in-row in boys’ 14-and-U side as he repulsed Dexter Salcedo,

Football warriors: Ukrainian amputees get back on the ball

KYIV, Ukraine—Goalkeeper Yevgen Nazarenko laughed as he warmed up on a football pitch in Kyiv. He had been asked to stretch his hands, but he only has one. Nearby Oleg, who has only one foot, groaned and lost balance as he did press-ups. Both men lost limbs fighting for Ukraine.

Once or twice a week, a dozen or so amputees get together in the Ukrainian capital for football training. Most played regularly before their injuries, now prosthetic legs are propped up on the side of the small artificial pitch in central Kyiv. Oleg, 46, was an officer in the 46th Air Assault Brigade, which is now playing a leading role in Ukraine’s coun-

teroffensive in the southern town of Robotyne. But last December “a bastard shot at me with a grenade launcher attached to a rifle from about seven metres” as he fought near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.

But the Russian “got scared”, Oleg told AFP, his face beaded with sweat as he gripped his crutches.

“If he had held the rifle more firmly, he would have hit me somewhere in the middle of my chest and I would not be playing here now,” he added.

‘It’s not easy to withstand’

“I’ve seen with my own eyes many guys who lost their limbs, how people just broke down, could not stand this terrible tragedy and started

doing bad things, drugs or something else,” said the former policeman and father of two.

“It’s not easy to withstand this, believe me,” Oleg said.

“I remember the first time when I came to from the morphine. I lifted up the thermal blanket and looked and my foot wasn’t there... I felt like my life was over, but I’m still here,” he said smiling broadly.

Before losing his right foot, Oleg was twice wounded but returned to the fighting each time.

He even asked a doctor to give him a fake medical certificate after his second shrapnel wound, when he should have been discharged from the front line. AFP

Justin Quiban birdied all but one of the four long holes, including the last on No. 9. Manny Marcelo

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates a point against USA’s Taylor Fritz. AFP

Chelsea Bernaldez (right) shares MVP honors with young Kresthan Belacas as Sainz Tennis Club president Jular Maybano looks on.

Ukrainian amputee soldiers with others attend a football training session in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Once or twice a week, the group of a dozen or so men with amputations incurred both in military and civilian life get together for football practice.

of them were keen players before their injuries.

Lesha's sensational anthem hits 1 million streams

By Nickie Wang

LESHA, the emerging rock sensation of her time, has swiftly reached impressive career milestones. At the age of 26, operating as an independent singer, songwriter, and music producer, she brims with enthusiasm for her artistic journey. Notably, her image adorns a billboard in Times Square.

“I freaked out,” Lesha excitedly recounted the moment she learned about her Times Square billboard debut, calling it a dream come true.

Recently, she received two nominations for The New Hue PH awards, celebrating music video visionaries. Lesha expressed her gratitude for the recognition and praised the platform’s support for upcoming artists, uniting the OPM community.

Also recently, Lesha’s single “Ciao Bella” reached one million streams on Spotify and TikTok. This achievement reflects the song’s resonance with listeners due to its heartfelt melodies and relatable lyrics.

“I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes. It’s a huge milestone for me to finally hit my first 1M on a song. I wrote, produced, and filmed the music video for ‘Ciao, Bella’ in my bedroom during the peak of the pandemic so it’s a cool feeling to see how far I’ve come in my career, and it always reminds me of my humble beginnings,” Lesha revealed.

With so many good things coming along her way, Lesha remains optimistic about more progress career-wise for the coming days.

Likewise, Lesha continues to be a game-changer. She’s very fortunate to have worked with the best producers and writers in the world. She has learned a lot of new techniques in writing and they also created a space for Lesha to be extra experimental with the tone of her voice jumping from one genre to another.

With this, Lesha shared some of her exciting experiences when it comes to experimenting with music.

“I have a couple of favorite sessions but the most memorable one was with LA producer Dela, singersongwriter KAJO, and James Reid when we wrote ‘Skin2Skin’ (still unreleased but I normally perform this song live cause the crowd goes crazy every single time I play this song!),” she said.

In their LA studio, Lesha and Dela collaborated on a danceable, sad pop song. With James and Kajo’s help, they finished it in three hours, recognizing its hit potential. Dela and Krizia’s visit to Manila led to more songs for Lesha’s upcoming releases.

