Manila Standard - 2023 September 11 - Monday

GERMANY beat Serbia 83-77 on Sunday to win the Basketball World Cup for the first time.

The Germans, who went unbeaten through the tournament and were appearing in their first final, broke clear of Serbia in the third quarter in Manila.

Serbia launched a furious fourthquarter fightback but Germany managed to hold them off and put their name on the Naismith Trophy.

Dennis Schroder finished as Germany's top scorer with 28 points, followed by Franz Wagner with 19.

Germany had beaten the United States in a dramatic semi-final.

Serbia, who were looking to win the title for the first time as an independent nation, lost small forward Ognjen Dobric to injury with less than three minutes of the game gone.

Dobric had to be carried off after a hard landing while attacking the basket.

He later reappeared at courtside, cycling on an exercise bike, but did not come back into the game.

The Serbian team was cheered on by a large group of travelling supporters but could not keep up with Germany in the second half.

Aleksa Avramovic finished as Serbia's top scorer with 21 points, followed by Bogdan Bogdanovic with 17.

There was little to separate the two teams in a fiercely fought first half that ended 47-47.

That all changed in the third quarter when Germany outscored the Serbians 22-10.

Serbia came roaring back into the game in the fourth quarter, and cut the deficit to three points with less than a minute remaining.

A lay-up from Schroder helped steady Germany's nerves, and a missed three-

DOF eyes zero tax on imported rice

Diokno says temporarily lowering tariff to ensure stable supply at cheap prices

By Julito G. Rada and Othel V. Campos

THE Department of Finance (DOF) wants to temporarily cut the tariff on imported rice from 35 percent to 0 percent—or at most 10 percent—to ensure the supply of the staple at affordable prices.

“It is crucial that the government continue to adopt a com-

prehensive approach to help ensure that rice supply remains sufficient at reduced prices,” said Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno.

Rice, which accounts for about 9 percent in the consumer basket, was one of the triggers of the two-month high 5.3-percent inflation in August from 4.7 percent a month ago, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

PSA said the bottom 30 percent of households felt the impact of higher rice prices the most. Data showed that regular milled rice in August 2023 averaged P43.34 nationwide,

Morocco mourns quake victims as death toll surges past 2,000

TAFEGHAGHTE, Morocco—Moroccans on Sunday mourned the victims of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people as rescue teams raced to find survivors trapped under the rubble of flattened villages.

The strongest-ever quake recorded in the country has killed at least 2,012 people and injured over 2,059, many of them seriously, according to the latest official figures.

Friday's 6.8-magnitude quake struck 72 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of the tourist hub of Marrakesh, wiping out entire villages in rural areas.

"I've lost everything," said Lahcen, a resident of the mountain village of Moulay Brahim, whose wife and four children were killed.

Rescue workers recovered the bodies of Lahcen's three daughters from the rubble of what was once their home, but had not yet found the remains of his wife and son.

"I can't do anything about it now, I just want to get away from the world and mourn," he said.

Troops and emergency services have scrambled to reach remote mountain villages where victims are still feared trapped.

Al-Haouz province, where the

By Vince Lopez and Macon Ramos-Araneta

FILIPINO fishermen can still fish in Scarborough Shoal, but they need to be assisted by government personnel, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar said.

Aguilar made the clarification hours after saying Filipinos could no longer enter the Scarborough Shoal to fish because of the continued presence and intimidation

of Chinese Coast Guard and militia vessels.

“Please be informed that based on the latest report, our fishermen are still able to fish at the Scarborough Shoal assisted by PCG [Philippine Coast Guard], BFAR [Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources], and NICA [National Intelligence Coordinating Agency],” he said.

“This is to correct my previous statement. My mistake," Aguilar added.

Speaker Martin Romualdez on Sunday condoled with the Moroccan people after the deadly quake.

“As we share our condolences with the affected families, we acknowledge the commendable efforts of the rescue teams, working diligently amidst adversity. The international community stands united in its wish to see swift recovery and healing for Morocco during these challenging times,” Romualdez said.

DESTRUCTION EVERYWHERE.

A man carries a boy as he and another child walk past destroyed houses after an earthquake in the mountain village of Tafeghaghte, southwest of Marrakesh, on September 9, 2023. Moroccans on Sunday mourned the victims of the devastating earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people. AFP

Speaker vows to continue hard work amid high rating

By Rio N. Araja

SPEAKER Martin Romualdez on Sunday promised to continue working hard in the wake of the high rating that Congress got in a recent OCTA Research poll. Romualdez said he was grateful

PH, Australia okay work visa for vacationers

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Philippines and Australia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the establishment of a "Work and Holiday" visa arrangement that would allow nationals of both countries to seek employment while on a holiday to supplement the cost of their stay.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Hae Kyong Yu signed the agreement during the official visit of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Malacanang on September 8.

that the public appreciated what the House has been doing in terms of passing laws to support the prosperity agenda of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and exercising its oversight power to fight inflation and keep prices down so that basic goods remain affordable.

“We have already made some

headway, and we will carry on with those tasks with more vigor until we have achieved the goals we have set out to do,” Romualdez said. He said the House would remain focused on stabilizing the prices of rice, onions and other staples, and

DOH warns HIV cases doubled to 50 a day

By Gabriellea

Parino

THE Department of Health has sounded the alarm on the rise of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases in the country, with data showing that

positive cases have doubled compared to last year’s daily average.

DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said he was alarmed by the continuous uptick as the confirmed cases show a

Filipinos can fish in Scarborough, but need gov‘t assistance—AFP

Speaker Martin Romualdez

UNBEATEN. Germany, who went unbeaten throughout the tournament, defeat Serbia Sunday to win its first Basketball World Cup gold, 83-77. FIBA

DOF...

From A1 up 8.9 percent year on year, while wellmilled rice averaged P47.63, higher by 8.1 percent.

Diokno said the economic team acknowledged the emerging challenges, given the inflationary uptrend.

“To manage upward pressures in the price of rice, the imposition of price control on rice through Executive Order No. 39 serves as a short-term measure against non-competitive practices by some market players. Price controls, when carefully calibrated and closely implemented, are effective in the near term,” Diokno said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier approved the imposition of price ceilings on regular milled rice at P41 per kilo and well-milled rice at P45.

The DOF also proposed encouraging the timely importation of rice by the private sector, and the full implementation of the Super Green Lane that authorizes the use of electronic data interchange to speed up processing and clearance of shipments by the country’s most qualified importers.

Another proposal is the temporary exemption of trucks that carry agricultural goods from the increase in toll rates. Diokno said this could be done by working with tollway concession -

Morocco...

From A1 epicenter was located, suffered the most deaths with 1,293, followed by the province of Taroudant where 452 lives were lost, authorities reported.

'Everyone lost family' Bouchra, another resident of Moulay Brahim, dried her tears with her scarf as she watched men dig graves for the victims.

"My cousin's grandchildren are dead," she said.

"I saw the devastation of the earthquake live and I'm still shaking. It's like a ball of fire that swallowed up everything in its path.

"Everyone here has lost family, whether in our village or elsewhere in the region," she added.

PH...

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Based on MOU, both countries would issue multiple entry visas allowing its citizens to work during their stay for an non-extendable period of not over one year.

Manila and Canberra would grant eligible participants a “Work and Holiday” visa, which would permit them to stay and work in the host country.

The visa arrangement is open to Filipino and Australian nationals who are 18 to 31 years old at the time of the application and who are graduates of tertiary education or have successfully completed at least two years of undergraduate study or post-secondary education.

Applicants must also meet health, character, and national security requirements and have medical and health insurance for the duration of their stay.

The 12-month period will commence from the date of first entry and eligible nationals may leave and re-enter the territory of the host participant using the same visa. All nationals under the

Germany...

From A1 point attempt from Avramovic ended Serbia's hopes. Serbia were playing without power forward Borisa Simanic, who underwent surgery to remove a kidney after getting injured earlier in the tournament.

Filipinos...

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Earlier in the day, Aguilar said China is insulting the Philippines by preventing Filipino fishermen from fishing in Scarborough Shoal, which is also known as Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.

“There are places where our countrymen can fish, but not in the place where they say there are more fish, such as Scarborough Shoal,” Aguilar said in an interview on radio dzBB.

“They can no longer enter because the [Chinese] maritime militias and Chinese Coast Guard vessels are already blocking them there. It's also regrettable but let's see what happens next because we can't allow it to be like this forever. It's like they are insulting us with what they are doing, knowing that their claim of territory is baseless,” the AFP spokesman earlier said.

The Philippine government during

aires and operators.

“There is also a need to avoid a noncompetitive behavior in the rice industry by pursuing cases of hoarding, smuggling, and economic sabotage, when applicable, strictly monitoring the prices of imported rice in the logistics chain, and encouraging the public, including retailers, to report individuals violating price caps on rice,” he said. At the same time, he said programs must be pursued to protect the vulnerable sector by safeguarding the farmers from the effect of the price ceilings; to provide targeted subsidies to small traders and retailers of rice; and to provide support to low-income households to address the impact of the surge in rice prices.

Diokno said the government would also intensify the use of the Quick Response Fund (QRF) to assist the agricultural sector during calamities, as well as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF), which might be used for pre-disaster preparation activities.

The government will also speed up the 2023 El Niño Mitigation and Adaptation Plan as well as expand the Kadiwa program to directly connect producers and consumers.

Diokno said he remained optimistic that despite the spike in inflation in August, the continued year-to-date decline in inflation was a testament to the gov-

Many residents of the usually bustling tourist hotspot of Marrakesh spent a second night sleeping out on the streets, huddled together under blankets and among bags filled with their belongings.

Fatema Satir, a Marrakesh resident, said many were sleeping in the street for fear of their houses collapsing.

"Look where all these people are sleeping," said Satir. "There is no help for us. Our houses have been cracked, others destroyed – like my daughter's house which was wiped out. We are in a chaotic state."

In the city's historic Jemaa el-Fna square, about 20 people were huddled on the ground, wrapped in blankets. Others were staying on the lawn of the nearby town hall, with its 12th century ramparts partially collapsed.

"We spent the night outside the old town, in a safe place," said Maria, a

arrangement will be required to comply with the respective laws and regulations of the host country during their stay.

“Each participant (the Philippines and Australia) may deny any particular application for a ‘Work and Holiday’ visa it receives, in accordance with its domestic laws and regulations,” read the MOU.

“Nationals of one participant who have been granted a ‘Work and Holiday’ visa under this Memorandum of Understanding may be denied entry or removed from the territory of the other participant in accordance with the laws and regulations of that participant,” it added.

Applicants must pay any fees associated with the visa application.

“Work and Holiday visa holders who work during their visit pursuant to this arrangement will be covered by the same diplomatic labor laws of the host government as local workers, subject to the employment conditions."

The MOU will take effect next year on a date mutually determined by both countries and will be valid until it is terminated by written notice through diplomatic channels.

They were also without superstar Nikola Jokic, who skipped the tournament to rest after leading the Denver Nuggets to the NBA title last season.

Earlier in the day, small forward Dillon Brooks said Canada would take "good momentum" into next year's Paris Olympics after beating the United States to win bronze at the Basketball World Cup.

Canada won 127-118 in overtime

the incumbency of the late President Benigno Aquino III, sued China before the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands in 2013, an effort led by then Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and the late Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario.

The Arbitral Court ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016 when it junked China's imaginary nine-dash line claim over the waters surrounding the South China Sea.

In the same ruling, the arbitral court deemed Scarborough Shoal as a common fishing ground and outlawed China's aggression against Filipino fishermen in the area, including preventing Filipino fishermen from accessing the shoal.

The Hague court also ruled that the Spratly Islands, Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, and Recto (Reed) Bank are within the Philippine exclusive economic zone. Beijing, however, has repeatedly

ernment’s continued effort towards addressing high inflationary pressures.

“This suggests that we remain on track for the full-year average to be within the target in 2024,” Diokno said.

Meanwhile, Nueva Ecija farmers complained of the declining rates in the buying price of palay (unhusked rice), which they fear may drop to as low as P15 to P16 per kilogram (kg) in the next few weeks.

The palay harvest in Nueva Ecija is expected to peak by mid-September to late October 2023 yet the buying price for the staple has already gone down to P17 to P18/kg.

“We’re afraid that traders, millers, and other merchants would buy our harvest at a uniform lower price,” a group of farmers said in a field monitoring activity by the National Rice Program (NRP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Farmers are appealing to the President to intervene so that they would get better rates for their produce and not be at the mercy of prices dictated by the traders, agents and millers.

They lamented that their production had been substantially decimated by the recent prolonged downpour caused by the typhoons and the southwest monsoon, resulting in many of their standing crops bending to the soil, making them irrecoverable.

Those who harvested earlier were able to benefit from high prices for pa-

Spanish tourist. Authorities declared three days of national mourning while several countries including France, Israel, Italy, Spain and the United States, have offered aid.

US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer on Sunday said Washington was "ready to provide significant assistance."

"We've got search and rescue teams ready to deploy... We are also ready to release funds at the right time," he told journalists. "The United States will be with them at every step of the way when they are ready to avail themselves of what we have to offer."

Spain meanwhile said it would send search and rescue teams and other aid after it received a formal request for help from Rabat.

Algeria, which has long had rocky

Speaker...

From A1 helping those adversely affected by government measures to keep commodity prices low, such as retailers, small traders and market stallholders.

He vowed to address the supply and production side of the problem of high commodity prices by supporting agriculture and other related sectors with appropriate funding in the national budget and overseeing program implementation by relevant agencies.

“Needless to say, if there is enough supply, we would not be having problems with prices,” he said.

The OCTA survey showed that 54 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the performance of the House of Representatives.

Only 9 percent were dissatisfied, while 36 percent were undecided. Trust for the House was at 55 percent, while distrust was at 7 percent.

Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzalez Jr. thanked Filipinos for showing their trust in the House.

in Manila to claim their first World Cup podium finish, denying the United States a medal for a second straight tournament. Canada had already qualified for their first Olympics since 2000 by finishing as one of the two highest-placed teams from the Americas at the World Cup. Brooks, who finished the game as Canada's top scorer with 39 points, said the medal would fuel their ambitions when

refused to honor the ruling and continues to illegally occupy and create man-made islands and military structures in the area.

In January, during the first state visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the People's Republic of China, Marcos said China had agreed to stop blocking Filipino fishermen from Scarborough Shoal.

"They (China) will continue to allow our fishermen to fish in the fishing grounds that they have been to, [that] they have used for many generations. That’s it. It's that simple," Marcos said.

In March 2022, China maintained that it has the sole sovereign rights over Scarborough Shoal after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported a “close distance maneuvering” incident involving a Chinese vessel in the area.

On Saturday, Aguilar said the Philippine Navy offered to help a Chinese rubber boat in distress in Ayungin Shoal only to be blamed for the incident.

lay and did not suffer losses, unlike the majority who will be harvesting in the coming weeks.

Heavily affected by the prolonged downpour from habagat and typhoons, were the farms of Licab, Quezon, Zaragoza and other areas, according to an inspection done by the National Rice Program.

They said that aside from the downpours, another factor that led to the sudden decline in palay prices was the imposition of price caps on Sept. 5.

They also appealed to the President to order the National Food Authority (NFA) to buy fresh palay at the farmgate level. Farmers say they have no choice but to sell their wet palay to traders at a loss.

The NFA does not buy fresh palay. It buys clean and dry palay with moisture content of 14.2 percent at P19/kg.

Based on data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), palay output in the first semester of 2023, reached 9 million MT, 3.4 percent higher than the 8.7 million MT in the same period in 2022.

The USDA said in its latest World Agricultural Production report that the Philippines' milled rice production may reach 12.6 million MT in the milling year 2022 to 2023, up 1 percent from 12.54 million MT from MY 2021 to 2022.

In other developments:

• Agri party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee

relations with neighboring Morocco, opened its airspace, which had been closed for two years, to flights carrying humanitarian aid and evacuating the injured.

'Under the debris'

The Red Cross warned that it could take years to repair the damage. "It won't be a matter of a week or two... We are counting on a response that will take months, if not years," Hossam Elsharkawi, its Middle East and North Africa director, said in a statement.

The village of Tafeghaghte, 60 kilometers southwest of Marrakesh, was almost entirely destroyed by the quake, an AFP team reported, with very few buildings still standing.

"Three of my grandchildren and their mother are dead," said 72-year-old Omar Benhanna. "They're still under the debris. It wasn't so long ago that we

“To know that more than half of our countrymen trust us and approve of what we have been doing in this chamber galvanizes us to push forward. If they like what they see, then more of it they will see," he said.

"This high satisfaction, high trust rating of the House also reflects the public's view of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who we can see is a hardworking Chief Executive. The House under Speaker Romualdez, merely follows his lead," Gonzales said.

Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. said Romualdez was on the right track.

He cited the Speaker’s efforts to ease the burden of the people by helping lower the prices of rice, onions and other basic commodities, saying these have paid off.

Barzaga commended Romualdez for a “job well done,” noting that “his heart is in the right place.”

“The 54 percent satisfaction rating tells us that we started on the right path. And so it’s also a continuing challenge for us to do more and reach a level where a larger majority of our people will benefit from government initiatives,” he said.

the new NBA season starts next month.

"It's good momentum for us, we'll hold on to that throughout the season," he said.

"I'm going to see a lot of my teammates during the season.

"Guys that weren't here, that's motivating to them as well, to want to join us, to get better, to make a run at the Olympics." AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

One of China’s Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats was entangled in a fishing line while it was tailing Philippine vessels heading to Ayungin Shoal to resupply troops there on Sept. 7, Aguilar said in a news forum in Quezon City.

“Troops offered assistance to help China, but China refused.. and another boat came to their rescue,” he said.

While the Chinese boat's refusal to accept aid from Philippine forces was expected, what surprised troops was Beijing’s radio call that blamed Filipinos for the incident, the AFP spokesman said.

“They still had the guts to challenge our radio message: ‘Philippine Coast Guard because of your maneuvers, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel came into a problem,’” he said.

Aguilar rejected the radio message, calling it “another narrative that they will tell their people.”

“After this incident, they will come up with their own narrative to tell their people about what happened,”

filed a measure to make rice production profitable for farmers and make the staple food cheaper for consumers through a subsidy program for the country's 2.6 million rice farmers. Under Lee’s proposed House Bill No. 9020 or the “Cheaper Rice Act,” the Department of Agriculture in coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry and other relevant agencies will establish a subsidy program to ensure that farmers can sell their palay at a price high enough to encourage them to increase production. Aside from buying palay from farmers at higher prices, HB 9020 also mandates the government to sell the rice it acquires to consumers at cheaper rates.

• Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co suggested a contract growing arrangement between the government and local farmers to stabilize the prices of rice in the market. Co said contract growing will benefit both the consumers and farmers because it would result in steady rice prices and ensure a profitable market for farmers. He said contract growing should involve large agricultural corporations managing vast tracts of farmlands. He also proposed that a portion of the farmers’ yield – possibly 50 percent – would be contracted at an agreed price under the scheme while the remaining yield would be sold at market rates to allow farmers to still capitalize on market price surges.

were playing together."

Residents buried around 70 victims in the nearby cemetery on Saturday, cries and screams punctuating the funeral rites.

In the evening, television channels broadcast aerial images showing entire villages of clay houses in the Al-Haouz region completely destroyed.

"The public authorities are still mobilized to speed up rescue operations and evacuate the injured," the interior ministry said Saturday evening.

The tremor was also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir and Essaouira, where many panicked residents rushed onto the streets in the middle of the night.

The earthquake was the deadliest in Morocco since a 1960 quake that destroyed Agadir and in which more than 12,000 people died. AFP

DOH...

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younger demographic, with one as young as 15 years old.

“Last year, the new cases per day were only 22 at an average [daily]. This year, we’re logging 50 new cases a day,” he said.

The health chief said the department will focus on educational efforts to raise awareness on HIV among students and teens to make them aware of the risks.

Urban centers have a higher incidence of HIV cases compared to others, Herbosa said, citing DOH data.

He also urged the government to improve its distribution of HIV medication as stocks are only in main hubs.

Project Red Ribbon, an HIV and AIDS advocacy foundation, shared the concerns of the DOH chief.

“We still don’t know the extent of the epidemic because of the stigma and discrimination related to HIV testing. It’s been doubling because the testing rate is now increasing,” Project Red Ribbon president Ico Johnson said in an interview.

He noted that HIV screening in communities and homes may have also caused a demand in testing.

“Because of all of those innovations and acceptance, we are getting quite a better feature of the scenario when it comes to HIV,” Johnson added.

The Philippines has logged 116,504 cases of HIV since January 1984.

Aguilar said.

“We don’t want the truth to be drowned by what happened,” he added. The Philippine Coast Guard has not responded to the Chinese accusation. Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri committed to push for an increase in intelligence funds for the PCG and the Philippine Navy.

As defenders of Philippine sovereignty in the WPS (West Philippine Sea), the PCG and the PN should be entitled to full logistical and operational support from the government, including an increase in their confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) in the 2024 national budget.

He said the additional funding will strengthen our external defense capabilities to have a credible defensive posture.

Right now, the PCG and PN only get P10 million and P39.74 million, respectively, in intelligence funds. (See full story online at manilastandard. net)

Teachers seek lower retirement age to ‘relish benefits on quality time’ Catapang admits illegal drugs still persist at NBP despite campaigns

ORGANIZED public school teachers have called on the government to lower their optional retirement age to 57 to enable them to enjoy their post-work benefits to the maximum.

The call was made in conjunction with global observance of World Teachers’ Month. Some 200 teachers held a motorcade in Mandaluyong City on Sunday to mark the occasion.

“’Yung panawagan namin ay ibaba na po ‘yung dapat na mag-retire na si teacher para rin po mapakinabangan naman po ni teacher ang kanyang retirement. Hindi ‘yung at the age of 60, at the age of 65, si teacher ay ipinagbibili na lang ng gamot ang kanilang

IN BRIEF

Govt forms TWG on housing projects

THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has activated a technical working group (TWG) to harmonize efforts in providing decent shelters to more Filipinos, particularly the underprivileged in collaboration with the Urban Poor Action Committee.

“The creation of this TWG was in response to the clamor of urban poor groups. It will primarily focus on issues that remain unresolved for decades now. I can see complexities on the concerns, but by uniting and helping each other, we can find ways to appropriately address gaps in the sector,” Housing Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said.

The TWG composed of member-representatives from the DHSUD, UPAC, the National Housing Authority and the Social Housing Finance Corp. aims to craft measures for immediate implementation of programs that will make public housing more accessible to the underserviced sectors, especially the urban poor. Rio N. Araja

SM malls showcase Bulacan foods, arts

TO mark Bulacan’s traditional Singkaban Festival, SM malls in Baliwag, Marilao, and Pulilan delighted shoppers with a showcase of the province’s rich culture and heritage as the malls unveiled Bulacan BESTival, a celebration of food, music, and the arts.

Kicking off the celebration at the SM City Baliwag was Lutong Bulakenyo, a special cooking demo featuring Bulacan age-old recipes popularized by acclaimed food historian Mila Enriquez. Facilitating the cooking demo is no less than Enriquez’s grandson, Chef Nikko Santiago.

Santiago demonstrated the unique process of preparing the famous Hamon Bulakenya and the Pinaso. The event became more meaningful with the musical performance by a group of local artists, Daloy Kolektibo. SM City Marilao, SM Center Pulilan, and SM City Baliwag exalted Bulacan artistry as the malls hosted art workshops and exhibit. Jun David

AFAB fosters safety in the workplace

THE Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) vigorously promotes safety in the workplace.

“Kabilang sa mga pangunahing prayoridad ng Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan ang pagtiyak sa kaligtasan at buhay ng ating mga manggagawa sa FAB.

Sa pagkamit nito, kinikilala natin ang mahalagang papel na ginagampanan ng ating mga safety officers (One of the main priorities of the AFAB is to ensure the safety and lives of its workers. To attain this, we recognize the important role of our safety officers),”AFAB said in statement.

A one-day seminar was held on September 6 to improve the knowledge of safety officers of locators inside the Freeport.

Avie Training Consultancy and Services Training Director Raymond Blanco tackled proper handling of chemicals and the law that applies to it.

AFAB said reinforcing the knowledge of safety officers improves their capability to ensure safety of Freeport workers. Butch Gunio

retirement pay. (Our call is to reduce the retirement age so that we can still enjoy our retirement benefits, not at the age of 60 or 65 when our money is spent on medicines), said Miriam Villa Ignacio, president of the Mandaluyong Federation of Public School Teachers Association.

The teachers also appealed for salary increase, reduction of their working hours, increase in their medical benefits, and grant of haz-

HUGE MARIAN ICON. The 20foot Regina Rosarii, also called Our Lady in the City, is all decked out for visitors at the Regina Rosarii Center for Contemplative Prayer on Scout Fernandez Street, Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City on Saturday, a day after the feast of the nativity of Mother Mary. Sr. Eppie Brasil, founder of the Regina Rosarii Institute for Contemplation in Asia, once said that amid all the commercial buildings and billboards around the area, there is a need to erect an image as a reminder there is a God.

ard pay, among other issues. In January, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading a bill lowering the retirement age for state workers from 60 to 56 years old.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte has expressed optimism that the senators would also support House Bill 206 earlier passed by the lower chamber.

The bill was a consolidation of 13 related measures. It was entitled, “An Act lowering the optional retirement age of government workers from sixty years to 56 years, amending for the purpose Section 13-A of Republic Act 8291, otherwise known as The Gov-

ernment Service Insurance System Act of 1997.”

Compulsory retirement was mandated at 65 years.

Villafuerte called on the Senate to pass the counterpart measure— Senate Bill (SB) 1832—that was authored by Senator Ramon Revilla Jr.Villafuerte, majority leader of the House-contingent’s Commission on Appointments, said it was about time for the 19th Congress to pass a measureletting government employees retire when they reach 56.

He called HB 206 a complimentary measure to the newly-signed law fixing the retirement age in the Armed Forces at 57.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

BUREAU of Corrections (BuCor)

chief Gregorio Catapang has admitted that illegal drugs still thrive at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City despite relentless campaign by prison authorities.

Catapang bared that inmates have devised ingenious ways to smuggle the illegal drugs, such as the use of condoms or doves to transport the contrabands.

During the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights hearing on the recent escape of inmate Michael Cataroja, Catapang narrated that shabu was being stuffed in condoms, then concealed in the ‘genitals’ of female visitors. In another case, a dove is also used to bring in shabu to the NBP, Catapang said.

Catapang narrated that a visitor or sometimes a minor, would bring a dove inside NBP where inmates would take care of the bird until it lays eggs.

Meanwhile, it will be trained to go back to its nest.

Once a visitor is allowed to take out the bird which was bred inside the NBP, it is then used to transport shabu. Catapang conceded that illegal drugs is a persistent problem inside the penitentiary.

He said their recent inspections in detention cells yielded 200 grams of shabu amounting to P2 million.

Because of this, the BuCor chief told Sen. Francis Tolentino they need to buy equipment needed for their continuing drug operations at the NBP. The campaign against illegal drugs, he noted, was also based on a directive by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.

To enforce stricter measures, Catapang said there was only one area designated for the “E-Dalaw” wherein a visitor and an inmate can be seen on a laptop during their conversation.

Towards the end of September, charges will be filed against visitors who will be caught bringing cash inside the facility, Catapang said.