Expect Lesha to be fiercer when it comes to her musical choices. Comparing how she has presented her music from before and now; Lesha is gearing towards a new approach.

“Personally, I think there’s a big jump from my previous works versus the ones I’m set to release in terms of the writing style and genre. As I’ve been experimenting with the Pop Punk genre, I’ve just naturally gravitated toward it the more I wrote new songs. My dark and edgy side is getting amplified with these new songs!”

See Lesha’s fiercer and more direct style when it comes to handling herself and her music in the next few days.

Check out Lesha’s music on Spotify and her other social media platforms.

Music as a way of life

AND so there’s a musicrelated issue being dissected by Filipino netizens who like to talk just about everything deemed intriguing – in their free time or maybe even in their busiest hours because some of them feel (drum roll, please!) entitled to share their thoughts.

This one is about words uttered by Jose Mari Chan, the same gentleman they have turned into a meme to greet the “ber” months every year.

In an interview with Boy Abunda, JMC gave young composers the advice to use their talent “as a hobby on the side.” In saying so, he urged them to “get another career – either in law, or accounting, or medicine.”

Apparently, some Filipino musicians have been hurt by that, because it seems natural for true blue artists to qualify their music as a profession, more than – or not – a pastime.

They expressed their sentiments in various tones. I read one guy sharing (And I can almost hear him sobbing) that his kids finished schooling through his work as a music professor and performer. One lady lamented she has not recorded her compositions yet, but she does not consider music-making as a hobby and she

Priscilla Presley: Biopic 'amazing but difficult to watch'

Priscilla Presley, whose romance with Elvis Presley began when she was 14, said Monday it was “difficult to watch” the new movie about their marriage.

She helped director Sofia Coppola during the production and joined the cast and crew for the world premiere of Priscilla at the Venice Film Festival.

“Sofia did an amazing job, she did her homework,” Presley told reporters. “It’s very difficult to sit and watch a film about you, about your life and your love.”

She also spoke about the controversial age gap when the couple met in 1959 during the rock’n’roll legend’s military service in Germany when she was 14 and he 24.

“People think it was sex – I never had sex with him (at that stage),” she Presley, who is now 78. “He was very kind, very soft, very loving, but he also respected the fact that I was 14 years old.”

They reconnected in the US three years later and they eventually married in 1967.

“I was really more of a listener, he would pour his heart out to me, his fears, his hopes, the loss of his mother that he never got over,” Presley said. “I don’t know why he put so much trust in me but he did.”

The film stars Cailee Spaeny (Mare of Easttown) as Priscilla, and Jacob Elordi, famous as the heartthrob in Netflix show Euphoria, as Elvis.

It charts the often-rocky relationship up to their separation in 1972.

“It’s a human story,” said Coppola. “She goes through all the things that all girls go through growing up... but in this very unusual setting.”

Despite their divorce, Presley said Elvis remained “the love of my life”.

Priscilla is one of 23 films competing for the Golden Lion in Venice, to be awarded on Saturday. AFP

melody. Does that put me in the field being described by JMC, the ones who make music

willing to be with you regardless of where you are. I was able to write a song while in a smoking area on a busy Friday afternoon many moons ago. Surrounded by talking

now. On that note, while he can sing, play, and understand music on a deep level, he is a hobbyist because he made that clear to himself.

ob unnec earn liv

has regular gigs, obviously doing covers. Others sound unnecessarily mean, taking a swipe at people sticking to their niche music, hardly earning from it, and living among “hungry young poets.” Some Johnny really hates jazz.

I am a songwriter myself, beginning to pen tunes when I was in college and recording tracks from time to time since my band Syato got signed by Ivory Music and we released a full-length album – back in 2005. I’ve contributed a large chunk of my time to the music of our band, and another group I co-founded called The Pub Forties. It’s in my nature. Music has to be made whether or not someone would listen. To be blunt about it, I have earned more from doing stuff technically outside of music, in particular, in writing that involves no sound or any hint of

the same way, that a stop gossiping, and a corrupt politi cian convinced he is not a thief will always find a way to steal from the very people he vowed to serve. One thing is sure, making music, whether you earn from it or not, which is something you can never tell, is certainly more noble than spreading fake news or mas querading as a righteous public servant.

as a hobby? Not really. I never thought of music as a hobby. For me, it’s a way of life, in ‘marites’ will never politi-

masI’d rather choose the phrase manners unbePink Floyd. When I say “a way of soul.

“a way of life” because “career” is a showbizzy word, and profession sounds too scholarly. Some people without manners will say to your face that you don’t have a career un less you’re earning big or famous be cause of your craft, or that is not your profession when you can’t read musical notations or can’t dig life,” it flows with my breathing and frees through my soul. Whether that will make me richer is immaterial.

In fact, creating music in its basic form already enriches me spiritually. found there’s mu sic in me, it’s like that imaginary,

The day I mubeing introduced to lifelong friend who is

strangers, songwriting took me to a quiet world where melody and lyrics come together – calmly and intensely speaking to me. That song ended up as a Pub Forties track.

Is the Philippines’ “Mr. Christmas” wrong in opting for the word “hobby”? No. There are actual people, in love with music and back, who deal with music as a hobby. A distant relative recently told me that the minute he realizes there’s no money

for him in music, he went straight to doing other things. He’s living a comfortable life

By Angelica Villanueva

South Korea’s prestigious and start-studded Asia Artist Awards is happening in the Philippines for the first time and three K-pop stars will be the emcees.

Host and Korean media outlet Star News revealed that Sung Han-bin of boy band Zerobaseone IVE’s Jang Wonyoung, and Kang Daniel will be the emcees for the awarding ceremony that will be held on December 14 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

Known for bringing South Korea’s brightest stars, Pulp Live World Chief Operating Officer Happee SyGo told the Manila Standard Entertainment on August 31 that this year’s awards night will be attended by the biggest names in the industry.

“Big names from both the K-pop world and K-drama world will be there to grace the evening,” Sy-Go stated.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, StarNews, the host of the annual event, confirmed it as it unveiled the first lineup of Korean artists who will be gracing the awarding ceremony. Girl groups such as NewJeans, Le Sserafim, and NMIXX will be joined by Korean boy groups

when with sighing about accounting a musi to another story.

Years ago when I was on a bar tour, I spoke with a showband player sighing about how little he earns playing three sets each night and covering the latest hit craze from some overrated act. The guy had no choice; he couldn’t go accounting or in the medical field. He is a working musician. There’s nothing wrong with him. It’s the system musicians have to face that’s faulty. That’s another

So, it’s for you to decide whether what you do is something just “on the side” or a key part of your totality. By knowing which, you don’t have to feel slighted by either an insensitive non-musician belittling your intellectual property or by someone who has the wisdom and who made it big that he “remember the Child in the manger as He sleeps.”

If you can live a good life by being a musician, good for you. If fate is unkind, it’s a challenge you have to overcome. No toxic drama or useless passage. Hit the hook right

By intel someone that “remem If you passage. on. to hobby without stream life. “be

JMC ultimately encouraged us to “don’t lose” that “God’s given gift to you.” Rightly so. The hobbyists can lose it because they can survive life without it. You - you who will still make music even if you only have your dog to stream it - cannot because it’s your way of life. It is what makes you go “beyond existing.” Oh, and my musical mind leads me to another OPM gem.

South Korea's prestigious Asia Artist Awards comes to PH with star-studded lineup

BoyNextDoor, and Zerobaseone

Sy-Go added, “We’ll be announcing lineups in the coming days.”

Last year, the awarding ceremony was held at the Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan, which was attended by 2PM’s Lee Junho Kim Seon-ho Han Sohee Seo In-guk Park Min-young NewJeans Stray Kids, and Seventeen

Described as the “festival of a different class,” AAA is known as a celebration of the artistry of Asian personalities in the entertainment industry.

Founded by Money Today, StarNews Korea, and MTN, the awards night has been recognizing Asian artists in the fields of music, film, and television since 2016. Sy-Go revealed in an interview that the event is expected to “run for about seven hours.”

She later shared that Filipino Hallyu fans can expect to “experience the best of Korea in one night.”

“It’s like being in the middle of a party where all your idols are,” she added.

This year’s AAA is presented by Star News and will be co-hosted by the Asia Artist Awards Organizing Committee, TONZ Entertainment, and Pulp Live World.