The BuCor chief lamented the problems have been existing in the NBP for 50 years.

CA junks plea to quash RTC ruling favoring ‘Vhong’ Navarro

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Court of Appeals (CA) has denied the appeal of businessman Cedric C. Lee to reconsider its 2022 decision affirming a trial court’s ruling that denied the dismissal of the serious illegal detention for ransom filed against him and six others by comedian and television host Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro.

Apart from Lee, charged with violation of Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code before the Taguig City regional trial court

were Deniece Millinette Cornejo, Bernice Cua Lee, Simeon Palma Raz Jr., Jose Paolo Gregorio Calma, Sajed Fernandez Abuhijleh, and Ferdinand Guerrero.

The complaint alleged that Lee and his co-accused “with the use of firearm” detained Navarro inside the condominium unit of Cornejo in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. It also stated that they inflicted physical injuries and threatened to kill Navarro, besides demanding money for his release.

The criminal complaint also stated that

P2 million was demanded for Navarro’s release, and that the actor agreed to shell out P1 million.

Lee filed a counter affidavit seeking the dismissal of the case. However, the RTC denied it, prompting Lee to elevate it to the CA which also denied his plea. He then filed a motion for reconsideration.

In his motion, Lee alleged that the first element of the case -- the offender is a private individual -- should have been expressly alleged in the criminal charge sheet and the prosecution’s failure to do so

rendered the charge “defective” and “does not exist in contemplation of law.”

In denying Lee’s motion, the CA through Associate Justice Angelene Mary Quimpo-Sale, ruled that “Generally, a defect pertaining to the failure of an information to charge facts constituting an offense is one that may be corrected by an amendment. In such instances, courts are mandated not to automatically quash the information, rather, it should grant the prosecution the opportunity to cure the defect through an amendment.”

Ex-Mandaluyong police chief positive for drugs, NCRPO insists

By Vince Lopez

THE Philippine National Police’s (PNP) National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) is firm on findings that former Mandaluyong City police chief Col. Cesar Gerente tested positive for illegal drugs.

Gerente claimed however that he had negative results in a separate drug tests.

NCRPO spokesperson Lt. Col. Eunice Salas asserted that the confirmatory drug tests should use the same specimen used in the initial test.

“Earlier nagsalita ang direktor for investigation purposes. Ang tatanggapin na challenge results is yung same specimen na kinuha sa kaniya noong August 24 (The director for investigation has spoken. We will admit results from the

same specimen taken from him (Gerente) on August 24),” Salas told Teleradyo Serbisyo.

She said test results from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) do not count, adding that Gerente tested positive in a confirmatory test.

“We have received his intention the forensics unit that he already has a request to challenge the result but he put the third party PDEA and the PDEA because, he is not accredited by the DOH so we are waiting for other third party to say where to conduct the he challenged,” she said, adding that Gerente allegedly used a different specimen for his PDEA drug test.

Salas maintained however that it’s Gerente’s right to submit what results he wants to submit.

cials have a

day

Gatchalian eyes funds for learning recovery plan

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian has said the learning recovery plan should be included in the Department of Education’s (DepEd) budget for fiscal year 2024.

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, said this will address the learning loss resulting from the COVID-19 school closures.

He cited World Bank estimates that as of June 2022, learning poverty in the Philippines was 90.9 percent,

“Since we are still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to make sure

that there are funds for learning recovery under the DepEd’s 2024 budget,” Gatchalian said.

During the Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the proposed budget of the DepEd and its attached agencies, Gatchalian asked the department to submit its budgetary requirements for the implementation of learning recovery measures.

While the DepEd said it can tap around P4 billion allotted under the Basic Education Curriculum, Gatchalian asked the agency whether it has enough allocation to reach learners needing the most

intervention.

The DepEd said it will officially submit its budgetary requirements to implement the learning recovery.

The DepEd previously announced that it was implementing the National Reading Camp, the National Mathematics Program, and the National Science and Technology Program to combat learning losses during the pandemic.

The DepEd also implemented the National Learning Camp (NLC) during the end-of-school-year break of school year 2022-2023. Macon Ramos-Araneta

GRANDPARENTS DAY, In line with the celebration of Grandparents Day, SM City San Mateo and the local government led by Mayor Bartolome Rivera Jr. and other o

eld

taking sel es with senior citizens. Manny Palmero

IN BRIEF

Gloria, Leni meet at social dinner in Bicol

EX-PRESIDENT and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo said she had a “social dinner” with former Vice President Leni Robredo in Bicol on Saturday.

“I recently had a social dinner with former Vice President Leni Robredo and mutual friends from Bicol,” she said in a statement.

“We chatted about Bicol politics.” Arroyo is a deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. A photograph of Arroyo and Robredo together went viral on social media.

Rio N. Araja

Go bats for healthcare for overseas Filipinos

SENATOR Christopher Go is pushing for stronger government interventions to safeguard the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

He particularly mentioned Senate Bill No. 2297, which aims to institutionalize the OFW Hospital in San Fernando City, Pampanga and SBN 2414, also known as the “OFW Ward” bill.

“These modern-day heroes not only provide for their families but also contribute significantly to the nation’s economy,” said Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography and a member of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers.

He acknowledged the hardships of OFWs, leaving their homes and families behind to seek better opportunities abroad.

SBN 2297 seeks to enhance healthcare services for OFWs and their families by institutionalizing the existing OFW Hospital and Diagnostic Center.

A key feature of the proposed bill is the assurance of necessary funding to support the continued maintenance and operation of the OFW Hospital, as well as providing necessary personnel and equipment.

The hospital, which was a donation from the provincial government of Pampanga, commenced its operations in May 2022. Located on a 1.5-hectare land, the six-storey facility can accommodate 100 beds, primarily intended for the use of OFWs and their eligible dependents.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Rillo urges DOTr to hasten MRT-3 upgrade

QUEZON City Rep. Marvin Rillo wants the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to fast-track the rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) so that it can easily increase its capacity to accommodate 500,000 commuters per day from the current 300,000 passengers.

“We want MRT-3’s carrying capacity upgrade to succeed so that commuters will have faster, safer, and more convenient rides,” Rillo, vice chairperson of the House committee on Metro Manila development, said in a statement on Sunday.

MRT-3 moved an aggregate of 98.3 million commuters in 2022, or 273,141 per day.

“We, in Congress, are prepared to provide the DOTr all the funding needed to renew the aging train line,” Rillo, also a member of the House committee on appropriations, said.

In the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024, the DOTr is asking for P2.9 billion in new appropriations for the MRT-3 Rehabilitation Project, in addition to the P549 million earmarked for the same item this year.

One of the project targets is to enable MRT-3 trains to run four railcars at a time instead of three, thus allowing the entire line to transfer an additional 200,000 commuters per day, according to Rillo.

91 bets told to explain poll offenses

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported that at least 91 candidates for the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) were issued with showcause orders due to alleged election offenses such as premature campaigning.

In a radio interview, Comelec chair

George Garcia said the candidates were given three days from the receipt of the show-cause orders to explain their sides regarding the accusations.

The poll chief also said there were no formal complaints.

“These were only the results of what we have seen or reported to us. What the Comelec did is motu proprio [investigation]. This is the Comelec’s own initiative,” Garcia clarified. Comelec earlier sent advisories to remind candidates to refrain from pre-

mature campaigning. The BSKE campaign period will be from October 19 to October 28.

The poll regulator meanwhile said the BSKE in Malabang, Lanao del Sur may be placed under its control following an indiscriminate firing incident in the municipality during the filing of certificate of candidacy (COC).

Garcia said that he would personally recommend placing Malabang under Comelec control after two individuals fired shots at the Municipal Hall of Malabang on August 31 amid the COC

Solon urges gov’t to halt new onion importations

By Rio N. Araja

NUEVA Ecija Rep. Rosanna Ria Ver-

gara on Sunday called on the government to stop the new importation of red onions, prioritize the production of homegrown onions, and help farmers cope with their losses.

Interviewed over TeleRadyo Serbisyo, the lawmaker said “There are sufficient stocks of the locally pro -

duced onions while the government has approved to import. That is why our farmers have been crying because no one would buy the locally produced red onions.”

“No traders would want to buy at the right price since the BPI (Bureau of Plant Industry) has issued import permits. They would want to buy at P30 (per kilo), P35 (per kilo). Let us say (to sell) at P150 or P50 and you sell at P120. That would be a big profit,” she said.

She maintained the BPI must stop the issuance of import permits for red onions as the Department of Agriculture should also link the farmers to buyers who could buy their onions in bulk.

Several onion raisers in Nueva Ecija had offered to sell their produce at P90 to P100 a kilo just to break even, and that other farmers elsewhere have been dealing with the same ordeal, she cited.

She lamented that imported onions have overtaken the local ones.

filing, GMA News reported.

The official said those behind the firing maybe trying “to intimidate those who were filing certificates of candidacy and prevent them from filing COC.”

Garcia added that the candidates who were filing for the BSKE posts were all women.

Garcia said the perpetrators, allegedly working for Malabang Mayor Alinader Balindong, have surrendered to authorities and are currently in detention and facing formal charges. A show- cause has also been issued against Balindong.

Deadline set for finding team to manage MIF

By Julito G. Rada

HIGHLY competent individuals are needed to man the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) to ensure its success, Department of Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said over the weekend.

He said this as the deadline for nominations and applications for the Maharlika Investment Corporation (MIC) board of directors was set on September 27, 2023.

“Following the promulgation and publishing of the IRR [implementing rules and regulations], the government shall then ensure that the Fund will be managed by highly competent personnel with a good track record and outstanding integrity,” Diokno said.

“Thus, the President and the CEO of the MIC, as well the members of the Board of Directors shall be finalized and appointed. Key management officials will also be decided upon after the composition of the Board has been settled,” Diokno said.

It was recently announced by the Bureau of the Treasury that the guidelines of Republic Act 11954 or the Maharlika Investment Fund Act of 2023 has already been issued last August 28, and became effective Sept. 12, 2023, or 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Villar slams NIA on ‘chaotic’ spending report

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Cynthia A. Villar slammed the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) over its “chaotic” presentation of spending for its budget allocation. During the Senate Subcommittee on Finance presided by Villar, the agency has been asking for a P32.1 billion

budget for next year.

But Villar said the NIA presented “an unclear report on how and where they intend to spend next year’s capital outlay.”

Villar also scored the NIA for “deliberately submitting voluminous documents with chaotic and vague reports” instead of sending a simple report. She suggested that the NIA should have sent

a summary of its report.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III cited the Commission on Audit (COA) which also criticized the NIA for its unclear report on budget spending.

Senator Raffy Tulfo also confronted NIA on the P500 million it has been asking for its feasibility study of its irrigation projects for 2024.

Veteran journalist Bobby Burgos dies at 79

VETERAN journalist and police reporter

Roberto “Bobby” G. Burgos peacefully joined his Creator on Sunday, September 10, after a lingering illness in his Baguio City home.

He turned 79 last August 26. Prior to his retirement in Baguio City, Burgos wrote for the Manila Standard, Pahaya-

gang Malaya, and We Forum which were founded by his late brother Jose Burgos Jr., as well as the Manila Bulletin and the defunct DYHP-Philippines Herald Group.

Burgos was president of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Press Corps in the early 1990s and an official of the Defense Press Corps during the series of coup at-

tempts against the Cory Aquino administration.

He was also Baguio City bureau chief for the Journal Group of Publications from 1998-2001 and a lifetime member of the National Press Club.

Something personal on agrarian reform

TOMORROW, our good friend Conrad Estrella III will present the implementing rules and regulations of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act (RA 11953) to PFRM Jr.

Basically, what the law provides is the condonation of the debt burden of agrarian reform beneficiaries amounting to some P57.57 billion that would benefit some 610,000 ARBs who farm a cumulative 1.2 million hectares of land.

Most of these are planted to rice and corn, the former our staple food commodity, the latter a main ingredient in livestock feeds.

Both are grasses, just like sugar, another major agricultural commodity which, at one time, the Philippines was the world’s top producer.

Palay is the biggest water-guzzler among these grasses, which is why irrigation is imperative if we are to produce more rice.

The condonation of ARB debts to the Landbank which financed the land transfer from the original owners with the land reform beneficiaries as former tenants is most laudable, especially because these are just booked receivables where collection is well nigh impossible given the continued poverty of most of the debtors.

When I was with the Isko Moreno presidential campaign, this condonation of ARB debts was one of the planks of our agricultural platform. Sen. Ralph Recto, now deputy speaker of the House, proposed this in the previous Congress but it was unacted upon till the start of the campaign season.

Conrad, whose grandfather, Tata Condring, was the first minister of agrarian reform after it was elevated from an agency by President Marcos Sr., has hastened the distribution of individual land titles through its Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) which were covered by collective CLOAs.

If DAR’s performance is to be rated based on its mandate of parceling lands covered by the agrarian reform law and awarding these to poor farmers, Estrella would likely make the department functus officio before PFRM Jr. ends his term.

CHR’s paltry budget

WHY doesn’t Congress give the Commission on Human Rights the budget that the broad scope of its functions demands?

***

In the mid- 60s, our family bought 142 hectares of land in Barangay Talandang, Tugbok District in Davao City, some 25 kilometers from City Hall.

It wasn’t all flat land and mostly hills with gentle slopes, ideal for fruit plantations, and we started developing pomelos in 32 hectares close to the creek which supplied water. In another three hectares, we planted coffee and calamansi. We did not have tenants. Farm workers were paid weekly wages, on top of which they were allowed to cultivate their rice and corn, and the harvest was all theirs.

For years until the pomelo trees bore fruit, and which we marketed in Metro Manila with the brand name “Golden,” with “rejects” labelled “Royal” (actually juicy and sweet inside but the rind was pockmarked by fruit flies).

The latter brand was my personal mockery of monarchic (and at the time in the country, dictatorial rule), the family poured so much investments without any returns.

But after our patriarch died in 1994, my mother and four of us siblings decided to voluntarily sell the land to the agrarian reform program. By then we had all graduated from college and into our professions with no one into agriculture. We retained 35 hectares and the rest was bought by Landbank for a pittance.

I then sold the retention which was the fruit tree plantation to a Davao and Cotabato- based agricultural corporation for a sum several multiples bigger than Landbank valued the 107 hectares given to our farm workers plus others from the landless poor in the vicinity.

The corporation was into huge fruit tree farming, and then leased (“ariendo” is the Bisaya term which is actually Castillian) the plots of the ARBs.

They and/or their adult children were then hired again as salaried workers while they collected lease payments.

Some of the children of our loyal workers were hired by us in Butuan, and others we helped through college.

During Cory and Erap’s time, I helped the graduates to get employed in government, and am proud they have prospered since, as a school superintendent, an agricultural technician, an insurance agent, a small business entrepreneur, etc.

The CHR has proven itself an independent body that upholds the protection of human rights, or, more precisely, civil and political rights.

It protects as well our enjoyment of freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances as enshrined in the 1987 Constitution.

But most lawmakers during the 18th Congress, apparently eager to please the Duterte administration despite its bloody war on illegal drugs that led to the deaths of thousands in the hands of the police, rejected the CHR’s proposed budget for 2017 and instead wanted to give it a mere P1,000 for its operations for that year.

In effect, Congress wanted to abolish the office. Congress, however, eventually approved the CHR’s budget as the agency was created by no less than the fundamental law,

and could not be wiped off the face of the earth simply by getting the majority vote of lawmakers.

The bias against the CHR as an independent constitutional body apparently continues to this day with the 19th Congress poised to approve a measly sum for its annual budget.

ances like other government agencies such as the Public Attorneys Office.

Yes, CHR has proposed a confidential fund, but it’s only a paltry P1 million for the whole of 2024.

Entry-level lawyers receive a gross pay of only between P60,000-P65,000 a month, according to the CHR executive.

If you’re a graduate of a top-tier private law school where your parents paid tuition of P350,000 per semester or P700,00 per year, or nearly P3 million for four years for tuition alone, why would you even consider getting paid P60,000 per month at CHR?

As of December 2022, the CHR central office had 112 vacant positions and 123 unfilled oppositions in its regional offices.

What’s sad is the CHR is getting a raw deal from Congress in terms of budget allocation despite its broad mandate.

But that is also where our social justice objective in agrarian reform has made our agricultural production less and less productive.

Second and third generation offspring of the original beneficiaries have had less and less land to till when divided among them, making the economies of scale less and less conducive to modern agricultural techniques.

In other countries where agrarian reform was implemented and which in fact made the templates we adopted, particularly Taiwan, scale was done through cooperatives and farm associations.

Then government stepped in with advanced research and initial support in the form of properly financed mechanization. The same happened in other countries like Japan, Israel, and even socialist Vietnam.

In the Philippines unfortunately, government, in the simplest of terms, divided up the lands, gave CLOAs to the ARBs, and now individual titles, but through this lengthy process, the ARBs were left to their own devices, unable to access cheap credit, unable to access better technology, unable to shake off their dependence on private traders cum loan sharks.

In short, “binigyan na kayo ng lupa, bahala na kayo sa buhay niyo.”

Those whose lives were made better by agrarian reform were mostly from areas close to urban centers where land conversion became rife.

They sold their holdings after the imposed timeline to subdivision developers in a country where housing is another big problem.

These and more have become bane to our agricultural production, and thus, food security.

EvEryman

By Jaushieh Joseph Wu

RUSSIA’S invasion of Ukraine is a reminder of how autocracies care little about causing death and destruction.

The war is a gross violation of human rights and the principle of peaceful settlement of international disputes as codified in the United Nations Charter, which has helped maintain the rules-based international order and kept the world in relative peace since the end of the Cold War.

The war’s humanitarian and economic fallout has also shown that in a globalized world crises cannot be contained within national borders.

It is therefore imperative to deter similar threats to global security from happening elsewhere. Taiwan—a democracy that is home to over 23 million people and that I proudly represent—continues to confront enormous challenges posed by China.

Since the mid-20th century, the People’s Republic of China has vowed to take control of Taiwan and refused to renounce the use of force, despite never having ruled Taiwan.

For decades, the people of Taiwan have remained calm in safeguarding the status quo of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

However, as China’s economic and military might has grown stronger, it becomes increasingly aggressive in flexing its military muscle to intimidate Taiwan, thereby threatening our democratic way of life.

Sadly, it was not by farming that their children prospered, even if their lives improved marginally as plantation workers cum lessors of the government-granted land, rather than being subsistence farmers of rice and corn.

***

Fast forward to the 21st century, and my observations from Bukidnon, where for a time I had some business interest.

I noticed that from Manolo Fortich in the northern border with Cagayan de Oro, all the way to the southern border with Davao City, many ARBs and even medium-sized landowners had been leasing their land to huge corporations involved in sugar or pineapple plantations. The going rate, depending on access to roads and other factors were between P25,000 to P30,000 per hectare per year. Not much, but many advanced their rentals to spend for the requirements of children who would work in foreign lands.

***

When I was head of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, we signed agreements with two universities in Taiwan, with the help of an NGO called Agri-gaia, on agriculture and aquaculture courses to entice our OFWs to learn enough so that when they finish their 12-year maximum work term, they could invest in farms and aquaculture projects back in our country, instead of the ubiquitous investments on tricycles, jeepneys, or sari-sari stores.

MECO even provided a scholarship fund for them, a pet project of the late MECO director and former Sen. Leticia Ramos Shahani. Very few showed interest in the courses. There are so many reasons why farming and fishery development in the country has been stunted. These are but some of the stories on why.

This includes sending warplanes and ships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and encroaching into our air defense identification zones.

It has also intensified gray-zone tactics, such as disinformation and economic coercion, in an attempt to wear down our will to fight.

The PRC’s expansionism does not stop at Taiwan.

China’s use of gray-zone activities in the East and South China Seas are designed to expand its power and substantiate its hawkish territorial claims.

In addition to signing a security agreement with Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, the PRC has been securing ports for future military use in the Indian Ocean.

These maneuvers are causing grave concerns that peace is becoming more difficult to maintain.

Ensuring peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is in everyone’s best interest.

Half of the world’s commercial container traffic passes through the Taiwan Strait each day. Taiwan produces the majority of the world’s semiconductors and plays a key role in global supply chains. Any conflict in the area would have disastrous consequences for the global economy.

In recent years, bilateral and multilateral fora have repeatedly emphasized the peace and stability over the Taiwan Strait is indispensable to global security.

The CHR now laments it has been losing its employees while attracting a few applicants despite aggressive hiring because of low salaries.

In a recent Senate hearing to defend their proposed 2024 budget of P976 million, CHR Executive Director Jacqueline De Guia revealed their staff do not have allow-

The agency serves as a watchdog of human rights violations; monitors government’s compliance with human rights treaties and standards; advises government on how to improve policies and programs in defense of human rights; and educates government and public towards a better understanding of human rights.

Given all this, it stands to reason that the constitutional body ought to be given enough funds to do its work.

Creative SIM scammers

DESPITE the implementation of the SIM (subscriber identity module) Card Registration Law and the expiration of the extended deadline to register all SIM card users, text scammers are still hitting millions of mobile phone service subscribers with increasingly creative modus operandi of their cons. Everyone I know including myself receive a daily dose of text messages enticing you with all sorts of click baits that expose you to all sorts of risks.

The enactment of the SIM Registration Act was primarily aimed at mitigating the prevalence of crimes perpetrated via text messages. This legislation was particularly targeted at the widespread issue of spam and scam texts that were rampant during the time the bill was under consideration in Congress.

During a recent Senate inquiry, the author and sponsor of the law, Sen. Grace Poe, expressed her disappointment of continuing scams and called on regulators and law enforcers to exert more efforts. She also bought up the possibility of an inside job with telco providers in skirting what were supposed to be effective regulations to stop all these scammers. One of the problems Senator Poe pointed out is the “hassle” or how hard it is for mobile phone users to report a scam message particularly a requirement to submit scanned images of two valid IDs – many Filipinos do not even have one ID.

I tried going to NTC’s webpage and saw that if you have basic internet skills and know how to scan the images your IDs and the actual text spam and/or scam with your cellphone number, write the “required” summary, and have the good internet connection to upload, it may take a good 30 minutes of your time that you should be willing to commit. I think many will give up on the part where you would need to write the summary of the scam.

Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Sherwin Gatchalian also expressed their dismay on the persisting prevalence of cyber scams and emphatically urged the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to devise more robust safeguards to halt the exploitation of SIM cards for cyberscamming activities particularly among Phil-

ippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos).

According to reports, raids on Pogo hubs captured about 107,000 preregistered and unregistered SIM cards being used for “text” and “love” scam operations.

For those unfamiliar, “Love scam” operations victimize their targets by tricking them into believing that they are having a real romantic relationship and will eventually be exploited for financial gain. Love scammers prowl social media and dating apps for the right profile then will develop the online relationship.

At some time, there will be a sad story or some kind of emergency to dupe victims into giving money.

mandate and limited resources.

This is a handicap that cannot keep up with the pace and nimble nature of the digital environment that cybercrime syndicates will aggressively exploit.

Already at an advantage as masters of digital technology they have creatively criminal minds.

The reports on how pictures of monkeys and fake IDs are being used to register SIM cards is an embarrassing example of how cybercriminals will think and do anything because the profitability is there.

In a statement, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center Undersecretary Alexander Ramos said there are foreign cybercrime groups initiating these scams with some able to buy pre-registered SIM cards.

He said scammers are able to fool their targets that they are banks or e-payment platforms pushing fraudulent financial schemes.

The CICC has announced its free hotline 1326 to report suspicious calls or texts.

It is important to be aware and cautious of these scams.

Senator Poe exclaimed that, “If the scammers have become creative, we (in government) should be more creative. While we do not discount the warnings and notices sent by the agencies and telcos to the public, we must go above and beyond if we are to combat this plague in our telecom system.”

It’s quite possible these cyber scammers have stepped up their communications with the hired help of experts in the sociocultural psychology of Filipino consumers.

It’s sometimes amusing how creative their messaging has become.

Being highly skilled techies who have gone to the dark side of the digital world, these cybercrime actors are able to stay ahead of government regulators and law enforcement who must function within the legal parameters and inflexibility of their

Taiwan’s inclusion in the UN

This resolution neither states that Taiwan is a part of the PRC nor gives the PRC the right to represent the people of Taiwan in the UN and its specialized agencies.

In fact, the resolution only determines who represents the member state China, a fact that the international community and China itself recognized following the relevant vote in 1971.

The subsequent misrepresentation of Resolution 2758 contradicts the basic principles upheld by the UN Charter and must be rectified.

The 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which will center on the theme “rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity,” is timely in light of a number of broad global challenges.

Each of us, being targets, must take necessary precautions to protect ourselves.

Our first defense is really how we can adopt a trust no one attitude especially when you receive these texts or calls from numbers not in your contacts list.

Ignoring or even blocking will not really help because scammers will just go to the next number in their list.

This will be an ongoing battle that will need the help of experts of the digital and telco industry helping our regulators and law enforcers execute an aggressive digital war against online scam operators, both within and outside our borders, and engaging and extensive campaign that will instill to all mobile phone and internet users how to safely and responsibly use connectivity devices against cybercrime.

it from discussions on issues requiring global cooperation.

A good first step would be to allow Taiwanese individuals and journalists to attend or cover relevant meetings, as well as ensure Taiwan’s meaningful participation in meetings and mechanisms regarding the SDGs.

Ukraine’s incredible bravery and resilience have inspired countries around the globe.

The war there has forged a new sense of togetherness in the world.

Unity is crucial to pushing back against Russia’s aggression and to preserving universal values, such as human rights and global peace, more broadly.

While we can all agree the war must be avoided, how to best do so requires inclusion, dialogue, and, most of all, unity.

The United Nations remains the best platform for global discourse.

UN officials speak often of joint solutions, solidarity, and inclusion in tackling the pressing issues of our time. Taiwan is more than willing and able to take part in these efforts. However, Taiwan continues to be excluded from the UN due to China’s distortion of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758.

For example, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals were designed as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity.

Yet the most recent SDG progress report showed just 12 percent of SDG targets were on track, while progress on 50 percent has remained insufficient. And on more than 30 percent, we have stalled or even regressed.

While there are no easy answers, the first step is dialogue.

As a truly global institution, the UN can serve as a champion of progress.

We call on the UN to uphold its principle of leaving no one behind by allowing Taiwan to participate in the UN system, rather than excluding

It is vital to make China and other authoritarian governments aware they will be held accountable and to urge them to settle differences through peaceful means.

Allowing Taiwan to meaningfully participate in the UN system would benefit the world’s efforts to address pressing global issues.

This would also demonstrate the UN’s determination to unite for global peace at a critical juncture when the future of the world is at stake.

We are stronger together.

Now is the time to act on this fundamental principle by including Taiwan.

(The author is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China)

It stands to reason that the constitutional body ought to be given enough funds to do its work

Allowing Taiwan to meaningfully participate in the UN system would benefit the world’s efforts to address pressing global issues

There are so many reasons why farming and fishery development in the country has been stunted

The government must balance regulation with the growth of MSMEs and barriers to entry into the e-commerce space

An Open Letter to the Nations

(Appendix A)

To the Articles of Agreement of the Global Gold Monetary Fund

As a crucial component in the creation of the Global Gold Monetary Fund (“GGMF”), this Open Letter to the Nations was written by the founding members and is directed towards all governments and people around the world.