Lesha reveals that she is surprised learning about her Times Square billboard debut

Coppola was joined by Priscilla Presley and the actress who plays her, Cailee Spaeny, for the Venice premiere

The author was a member of Syato and now plays for his band The Pub Forties

From left: Korean artists Kang Daniel, IVE’s Jang Wonyoung, and Zerobaseone’s Sung Han-bin are named as the hosts of Asia Artist Award 2023

Lesha receives two nominations for The New Hue PH awards

Singer-songwriter Jose Mari Chan

LIFE Shiny, manageable hair sans blow-dry

By Tet Defensor

WHAT if there was a hair product that could style your hair without the intense blow

dryer heat?

We all know that too much direct heat can damage hair but not everyone is gifted with soft and fabulous tresses. Most of us have to deal with hair frizz and unruly curls, so daily blow-drying sessions are necessary.

Hair texture is inborn, however, there are now organic formulations that can naturally soften hair, Tsubaki Brand Manager Gabrielle Lim explained that camellia oil is the secret behind the beautiful and shiny hair of Japanese women.

“They have been using the camellia flower to enrich their hair for over a hundred years. It’s the secret behind salon-quality hair,” she shared.

Tsubaki (pronounced ‘subaki’) in Japanese means camellia and its nutritious components helps keep the hair strong and healthy. The oil has the ability to penetrate the hair shaft to increase strength, and elasticity and reduce breakage. It is high in fatty acids and provides nutrients that keep the hair healthy. It moisturizes the scalp and improves shine without weighing the hair down.

Camellia oil is the main ingredient of Tsubaki, one of the leading hair care products of Japan. The 17-yearold shampoo and conditioner product was formerly carried by the renowned Shiseido label until The Fine Today Group took over the brand’s personal care business in 2021.

Hair junkies in the Philippines

swear by Tsubaki’s soft and silky feel.

In fact, Filipinos visiting Japan, often hoard bottles of Tsubaki because it was not locally available.

For those who wish to have salonquality hair, the brand released two formulations in the Philippines, the Premiere Moist Repair Rang and Premium Volume Repair Range.

If you blow dry your hair every day, the Premier Most Repair Range is your new best friend. Perfect for frizzy and dry hair, simply apply the shampoo on wet hair and then rinse thoroughly. Follow with conditioner and rinse. Air dry hair the natural way, without using a blower. Brush and style as usual. Notice how the strands are soft and manageable. The formulation has a damaged sensor that directly nourishes problem areas.

During the launch, the guests witnessed how the product could actually tame frizzy hair. Hair strands were washed and air-dried, using a handheld fan. “I like how it makes my hair frizz-free. My hair is not straight it’s wavey. Since I started using Tsubaki, I just air dry my hair. It can actually work for you every day because it cuts blow dry time,” remarked Nicole Morales of The Beauty Edit (TBE) a social media platform that “delivers fun, honest, and relevant content about the obsessive world of beauty.” Nicole’s team organized Tsubaki’s launch. Those with flat hair will benefit from Tsubaki’s Premium Volume Repair Range. Aside from camellia oil, it contains royal jelly and soy protein which are both rich in protein and lipids. Simply shampoo and condition hair as directed, air dry, and notice the light and lustrous feel. The rich nourishing ingredients do not weigh down on the hair. Both formulations are safe to use every day.

Discover age-defying beauty

MISS Esthe Facial Salon and Skin Care is offering great discounts to those who want age-defying and radianceenhancing facials, face and body contouring, and hair removal. Its branches are located on the 2nd floor, Uptown Parade, BGC, and on the 3rd floor, Glorietta 3.

The Early Bird Promo entitles clients to a 20 percent discount across all services from Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Glorietta branch. There is also a Buy 1 Get 1 on Hifu and Diode Laser, anytime, Monday to Friday until November 30.

A franchise from Miss Esthe in Tokyo, Japan, it was founded 30 years ago and has since been studying women’s skin seriously. Its products and treatments are perfect for different kinds of skin types and lifestyles. Among its services include various facials like anti-aging, whitening/ deep whitening, acne treatment, instant lifting, and open pores treatment. Recently, it introduced new services such as hydrafacial, warts removal, Hifu, hydra peel, RF, underarm/face/inguinal laser, and oshiri whitening.

But what makes Miss Esthe stand out from the rest is its unique Decolette Touch that helps release tensed facial, neck, and shoulder muscles and make them toned. It is also good for blood circulation and lymphatic drainage improves your skin complexion, increases skin elasticity, and prevents skin aging. This one-of-a-kind massage comes free with all Miss Esthe facials.