The ideas expressed in the letter were used to bring the founders together under a Christian worldview, which is grounded in Jesus’ love for all individuals, regardless of their nationality. The letter reflects the group’s beliefs, objectives, and aspirations during the development of the GGMF, from its inception to the drafting of the Articles of Agreement.

Without a shared approach and worldview, the unanimous adoption of these articles would have been impossible. This document was created with much prayer and outlines the Christian perspectives, motives, wishes, and expectations of the 39 founders. It is not meant to impose any spiritual or religious beliefs on those who come from various cultures, religions, or hold different views. The fund exists to benefit all individuals in all Nations, irrespective of their religious, political, cultural, or ethnic backgrounds.

INTRODUCTION

During Creation, God created and strategically deposited enough gold on earth to meet all our needs as a monetary unit and as a store of God-given wealth. The replacement of gold by fiat currency has led to the enslavement of Nations and their people through a leveraged process of debt creation known as fractional reserve banking. This system was designed to replace our dependence on God with an unholy Grail of worthless paper money that gives a powerful elite the ability to enslave entire populations.

A return to gold as a medium of exchange is a return to God’s provision and a way to address the debt trap created by fiat currency.

From the beginning, God planned to bless and increase humanity. Even after Adam and Eve sinned, God continued to reveal His plan to bless humanity through various means, culminating in Jesus Christ’s finished works on the cross.

When we receive Jesus as our Saviour, we receive everything He came to provide, including physical, mental, spiritual, relational, and financial liberty. God’s will is to prosper and meet our needs, and the blessings of the Lord are manifested in both the spiritual and natural realms. As we are declared righteous by God, we receive the blessings of the Lord upon our lives, which are plentiful and can be found in the books of Psalms and Proverbs.

IT IS TIME TO RETURN TO GOD.

Humanity is currently facing a crucial point in its history. Some will see great wisdom in looking to God for answers to the world’s ills, some will not. National leaders who prioritize the welfare of their citizens should carefully consider the contents of this open letter instead of dismissing it as an unrealistic notion. It’s not our intention to persuade everyone, but only those who possess an open mind and comprehend the pressing importance of our message.

What happens when God moves to answer prayers, to redress injustices, to judge evil, to liberate captives, to defend the poor and needy, to expose abusive practices, to relieve oppression, or to deal with those who oppose Him? Here is a good example.

God told Moses: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. “So, I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey” ... He added: “I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.” Then, God performed miracles after miracles through Moses … striking the Egyptians with ten consecutive plagues of blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and the death of all the firstborn of Egypt (people and animals) at Passover. Pharaoh lost and ultimately gave up but not before great suffering and pain. All the people of Egypt suffered because of the pride and hard headedness of one man.

God also did some extraordinary things so that the people would not leave Egypt empty-handed. He handed over to them all the gold and silver of Egypt thus fulfilling what He had promised: “So, you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

He then proceeded to part the red sea so that a vast group of people could cross over to the promised land on dry land but destroyed the Egyptian army as they tried to pursue them through the open passageway. For 40 long years, God fed more an entire nation and their animals supernaturally with a perfectly calibrated daily dose of manna from Heaven for each person.

In the same way that God heard the cry of the people then, He has also now heard the cry of the oppressed, the abused, and those who are captive to a financial system that keeps them in bondage.

The world is about to experience an exodus of a different kind, that of those who will be supernaturally liberated from a fiat currency system of banking driven by greed that has dishonored God and abused people through deceitful schemes, practices and laws that conjure up money created from thin air to control, manipulate, and indenture people and Nations for political or other objectives. This modern-day exodus will also extend to all those who have been kept in spiritual slavery, but that is a different subject.

THE SOURCE AND CAUSE OF MODERN-DAY SLAVERY

Throughout history, men’s greed caused them to use gold for much evil. Gold has fueled wars It has been used to grab power, to control individuals and communities, to dominate and dictate the rules of economic life, to fuel greed, as well as to support the implementation of nefarious agendas. Instead of worshipping the Creator of all things, societies have worshipped idols made of gold. Gold has been hoarded, stolen, leveraged, and manipulated for centuries by a cabal bent on implementing and sustaining the Golden Rule: “He who holds the gold makes the rules.”

Perhaps the greatest evil is that our God-given form of wealth (gold) has been replaced by a fiat currency placed into circulation as a medium of exchange that is not backed by any commodity (historically gold or silver) or tangible asset. It is merely a promissory note of the issuer.

Replacing the proven track record of God’s gold as a stable store of value for millenniums, by a worthless paper currency (a banker’s promissory note) was nothing more than a return to modern-day slavery, disguised as a new form of market-driven economic capitalism touted to ostensibly liberate mankind. It was the fulfillment of

this prophetic declaration: “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” Slavery takes many forms. Some obvious, some less obvious. The issuance and distribution of paper currency - ”fiat currency” created out of thin air - is one of those non-obvious forms of slavery. Because the entire money creation system is shrouded in complexities and secrecy, bankers duplicitously got away with calling it “money,” to give it a false perception of stored value. This gave rise to today’s “global fiat currency system”, designed to enslave entire populations through a leveraged process of debt creation known as “fractional reserve banking.”

This “global fiat currency system” was designed to replace our dependence on a Holy God, who promised to meet all our basic daily needs, with an unholy Grail of worthless paper money which gives a rich and powerful greed-driven elite the ability to create “wealth” out of nothing to control, ring-fence, and enslave entire unsuspecting populations. These elites made worthless paper currency become a god that is worshipped … and the divide between the rich and the poor never-ending. King Solomon wrote: “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.” The Apostle Paul later wrote: “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Such evil is best illustrated in these famous words of a prominent European banker: “Permit me to issue and control the money of the nation and I care not who makes its laws.”

It is the replacement of God as the giver of all good gifts by a man-centric approach to wealth creation that was and continues to be evil. It has led Nations and their people to find more contentment and well-being in a bank account, lined with fiat currencies, rather than from a daily reliance on God for security, protection, good health, and provision.

A return to gold as a medium of exchange is a return to God’s provision for all who for millennia have been deceptively enslaved. God has not forgotten them. Our contention and firm belief are that our God is now preparing to address this wickedness.

The fiat currency system is a debt trap of unimaginable proportions. To address this ever-increasing level of indebtedness, Nations and their citizens must continually exchange their God-given knowledge, abilities, and work sweat equity for worthless fiat currencies.

The founders of the Fund contend that by replacing the global fiat monetary system with the true wealth God has always intended for the Nations, they will experience true Social Shalom (it means so much more than “peace,” it means Full Flourishing).

On that day God’s river will bring life to all, including those who live downstream. No longer will it be necessary to dam up the river if we obediently return to God’s principles.

THE CASE FOR GOLD – GOD’S GOLD!

Since 1971 when the U.S. and the rest of the world went off the gold standard, gold money has been replaced with inherently-worthless, government-imposed, paper notes, or debt obligations of the issuer. Such debt instruments have no “store of value” attributes one would expect from a monetary system that is supposed to deliver stability, predictability, and sustainability. Instead, commercial transactions of goods and services are settled by exchanging the serial numbers of one Monopoly funny money for another. Even in international trade transactions settlements occur by exchanging the fiat confetti paper of one Nation for that of another.

Since 1913 when the US Federal Reserve Bank was created, the value of the Dollar has decreased between 97% and 98% to account for the effect of compounded inflation. In countries like Zimbabwe, Brazil, or Argentina the devaluation of their currencies caused by successive waves of hyperinflation had massively debilitating impact on the economy and the people of these Nations.

In Argentina alone, hyperinflation exploded in 1989. It was the final stage of a chronic inflationary process that began in 1945 and lasted forty-five years between 1980 and 1989, during which inflation peaked to 4,923% thanks to unbridled monetary growth.

In an article by J. B. Shurk of the Gatestone Institute, the author describes what happened in the United States from 1913 to circa 1935: “By slowly replacing the use of gold coins with mandated paper currencies, Nation states have engaged in a bit of hocus-pocus to conjure funny money out of thin air. Although the particular order of events has been different for different Nations over the last century and a half, the important steps have all been the same: First, some form of paper money is introduced and backed by the government’s promise to pay the holder of each note a fixed sum in gold or silver. Next, the introduction of a private central bank comes into existence holding a de facto monopoly power to print paper money according to its best judgment for maintaining a healthy national economy. Finally, the gold or silver backing of those paper money currencies is revoked.” He concludes with this sad assessment: “This rather Machiavellian switcheroo has enabled governments to spend money like drunken sailors precisely because central banks right across the street will buy up their debt and facilitate the printing of more money.”

If a house today is worth twenty times more today than it was in 1950, it is not that the house has increased in value. Rather, its current market value merely reflects the decreasing purchasing power of the US Dollar. The free-fall decline accelerated after 1971 when the US decoupled its currency from gold backing. It is also the devaluing buying power of the currency that pushed the price of gold from $35 an ounce to over $2,000 today. The inherent and intrinsic value of gold remained unchanged during that same period.

Many believe that gold will increase to $5,000 or more and it is a good investment. If one’s objective is to buy and hold physical gold, it is a wise alternative indeed, but only for the short term. When all fiat currencies vanish into oblivion, as they all will, how will one fractionalize and use a gold coin worth $1,000 to pay for a haircut worth $30? If one invests in gold merely to ride the bull wave to the top, consider that gold at $5,000 or even $1,000,000 an ounce is no more valuable than yesterday’s gold when it was worth $2,000. It is all the same Monopoly funny money designed to promote an illusion of wealth. It is not real wealth.

As long as we all continue to admire and praise the beauty of the emperor’s invisible clothes, governments, central bankers, and politicians may be able to delay the inevitable by kicking the can down the road with one illusionary magic trick after another. Even though this passenger ship is visibly listing and taking-on water, most people find it more convenient to turn a blind eye to the reality of the situation because the consequence of a globally failing financial experiment is too painful to consider or even address. When the little child finally declares for all to hear that the emperor is naked and has no clothes, and each person in the crowd begins to

echo the voice of the child, the musical catastrophic. All fiat currency systems Titanic. This is today’s reality.

The quote ascribed to Edmund Burke: of evil is for good men to do nothing” to wake-up and take responsibility for emperor’s invisible clothes for way too domino of greed and covetousness in first domino falls – a process which is near

A switch to a central bank digital currency of the extreme dangers it represents, it pan into the fire. Neither is a return to a return to God is the only route of escape world. This is the main purpose of this

GOD’S STOREHOUSES ARE

Since Creation, gold has been a widely store of value that was used to definitively trades. Because of its wide use and acceptance, storing wealth. In Biblical times the rarity gained momentum as a widely used and was perceived to have unique and unchanging

During Creation, God created and strategically meet all our needs as a monetary unit and virtually indestructible and cannot be created the right quantities and places to accomplish

The Holy Bible discloses the existence lightning, wind, snow, or hail, even food. have an ample supply of pure gold, silver, costly goods Far more gold exists in the stated as fact by all the ostensible experts.

In reality, all the estimates of how creation of the world are far less than carat or 99.99% purity) or not fully purified without the multiplication process, there humanity from the bondage and tyranny poverty if gold is allowed to become Economic experts may contend that accomplish these objectives. We disagree! vantage point is twofold. It is not whether the world to meet the human community’s citizens will do to prevent the worship owns it all. Greed may have been the reason of gold have remained shut.

When God opens a door in Heaven, appeared daily in the exact amount needed be when the doors of Heaven’s storehouses in the process of redeeming what belongs stolen, and from anyone who erred in their drive them instead of taking risks to serve and liberate rather than enslave and control.

Manna appeared on the ground every calibrated quantities that met the exact so, will it be with the Gold Units needed In the end, it is all a matter of individual that God is faithful even when we are unfaithful, us, and He will provide for ALL our daily

ONLY A RETURN TO GOD CAN

The fiat currency system that emerged Ponzi scheme ever devised. The “brilliant” birth to a beast whose ever-increasing debt is insatiable. If it self-destructs it will the world.

For decades, the complex mechanics interest compounding, present and future derivatives have cloaked the beast to allow due to its gargantuan appetite for more fiat no asset-backing of any kind.

Since indebtedness incurred in funny enforceable against borrower who default people and Nations with funny money wisdom, “the rich governs over the poor, servant,” has come to fruition.”

Consider now the beast of derivative first beast of fractional reserve banking financial gimmicks and highly complex of money creation have been used to that it is impossible to even see its face instruments financed with play money $3.0 quadrillion of financial exposure bubble bursts, and it will, all banks will of chaos never experienced before in the Sooner or later, all humans on earth urgent action to take the legal teeth out all debts – a jubilee of sort.

This is why God required all debts be proclaimed in the land in order to reset a fresh new beginning through the proclamation payable in fiat currency can provide a long-term those proposed by well-meaning individuals, point, the most important course of action In the Bible, God exhorts us to return and be careful to obey my laws, and you

chair will stop. It will be sudden. It will be will sooner or later have the same end as the Burke: “The only thing necessary for the triumph is a clear warning to us all and an invitation for our individual part in having admired the too long. We have all stacked-up our own a long chain that is easily toppled when the near impossible to stop. currency (CBDC) is not the answer, Because it would equate to jumping from the frying a new crypto-currency or digital currency. A for humanity and for the governments of the letter. Let me explain.

ARE SUFFICIENT

widely accepted medium of exchange, a stable definitively settle barter transactions and commercial acceptance, it became the preferred way of rarity of gold gave it its monetary value and it and accepted medium of exchange because it unchanging intrinsic value. strategically deposited enough gold on earth to and as a store of God-given wealth. Since it is created again, God distributed the gold in just accomplish His penultimate purposes for humanity. existence of Heavenly storehouses of rain, thunder, food. It also reveals that God’s Treasuries also silver, precious stones, pearls, crystals, and other the world today than is imagined, estimated, or experts. how much gold has been produced since the than what is readily available as refined (24 purified gold (e.g., 23 carat doré bars). Even there is sufficient gold on earth to liberate tyranny of global fiat currencies and eradicate a globally accepted medium of exchange. that there isn’t enough gold in the world to disagree! The heart of the issue from God’s whether there is a sufficient quantity of gold in community’s every need, but what Nations and their worship of gold, rather than God, the creator who reason why the doors to Heaven’s storehouse no one can shut it. Just like the manna that needed to sustain a Nation on the move, so will it storehouses are opened to meet human needs. God is belongs to Him – all that was hoarded, hidden, or their stewardship and allowed fear or greed to serve God’s purposes. God will use it to bless control.

every morning for forty years in precisely daily needs of an entire Nation on the move; needed to sustain the world. individual faith anchored in the bedrock foundation unfaithful, and He loves and cares for each of daily needs.

CAN SAVE US.

emerged in 1971 is the most dangerous and pernicious “brilliant” financial minds of this world have given appetite for more printed money and more will simultaneously destroy all economies of mechanics of fractional reserve banking, leverage, future values, discounting, arbitrage, futures, and allow it to grow to an unfathomable dimension fiat currencies printed out of thin air and with money has been given legal teeth to make it default on their obligation, the evil that indentures money is self-evident. This piece of prophetic poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s derivative financial instrument which makes the banking pale by comparison. Through a series of complex and shady practices, the printing presses grow this second beast into a giant so tall face from the ground. Artificially created debts has mushroomed to an estimated $2.5 and for the world’s monetary system. If that will fail simultaneously, bringing with it a level the history of mankind. earth will be seriously impacted unless we take out of these debt instruments by extinguishing be forgiven every 50 years, a jubilee that is the debt counter to zero for all people. Only proclamation of a jubilee that cancels all debts long-term solution, as all temporary fixes, even individuals, will not have a lasting impact. At this action is a penitent return to God’s principles. to Him. He promises: “’Follow my decrees will live safely in the land. Then the land will

yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety.” We need to listen and pay attention to what God says.

WHAT WILL THIS MODERN-DAY EXODUS LOOK LIKE?

God asks each one of us a rhetoric question. More than a question it is a statement about Himself as a reliable and trustworthy provider in who we can place our faith and confidence.

God asks: “if instead of 5,000 people Jesus fed, there had been 100,000 or 1 million people, how much bread would Jesus have needed to feed such a hungry crowd”. The answer is evident. If God could multiply five loaves that satiated the appetite of 5,000 hungry people, the same multiplication process applied to the original 5 loaves will feed any number of people.

In this circumstance a relationship with the one who multiplies is far more beneficial than the enjoyment of a satisfying meal. God wants each of us to know Him personally and to have a practical experience of His presence and the abundant provisions for those who fully trust Him.

The loaves did not miraculously multiply in the baskets before the disciples handed them out; they multiplied as they were being obediently handed out by faith. Jesus only blessed, broke, and gave the initial five loaves and 2 fishes to be passed out. It is the disciples’ faith and obedience in the one who gave the order that produced the miracle of multiplication.

The same principle of multiplication applies to gold, oil, or any crop. God can use a single bar of gold to liberate the entire world from debt slavery. A single atom of gold received from God by faith as a gift and with thanksgiving, is sufficient to trigger a process of multiplication that will not stop until the world is entirely liberated from debt slavery. The notion that there is not enough gold in the world to allow a financial system to sustain economic growth is a lie that comes straight from the pit of hell.

Nothing illustrates this principle better that the story of a widow who was going to experience God’s provision in a fresh new way. While a three-year drought and famine was at its peak in the land, God directed Elijah to go to a widow. God told him “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” God had expressly sent Elijah to the one person least able to meet his daily needs, for he was about to discover this widow was destitute and near death.

When he asked her for some bread to eat, she replied: “As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread--only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it--and die.” Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land.’ “ She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So, there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.”

These are important lessons concerning the nature of God. He is a multiplying God. If the same five loaves were sufficient to feed 5,000 people or 100 million people, so it will be for God’s gold. God can multiply his blessings in ways we can barely comprehend. Our issue is not about gold but about a relationship with the one who multiplies the bread, the gold, the rain, the oil, and the fishes. When this multiplying God is on our side, all our needs will be met. Jesus said: “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Membership in the Global Gold Monetary Fund IS NOT ABOUT returning to a gold standard or gold as a store of wealth, but about returning to God’s principles of equity and justice for all and accepting His ultimate Lordship over us. This is why its symbolic gold coin says: “Holy to Yahweh”.

Some will accept, some will reject. That’s their choice. For many GGMF will be a financial ark of sort as it will allow them to survive the coming financial flood that will destroy many. Sadly, for many they will perish. Jesus said: “as it was in the days of Noah, so will bit be at the time of the return of the Son of Man”.

All the Nations that adopt GGMF’s gold monetary units as a medium of exchange and accept that it is “Holy to Yahweh” and pleasing to Him will experience God’s blessings and provisions both personally and corporately in ways rarely experienced before. God made these promises to those who obey “you will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock--the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.” We can rely on such promises with no hesitation.

ALL THE GOLD IN THE WORLD BELONGS TO GOD.

It is vitally important for us to understand who God is. In the Bible God declares, “The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein;” His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth;’ and more to our subject … ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts. God permits evil to flourish, that is, until its increasing weight tips the scales of God’s patience, mercy, and grace. When scales tip over, as it has in the past, His righteous anger overflows. He has and will move swiftly to redress the wrong and achieve His penultimate purposes. It is the understanding of this principle that allowed Joseph to say to his brothers who had done him wrong: “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.”

We further contend that God is in the process of redeeming all the gold and silver that belongs to Him to set captives (slaves) free throughout the world. Jesus’ principal mission on earth was to “set captives free.” His mission continues through His willing servants. This Fund is a part of God’s plan to redress the wrong.

All the gold in the world is part of God’s Heavenly Treasuries. It will be fully and completely available to us if it is used to set captives free.

Every Nation that makes the decision to return to gold as a medium of exchange and a stable store of value will experience the providential blessing of God in surprising ways. True freedom from debt slavery will come when a Government makes the conscious decision to permanently cut the umbilical cord that has heretofore replaced true wealth (gold) with a valueless system of fiat currencies. When the intrinsic value of gold regains its proper place, Nations will begin to flourish and thrive anew.

Our finite minds cannot grasp the vastness of God’s Heavenly Treasures and His awesome greatness and glory. We understand even less how He has placed it on earth to manifest His pleasure and blessing upon the children of man.

When the Roman taxes needed to be paid, Jesus directed his disciples to go and catch a fish so that a gold coin from the treasuries of Heaven would miraculously appear in the mouth of a fish to pay the taxes they owed.

Having bread to eat for a day is a good thing but having an intimate personal relationship with the One who will continually meet our every need on a daily basis is of far greater worth. Let us draw near to God and let us place our trust in Him.

NATURE AND PURPOSE OF THE CURRENT WEALTH TRANSFER.

King Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest man who ever lived wrote, “To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.”

These are the days we are now reliving. We are about to experience an amazing transfer of real wealth (gold) from those who live for themselves and their selfish ambitions, to those who please God, live for Him, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and sincere hearts. Since He owns all the gold in the world, it will be His good pleasure to give it to whomever He pleases.

God desires that we should all know Him and glorify Him with our whole being and all our possessions. Therefore, God invites each of us to “test” Him to see if, as a result of our turning to Him and being obedient to His commands, He will not pour out so much blessing that we will not have room enough to contain it.

Our focus should never be on gold or the accumulation of gold as an end-initself. What matters is that we turn to God with all our minds, hearts, and souls. When we pursue God with an open heart, we will find Him. This process is what transforms a vertical relationship into unlimited horizontal opportunities for blessings through human hands driven by faith, and service in honor of Him.

The vision God gave the 39 founders was a challenge they received and took to heart. God, speaking through the Prophet Isaiah pointed out to each of them: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”

Concerning the early church, right after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to Heaven, it is written, “they sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” Their open-handed attitude with God’s assets was, in and of itself, the evidence of a deep faith in God. They had learned to be lavish givers, just as God is a lavish giver. Their obedience in sharing what they had with those that had needs brought glory to God. As a result, the early church grew rapidly as God met practical communal needs through the obedience that accompanied their confession of Christ. Such benevolence acknowledged that God was the source of all blessings.

With God’s help, we, the Founders, believe that this is what the world most needs. Irrespective of our individual worldviews, religions, persuasions, political views, ethnic origins, gender, or social standing, it is our collective duty and responsibility as contributing members of a global human society to care for communities – our neighbors. We need to create sustainable jobs, empower local communities, meet needs in practical and loving ways, reduce local poverty, set captives free, feed the hungry, and defend the cause of the widows, the orphans, the fatherless, the poor, the needy, and the most vulnerable members of society. When we learn to love our neighbors as ourselves, we will experience God’s blessings in ways we never thought possible.

EXPERIENCING THE SOCIAL SHALOM OF GOD.

Even though a return to a gold-backed monetary system is a good first step, it is NOT the ultimate solution. Returning to God’s principles of true wealth creation combined with the generous and selfless distribution and redistribution of the resources God provides is what the world needs most. Having unhindered access to the Giver of all good gifts that come down from Heaven is of far greater worth and importance than the gifts themselves.

When out of concern for the general well-being of others, we each pursue unequivocally the vertical relationship offered by a Loving, Gracious, Compassionate, Holy, Righteous, and Just God, to flow horizontally to the many, great blessings will come upon those who obey and upon the world they touch.

When open hands deliver God’s blessings into equally open hands, God’s abundance will flow to entire communities through the multiplication process, and the well-being will continue to self-multiply.

One act of obedience at the source can easily become an explosion of communal generosity that swells up into a flowing river that brings abundant and renewed life downstream. This is our hope and our prayer. There is no limit as to what God will do to support efforts that glorify Him. He will open the Storehouses of Heaven in ways rarely experienced before. He will rain down blessings upon those who will receive them, not for selfish purposes or greed, but to accomplish God’s most urgent work on earth, to draw all peoples to the soon-returning Messiah, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.

It is our prayer that every Nation and people that align themselves with the initiative described in these Articles of Agreement and adopt and become a Country Member, or an Associate Member, on such terms as are defined herein, will experience what Isaiah prophesied … “You, heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the LORD, have created it.” It is what we call the social shalom of God.

October 27, 2022

Joseph Allain Lenferna de la Motte, One of the 39 founders of GGMF

Important Notice

This Open Letter to the Nations is an integral part of the “Articles of Agreement”, a document which is subject to Copyright. A Creative Commons license is hereby given to all persons to copy and distribute this Open Letter to the Nations together with the Articles of Agreement in their entirety without change, in any medium or format in unadapted form and for noncommercial purposes only, so long as the following attribution is provided:

This Open Letter to the Nations is an integral part of the Articles of Agreement of the Global Gold Monetary Fund Published on October 27, 2022 and amended on September 10, 2023 (Appendix #1), it is redistributed under a Creative Commons License. To view a copy of the license, visit: https:// creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses/ All references to Bible texts are from the: New International Version (NIV) or the New King James Version (NKJV).

WMO notes increasing pollution as heatwaves worsen air quality

AMPLIFIED by wildfires and desert dust fanned by climate change, more frequent heatwaves are leading to a sharp drop in air quality and human health, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a new report last week.

The news came as the United Nations chief released a strongly worded statement on a record summer of global warming in the northern hemisphere.

“Our planet has just endured a season of simmering—the hottest summer on record,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, warning of “climate breakdown.”

“The dog days of summer are not just barking, they are biting,” says the UN chief, describing the consequences of humanity’s unleashed fossil fuel addiction.

As the climate crisis provokes more and more extreme weather worldwide, the UN Secretary General called on leaders to “turn up the heat now for climate solutions.”

The 2023 WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin—coming on the heels of the Secretary General’s statement— puts the spotlight firmly on the damage caused by heatwaves.

It notes that high temperatures are not only a hazard by themselves, but they

also trigger damaging pollution.

Based on the 2022 data, the report shows how heatwaves fanned a dangerous drop in air quality last year.

“Heatwaves worsen air quality, with knock-on effects on human health, ecosystems, agriculture and indeed our daily lives,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas, commenting on the report’s findings, adding that climate change and air quality must be tackled together to break a vicious circle.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves.

“Smoke from wildfires contains a witch’s brew of chemicals that affects not only air quality and health, but also damages plants, ecosystems and crops—and leads to more carbon emissions and so more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,” said Lorenzo Lab-

rador, a WMO scientific officer in the Global Atmosphere Watch network which compiled the Bulletin.

Last summer’s northern heatwave led to increased concentrations of pollutants such as harmful particulates and reactive gases such as nitrogen oxides.

In Europe, hundreds of air quality monitoring sites registered levels exceeding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) ozone air quality guideline levels of 100 μg m–3 over an eight-hour exposure. When it comes to heat, city dwellers usually experience the most intense conditions.

With dense infrastructure and numerous tall buildings, urban areas end up with temperatures that are much higher compared to the rural surroundings. This effect is usually referred to as

UNESCO sites offer defense vs extinction

SOME of the world’s most iconic natural and cultural sites are also a haven for thousands of endangered species, the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said.

creating an “urban heat island.” The magnitude of temperature difference varies but may reach up to 9°C at night.

As a result, people who live and work in cities, experience dangerous heat stress even at night.

There is a solution, though. A study in São Paulo, Brazil showed that both temperature and CO2 measurements are partly mitigated by incorporating more green spaces within cities, pointing to the benefits of nature-based solutions for climate change.