Healthy, radiant, beautiful skin is possible with Miss Esthe Facial Salon and Skin Care.

Book an appointment now at Uptown Mall BGC (+63935 336 4720/ 8366 2023) and at Wellness Glorietta 3 (+63906 285 7811)

DID you know that 90 percent of a person’s brain is developed before age six?

Brain development is critical in the early stages of a child’s life, making proper

Apart from DHA there is another ingredient that can further boost the development of a child’s brain during the first five years of their life – that crucial period in brain development.

MFGM, the holistic support for EQ and IQ development

The Milk Fat Globule Membrane (MFGM) naturally enhances a child’s cognitive development due to its complex structure comprising phospholipids, sphingomyelin, oligosaccharides, and proteins.

MFGM supports IQ by boosting learning capacity and cognitive skills while uniquely fostering Emotional Intelligence (EQ) by enhancing behavior regulation, understanding, and emotional control. EQ is vital for school readiness and overall development as it equips children to navigate new challenges and social experiences, alongside intellectual growth.

Nurturing a child’s early brain development through nutrition and guidance can provide a lasting advantage in IQ and EQ development. Parents today should prioritize their child’s developmental advantage by choosing a milk formula with MFGM to shape their future capabilities.

Enfagrow A+ Four Nurapro and Enfagrow Gentlease 3+ are the only milk formulas with MFGM (among staged milk).

MFGM is clinically proven to help give higher IQ and EQ development that will last until school age (vs formula without MFGM and with proper nutrition and stimulation). For kids with sensitive tummies, there is Enfagrow Gentlease 3+ with PHP (partially hydrolyzed proteins), a nutrient that aids a child’s digestion and gut health (with proper nutrition and stimulation).

With Enfagrow A+ Four Nurapro and Enfagrow Gentlease 3+, parents can confidently give their children the proper nutrition. It is a proactive way of helping kids develop fully, and help them be school-ready (with proper nutrition and stimulation).

For more information about Enfagrow and its benefits, please visit https://www.enfagrow.com.ph/.

OVERTHINKING is both an important strength and a frustrating weakness.

Former clinical psychologist and researcher-turned-writer Alice Boyes, Ph.D, the author of The Anxiety Toolkit and The Healthy Mind Toolkit, highlighted the significance of acknowledging the advantages of thinking deeply and being able to dial it back whenever necessary.

“You may desire to retain the benefits of thoughtfulness while eliminating the self-defeating aspects,” she stated. “This will give you maximum flexibility, lower stress, and best results.”

Boyes, whose body of work focuses on how others can use diverse strategies from social, clinical and positive psychology studies in their everyday lives and romantic relationships, likewise reiterated that overscrutinizing is not the sole path to success.

“Sometimes it is enough to recognize that you currently do not overthink every decision, and that can work out fine, and even well,” she added. “You can begin to see yourself as someone who sometimes overthinks, but not always.”

In support of Boyes, the Benilde Well-Being Center (BWC) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) encouraged the general public to apply three practical solutions to address overanalyzing:

1. Execute once, then optimize. When faced with a new task or situation, accomplish it with basic thinking. Only amend or develop your approach in subsequent times. This course leads to quicker judgments. It allows you to learn more through experience instead of delays.

2. Put your thoughts in a suitcase. Anxiety warns you to be more cautious of potential threats. Trying to stop these thoughts will only amplify them. While your worries cannot be silenced, you can put them in a suitcase. Carry them around but do not interact with them. This creates sufficient psychological distance from apprehensions and enables you to make more skillful choices and actions.

3. Embrace both impulsive and deliberate decisions. You may have experienced engaging in meta-cognition or “thinking about thinking”. Use this for your gain. Ponder on the decisions you have resolved that resulted in affirmative outcomes. Sometimes, the best ones are the results of exhaustive research and accurate perceptions. But this is not always the case.

Tsubaki surprises guests with how the product can turn frizzy locks into shiny and smooth hair

Tsubaki uses camellia oil resulting in beautiful and shiny hair

Expert says it is important to recognize advantages of overthinking

Alice Boyes, PhD, the author of 'The Anxiety Toolkit and The Healthy Mind Toolkit'

Celebrity mom Kristine Hermosa ensures her kids get the proper nutrition they need that is critical for a strong foundation for brain development

Miss Esthe Facial Salon and Skin Care offers services for different kinds of skin types and lifestyles