WMO released its report on the eve of the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies on September 7. The theme this year is Together for Clean Air, focusing on the need for strong partnerships, increased investment and shared responsibility to overcome air pollution. UN News

Coasts, marine life in peril due to sand extraction

GENEVA, Switzerland—Findings from a new UN data platform reveal that the marine dredging industry is extracting a staggering six billion tons of sand and sediment annually.

This is equivalent to over one million dump trucks every day—placing immense pressure on marine biodiversity and the well-being of coastal communities.

Marine Sand Watch, a platform developed by UN Environment Programme (UNEP)’s analytical centre, GRID-Geneva, uses artificial intelligence and automatic signals from ships to track and monitor sand, clay, silt, gravel and rock extraction in the world’s marine environments.

It delivers crucial information on sand extraction zones (sand concessions), capital and maintenance dredging sites, sand trading hubs, vessel counts, and operators at sea.

While the platform is a groundbreaking tool, it currently cannot detect artisanal and small-scale mining along shallow coastlines, despite its intensity in some regions, according to UNEP.

Source: www.ecowatch.com

“The scale of environmental impacts of shallow sea mining activities and dredging is alarming, including biodiversity, water turbidity, and noise impacts on marine mammals,” said Pascal Peduzzi, director of GRID-Geneva at UNEP.

“This data signals the urgent need for better management of marine sand resources and to reduce the impacts of shallow sea mining,” he added.

The senior UN official called on gov-

ernments as well as the dredging sector to treat sand as a strategic material, and swiftly engage in talks on how to improve dredging standards worldwide.

Between four and eight billion tons of sediment are dredged annually from marine and coastal environments.

This is “perilously” close to the natural replenishment rate of 10 to 16 billion tons per year necessary to sustain coastal and marine ecosystems, according to UNEP.

While shallow sea mining for sand and gravel is vital for various construction projects, they pose a major threat to coastal communities facing rising sea levels and storms.

Sand extraction also endangers coastal and seabed ecosystems, impacting marine biodiversity, nutrients from the sea and noise pollution, as well as impacting aquifer salinization and future tourism development, UNEP added. International practices and regulations vary widely, UNEP noted, with countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia having banned marine sand exports in the last two decades, while others lack any legislation or effective monitoring programs.

The UN agency’s 2022 Sand and Sustainability report also called for enhanced monitoring of sand extraction and use, and recommended ending sand extraction from beaches and active beach-nearshore sand systems for mining purposes.

It also calls for new international standards governing marine sand extraction.

UNEP News

Although properties protected under the World Heritage Convention make up less than one percent of the Earth’s surface, they harbor more than 20 percent of the planet’s biodiversity, new research by UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently revealed.

The UN agency has urged the195 states party to the treaty to step up efforts to conserve them in the face of climate change and the threat of increased species loss.

“These 1,157 sites are not only historically and culturally outstanding, they are also critical to the preservation of the diversity of life on Earth, maintaining essential ecosystem services, and addressing climate disruption,” said the UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay.

UNESCO World Heritage sites— ranging from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia to the Great Wall of China—contain more than 75,000 species of plants and trees, and over 30,000 species of mammals, birds, fishes, reptiles and amphibians.

They are estimated to protect over 20,000 endangered species, including up to a third of all elephants, tigers and pandas, and at least one-tenth of great apes, lions and rhinos.

For some species, such as Javan Rhinos, Pink Iguanas, Sumatran Orangutans and Mountain Gorillas, they are “the last line of defense against extinction,” the agency said.

The World Heritage Convention confers the highest level of international protection to these locations, found across 167 countries.

The 1972 treaty has enabled successful conservation initiatives, such as those undertaken in the Kaziranga National Park in India and Chitwan National Park in Nepal, where the number of Greater one-horned Rhinos has doubled to some 4,000 since the mid-1980s.

However, UNESCO stressed the urgent need to strengthen conservation measures, warning that “the clock is ticking for immediate action.”

Every 1°C increase in global temperature could double the number of endangered species threatened by dangerous climate conditions.

“Given their role as vital biodiversity hotspots, UNESCO World Heritage sites must be protected at all costs by the States Parties of the Convention,” the agency said.UN News

Spotlight on Bukidon: Indigenous knowledge preserves the environment, leads to sustainability

IN THE mountainous province of Bukidnon in the southern Philippines, local indigenous groups are being forced to adapt to the alarming impacts of climate change. With United Nations support, communities are making significant strides, using centuriesold knowledge to forge sustainable solutions.

Local tribal leader Jemuel Perino discussed the success of local initiatives, supported by the UN Development Program (UNDP) Adaption Fund Climate Change Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA), in educating his community on effective prevention and mitigation techniques to deal with the growing impacts of climate change.

“The indigenous cultural communities have their own centuriesold knowledge, systems, and practices and have kept them alive,” Perino said.

“In the Philippines, the government is promoting their use in environmental

protection and conservation.”

Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Bukidnon Umayamnon community, Perino has seen the impact of climate

change up close. Erosion, deforestation, and biodiversity loss have emerged as key threats with devastating implications for the culture, youth, and

livelihoods of his people.

“In the Philippines, most of our forest lands and headwaters fall within the ancestral domains of the various

indigenous cultural communities,” he said. “There is a real need for the world to fully recognize their important contributions in conserving the environment that benefits the entire population.”

Heavy tolls

Climate change is exacting a heavy toll on Filipinos’ lives, properties, and livelihoods. Left unaddressed, it could hamper the country’s ambition of becoming an uppermiddle-income country by 2040.

Many farmers have reported longer and more severe periods of drought and rainfall than previously considered normal. Floods wiped out more than a dozen houses of community members along the Pulangi River in 2012 and 2013.

“Since then, the Pulangi River has been flooding every year,” Perino said. “In 2022, the river caused so much riverbank erosion that it was widened by about 50 meters from its regular width.” UN News

(To be continue next week)

Source: WMO

he said.

PSE INDEX CLOSING

By Othel V. Campos

LOCAL producers plan to resume exporting raw sugar to the US under the country-specific tariff-rate quotas (TRQ), the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said over the weekend.

SRA administrator and chief execu-

tive Pablo Luis Azcona said several stakeholders broached the idea to resume the quota commitment to the US on concerns the Philippines might lose its yearly allocation.

The US Trade Representative gave the Philippines an allocation of 145,235

Narrow trading expected on higher rates, oil prices

LOCAL stocks are expected to trade within a narrow range this week as investors remain worried about higher interest rates and oil prices.

China Bank Capital managing director Juan Paolo Colet said the Philippine Stock Exchange index might trade between 6,150 and 6,350 this week as investors take a more cautious stance ahead of the release of the US August inflation data.

“A higher-than-expected rise in US consumer prices would be unwelcome for the equities market as this would pile pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates and prolong a hawking monetary policy,” Colet said. The continued increase in oil prices after Saudi Arabia and Russia extended their voluntary production cuts is also affecting investors’ sentiment as this could keep inflation rate high.

Online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com said supply concerns in the agriculture sector due to recent typhoons could also lead to higher inflation for September. Jenniffer B. Austria

GCash: Account takeover incidents decline by 70% GCASH, the mobile wallet of Globe Telecom, said account takeover incidents dropped after implementing its double-safe security feature.

Gcash chief technology and operations officer Pebbles Sy said ATO incidents, which happen when the GCash account is accessed without the owner’s permission, went down by 60 percent to 70 percent.

Sy attributed the drop to GCash DoubleSafe, a security feature that prevents unauthorized transactions through the use of a selfie scan (for fully verified users) or additional OTP (for non-verified users) to make sure the owner is the only one with access to the GCash account on any device. The feature also looks for the user’s liveness to ensure photos could not be used to bypass the security control.

“With 2-factor authentication, a mobile PIN, and Face ID technology, we’re not just guarding your account; we’re ensuring it’s always in the right hands,” said Sy during the Cybersphere Philippines Forum at the Shangri-La at the Fort Hotel hosted by the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

Darwin G. Amojelar

NEA lends P846.7m

to electric cooperatives

STATE-RUN National Electrification Administration (NEA) said over the weekend it extended P846.71 million worth of loans to 22 electric cooperatives as of end-August 2023.

Data from NEA’s accounting management and guarantee department showed that 16 ECs availed of capital expenditure loans amounting to P411.86 million.

These ECs include First Laguna Electric Cooperative Inc., Quezon I Electric Cooperative Inc., Sorsogon I Electric Cooperative Inc., Iloilo III Electric Cooperative Inc., Northern Negros Electric Cooperative Inc., Camotes Electric Cooperative Inc., Bohol II Electric Cooperative Inc., Leyte V Electric Cooperative Inc., and Zamboanga del Norte Electric Cooperative Inc.

Other ECs are Misamis Oriental I Rural Electric Service Cooperative Inc., Bukidnon Second Electric Cooperative Inc., Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative Inc., Siasi Electric Cooperative Inc., Basilan Electric Cooperative Inc.. Siargao Electric Cooperative Inc. and Surigao del Sur I Electric Cooperative Inc.

Meanwhile, NEA said seven ECs borrowed a total of P372 million for their working capital needs. Alena Mae S. Flores

metric tons of raw cane sugar under the US TRQ for fiscal year 2024. The USTR announced the country-specific and first-come, first-served in-quota allocations on imported raw cane sugar in July 2023 for the period Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024. TRQs allow countries to export

specified quantities of a product to the United States at a relatively low tariff.

“It will be hard to lose the US market because the US market is a premium market compared to the world market.

A time may come when we’ll have surplus production, but we won’t have an export market where we can bring our sugar. I think even though we are running at a deficit every year, it will be best to keep our sugar trade with the US,” Ascona said.

“So I told these people who brought up the idea to come up with a very good proposal, and if we are to export, it should not affect the farmgate price,”

Sugar producers eye exports to US despite local shortage IN BRIEF

Ascona confirmed, however, the government might face criticism if it allowed sugar exports when the Philippines was also importing the sweetener to augment local supply.

The SRA plans to issue another order for the importation of purely retail sugar to beef up domestic supply. The importation, Azcona said, would help stabilize local prices at about P85 per kilogram.

The agency earlier issued Sugar Order No.7 involving 150,000 metric tons, with 30,000 MT already in warehouses, while the balance is expected to arrive soon.

NTC eyes lower fees on telcos offering free Wi-Fi

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE National Telecommunications Commission proposed zero spectrum users’ fees for telecom companies deploying free Wi-Fi services in poor municipalities and public areas. A draft memorandum circular (MC) released by the NTC underscores the need to further reduce regulatory fees and ensure better competition and a level playing field to expand public access to fast and affordable Internet services.

“There is a need to further encourage the entry of more telecommunications and Internet service providers in underserved and unserved areas,” it said.

Firms face bigger fines for non-filing of reports in October

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said over the weekend it will impose higher penalties on companies for late and non-filing of reports in October 2023.

It said in a statement it would release a new scale of fines and penalties for the late and non-filing of reportorial requirements once the amnesty program ended by Sept. 30, 2023.

“With the stricter penalties, we hope corporations will be more mindful of submitting their annual reports on time, as these are vital in ensuring the efficient functioning of the Philippine corporate sector,” SEC chairperson Emilio Aquino said.

Aquino said the companies’ faithful compliance with filing of reportorial requirements allows the SEC to manage its corporate database better, purge inactive corporations and protect the public from fraudulent entities.

SEC-registered firms are required to submit general information sheet (GIS) and annual financial statement (AFS) yearly under the Revised Corporation Code.

Under the proposed rates, domestic stock corporations with retained earnings of not more than P100,000 would incur a basic penalty of P5,000 for the late filing of their GIS or AFS, plus P1,000 for every month of continuing violation. This represents a 900-percent increase from

the current rate of P500.

Meanwhile, non-filing of GIS or AFS by domestic stock corporations and non-stock corporations with retained earnings and fund balance/equity of not more than P100,000 would be slapped with a basic penalty of P10,000, plus P1,000 per month of continuing violation.

The SEC said to avoid the higher penalties, non-compliant and those with suspended or revoked permits should take advantage of the amnesty program available.

Non-compliant corporations who avail of the amnesty will pay only P5,000 for late or non-filed reports, regardless of the number of years they failed to comply.

ACEN plans to triple clean power investments in Australia in 3 years

By Alena Mae S. Flores

ACEN Corp. plans to increase its renewable energy investments in Australia to Au$6 billion in three years for an additional 3 gigawatts (GW) of capacity.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Philippine company now has Au$2-billion investment in Australia.

“They have a large presence in New England region, in Tasmania, as well as investment coming in Western Australia in the Pilbara,” Albanese said.

“They expect that investment to increase to Au$6 billion in three years—a substantial investment in Australian renewables, putting online something like 3 GW of additional capacity in the Australian energy market. A significant company which is making a difference and wants to make more of a difference,” he said.

Albanese concluded a bilateral visit to the Philippines on Sept. 8, the first Australian leader to do so in 20 years. He briefly met with ACEN president and chief executive Eric Francia at the

sidelines of the Australia-Philippine strategic partnership signing ceremony at Malacanang Palace.

Francia reiterated to Albanese the company’s commitment to expanding in Australia.

“ACEN fully supports Australia’s energy transition, and the company is gearing up to triple its Australia investments in the next three years,” Francia said.

ACEN is a significant participant in the Australian electricity market with over 1,000 MW of solar capacity in operations and under construction in

New South Wales.

“ACEN appreciates the government’s efforts to augment the much-needed transmission capacity to enable the growth of renewables. Our projects are particularly reliant on the Central West Orana renewable energy zone and the Marinus link transmission projects, among others,” Francia said.

The Albanese administration is rolling out the Au$20-billion Rewiring the Nation Plan to upgrade and modernize the electricity grid and enable significant growth in renewables capacity.

NTC Memorandum Circular No. 002-09-2021 clarifies the SUF rates applicable to radio frequency (RF) bands 2400 MHz to 2483.5 MHz, 5050 MHz to 5350MHz and 5470 MHz to 5850MHz to make the provision for broadband Internet access services more affordable.

The agency said the SUF rate should be zero for each indoor and outdoor base station for telcos offering free internet access service in public places in fourth, fifth and sixth-class municipalities as published by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

It said the SUF rate should be also zero in public places such as national and local government offices, public basic education institutions, state universities and colleges and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority technology institutions and public hospitals, health centers, rural health centers, public parks, plaza, libraries and barangay reading centers, airports and seaports, public transport terminals, among others.

Cabinet to hold investor briefings in Doha, Dubai

By Julito G. Rada

THE Philippine economic team led by Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno will hold briefings in the Middle East this week to attract more foreign investors.

The Department of Finance (DOF) said over the weekend this would come after the successful run of Philippine economic briefings in Europe, the United States, Singapore, Japan and Canada this year.

“The country’s economic team will run a non-deal roadshow and briefings to encourage investors in the Middle East to do business in the Philippines,” the DOF said.

A Philippine dialog is scheduled in Doha, Qatar on Sept. 10, 2023, while the economic briefings will happen in Dubai on Sept. 12, 2023.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman will present the priority expenditures, especially on addressing climate change, ensuring sustainability and maintaining infrastructure spending at 5 percent to 6 percent of the gross domestic product over the medium term.

National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan will cover infrastructure investment and development, while Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Francisco Dakila Jr. will discuss the performance and outlook of the monetary, external and financial sectors.

WAR EXHIBIT. Veterans Bank unveils its traveling World War II exhibit ‘War of Our Fathers: A Brotherhood of Heroes’ at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center in Baguio City in commemoration of Victory Day or the 78th anniversary of the surrender of the Japanese forces led by Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita in Baguio City that also marked the end of World War II in the Philippines. Attending the opening of the exhibit are (from left) Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner, Philippine Veterans Affairs Office administrator Reynaldo Mapagu, US Ambassador to the Philipines MaryKay Carlson, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong and Veterans Bank president Renato Claravall

NEW KFC STORE. KFC Philippines opens its eighth store in Caloocan City at the ground floor of Waltermart Mabini, giving mall visitors and shoppers a more enjoyable dining option as they fill their want for KFC original recipes. Gracing the KFC Waltermart Mabini Branch opening are (from left) Waltermart assistant vice president for leasing Anna De Castro, KFC operations manager Gina Domingo, Waltermart managing director Wilson Lim Jr., Caloocan vice mayor Anna Karina Teh-Limsico, Waltemart general manager Jerico Buning and KFC director Yvette Roldan.

SEA Games champs reign in 5150 meet

FER Casares outdueled John Chicano in a thrilling clash of SEA Games gold medalists while Kim Mangrobang dominated Samantha Corpuz and the rest in the women’s side as they crowned themselves the first 5150 Dapitan Philippines champions in Zamboanga del Norte on Sunday.

Casares, the reigning back-to-back gold medal winner in the biennial regional games, clocked 01:57:19 to beat recent Bohol 5150 tillist Chicano, who timed 01:59:33 over the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40km bike and 10km run race that passed by heritage houses and historical landmarks in Dapitan City. Satar Salem, also a former Sun Life 5150 titlist, likewise stalked the duo in swim and pulled ahead in bike but slowed down in the closing run and missed the silver medal by the slimmest of margins with a 01:59:35 clocking.

Mangrobang, on the other hand, flashed top form from start to finish and secured the women’s tiara in 02:11:40 in a victory that somewhat made up for her failed four-peat drive in the last SEAG in Cambodia.

US Open queen Coco Gau : Doubters fueled fire to win

NEW YORK—Coco Gauff said critics who doubted her ability to win a major title fuelled her breakthrough Grand Slam victory at the US Open on Saturday.

The 19-year-old American captured the first major championship of her career with a battling 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat of incoming world number one Aryna Sabalenka in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

Gauff, who climbed into the stands to embrace

her family after the win, afterwards gave a cheeky ‘thank you’ to those who wondered whether she was capable of landing major titles.

“Honestly, thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me...two weeks ago, I won a 1000 title (in Cincinnati) and people were saying that was the biggest it was going to get,” she said. “Three weeks later, I’m here with this trophy right now.

“Honestly, those who thought they were putting water on my fire, you were really adding gas to it, and now I’m really burning so bright right now.”

Gauff had been beaten in her first Grand Slam final appearance at the French Open last year, a defeat she told ESPN on Saturday left her feeling like “my life was going to end.”

“That French Open loss (last year) was a heartbreak for me. That makes this moment even sweeter than I could imagine,” Gauff said.

“I’m so grateful for this moment. I don’t have any words for it to be honest.”

Gauff meanwhile paid tribute to her father, who took her to the US Open when she was growing up to watch her tennis idols Serena and Venus Williams.

“Today was the first time I’ve ever seen my dad cry,” Gauff continues. “He doesn’t want me to tell you about that.

“I’ve been coming to this tournament (for so long). My dad took me to this tournament sitting right there watching Venus and Serena compete, so it’s really incredible to be on this stage.” AFP

FIBA, Molten extend World Cup partnership

FIBA and Molten will continue working as Global Partners into a fifth decade after holding a renewal ceremony to celebrate a special collaboration that stretches back to 1982.

The relationship between both organizations has delivered success through a shared passion and commitment to grow basketball globally and to innovate, with the 40-year anniversary marked in 2022. It’s a mission that remains stronger than ever as both FIBA and Molten head into a new and extended period of Global Partnership, which will cover the next two World Cup cycles.

MOLTEN & FIBA Partnership Renewal

The renewal took place in Manila, Philippines, with a signing ceremony that saw FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis join President and CEO of Molten Corporation, Kiyo Tamiaki, along with FIBA Central Board members and key members of the FIBA Family, in saluting an amazing track record of results, as well as underlining how they can continue to shape the future of the sport together.

“To have this extension of a partnership that has already passed the landmark of 40 years is unique,” said Zagklis.

“It highlights the strong bond and shared vision of FIBA and Molten, who

FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis and Molten President/CEO Kiyo Tamiaki have been our Global Partners for longer than anyone else. Molten has played a prominent role in supporting FIBA to grow the sport of basketball globally with their desire to continue innovating and evolving.

“This has included their unwavering support for growing the women’s

game and grassroots programs, with Molten having established a great track record of working with FIBA on multiple campaigns. The fact that they plan to further invest in the development of the women’s game is testament to their love for the sport and one of the main reasons we are thrilled to be continuing

Que, Go back in PGT hunt at South Pacific

ANGELO Que and Lloyd Go re-join the Philippine Golf Tour toughened up by overseas stints, ready and eager to rekindle rivalry with the local top guns in pursuit of victory in the ICTSI South Pacific Classic, which gets under way tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept. 10) at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates in Davao City.

Both came up short in their last PGT campaigns with Que finishing tied for second with Dino Villanueva at Forest Hills ruled by Clyde Mondilla and Go sharing runner-up honors with Mondilla in the Valley leg topped by Reymon Jaraula, both last June.

The duo vied in the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour during the PGT break and skipped the just-concluded Del Monte leg, also won by Mondilla, with Que, a three-time Asian Tour winner, placing tied at 56th in the Indonesia Open, sharing 65th in the International

Series England and ending up joint 64th in the St. Andrews Bay Championship in Scotland.

Go, who finished No. 7 in the ADT Order of Merit last season, shared 37th place in his last ADT sortie in the BRG Open in Vietnam. He also tied for 58th in Indonesia.

Those stints should fortify Que and Go’s bid in the P2 million event serving as the ninth leg of this year’s circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and supported by PGTI’s official apparel Kampfortis Golf.

Also making a comeback of sorts in the 72-hole championship held simultaneously with the P1 million Ladies PGT are Keanu Jahns and Joenard Rates, along with Cebubased Japanese Gen Nagai.

Tony Lascuña, who has never figured in the title race since winning the Caliraya Springs leg last April, hopes to

snap the spell at South Pacific where he reigned when the latest of Sta. Lucia Development, Inc.’s top championship courses hosted a first PGT event in 2019.

The par-72 course inside the vast South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates in Catalunan Pequeño features long par-4s and sleek surface with the menacing bunkers and roughs also expected to come into play in most holes, ready to punish even the slightest of mistakes.

Meanwhile, title-hungry Marvi Monsalve, former amateur standout Mikha Fortuna, Monica Mandario and top amateur Laurea Duque spice up the chase in the 54-hole women’s championship bannered by three peat-seeking Daniella Uy, who matched Mondilla’s title romps at Forest Hills and Del Monte.

on this road together.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Kiyo Tamiaki commented: “We are thrilled to announce the continuation of our 40-year partnership with the International Basketball Federation. As a sporting goods brand that supports basketball from grassroots to top level competitions, we are proud to be part of the global basketball community.

“FIBA is an essential partner for Molten. We are committed to continuously pursuing technological innovation and working with FIBA to develop and provide products that showcase superior quality both in function and design.

“We also reaffirm our commitment to contributing to social and environmental projects, as well as to empower women’s participation in basketball,” he added. A shining example of Molten’s commitment to supporting the women’s game is their Female Local Champions Program. Originally rolled out for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 in Australia, it saw a national campaign launched to recognize the efforts of women promoting and growing female basketball participation within local communities. Then at the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2023, co-hosted in Israel and Slovenia, they also handed out awards to local champions.

Corpuz timed 02:18:30 for second while Erika Burgos fell short of her bid for a second 5150 diadem after topping the Bohol race last July, finishing with a 02:21:45 clocking in the event that marked the historic city’s hosting of the ever-popular tri-racing organized by The IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc.

Other winners in the event, which also featured a new category in Bagong Bayani, were Matthew Hermosa (1:01:43) and Raven Alcoseba (1:08:38), who shared top honors in the Go for Gold Sunrise Sprint (750m-open water swim, 20km bike and 5km run).

Casares, a Spanish-Filipino, also went on to top his age-group (25-29) while Chicano ruled the 30-34 division of the event put up by the city government led by Mayor Seth Jalosjos and backed by Lungsod ng Dapitan, Go for Gold, Active, Rudy Project, Santé, Manila Bulletin and Tempo.

TIEZA Open Tourism Cup set Sept. 16

A MERRY mix of players, from the seasoned pros to inter-club campaigners to weekend hackers and beginners, gear up for the TIEZA Open Tourism Cup which unwraps on Sept. 16 at the Zamboanga Golf Course and Beach Park in Calarian, Zamboanga City.

The 18-hole tournament offers a competitive yet inclusive platform with golfers of all skill levels bracing not just for a grind but also for camaraderie and the rare chance to build new connections in the golfing community while playing in a serene coastal setting.

Registration is ongoing. For details and listup, contact 0997-7906992. For updates, visit www.zamboangagolfcourseandbeachpark.com.

Some of the country’s top pros vying in this week’s ICTSI South Pacific Classic in Davao City are making a side-trip to Zamboanga to provide star power to the event and join the celebration of golf, sportsmanship and the breathtaking beauty of Zamboanga’s coastal landscape.

The tournament, sponsored by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), is also held to help boost local tourism.

The par-72 Zamboanga Golf Course is expected to provide a different kind of challenge for the participants with its winding fairways. While the frontside is virtually set up on flat grounds, the back features slopes and is fairly rolling that skirts around Basilan Straight for a bit of ocean view with the wind coming into play in most holes.

Kim Mangrobang

USA’s Coco Gauff holds the trophy after defeating Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open tennis tournament women’s singles final match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. AFP

C4 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

Nickie Wang Editor Angelica Villanueva , Writer E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

LIFE

Redefining seaside resort living in Batangas

By Nickie Wang

IN A bid to create a unique resort lifestyle within its latest exclusive seaside residential project, Landco Pacific Corporation proudly unveiled the Grand Coral Clubhouse at Playa Laiya, located in San Juan, Batangas.

Landco boasts a rich legacy of over three decades, pioneering premium landscapes. From its iconic Punta Fuego project in Nasugbu in the ‘90s to its recent projects like BeachTowns CaSoBe (Calatagan South Beach), Club Laiya, Playa Calatagan, and Playa Laiya, the company has consistently pushed the boundaries of excellence in residential development.

With an unwavering commitment to innovation, Landco solidifies its role as a market leader in crafting luxurious beachfront properties in Batangas.

The introduction of the Grand Coral Clubhouse marks a significant milestone, enhancing the lifestyle offerings not only for Playa Laiya’s residents but also for the broader beach community in Batangas.

The project sets a new standard for amenities within exclusive residential resorts and leisure developments across the nation, reaffirming Landco’s dedication to excellence and innovation in the industry.

Nestled within a sprawling 128-hectare leisure and tourism estate, Playa Laiya stands

as a remarkable collaborative venture between Landco and Aplaya Laiya Corporation (ALC). Its expansive beachfront is the quintessential backdrop for coastal living, offering a modern beach town experience. At its heart lies the Grand Coral Clubhouse, a structural marvel shaped through the collective efforts of Landco, ALC, and their invaluable partners.

The clubhouse’s design draws inspiration from the surrounding natural splendor, crafting a harmonious and serene ambiance.

Multi-layered architecture, punctuated by discs of varying heights, conveys a sense of balance and tranquility. Curved walls, strategically adorned with openings, grant sweeping vistas of the sea and lush gardens. A crowning jewel within the Grand Coral Clubhouse is the “Starry, Starry Night” swimming pool, a homage to Vincent van Gogh’s masterpiece. Illuminated by a mesmerizing fiber optics lighting system embedded in the pool floor, it transforms into a celestial oasis at night, enveloping swimmers in a mesmerizing starry sky.

For gatherings, the 350-sqm Hegland Hall pays tribute to Ole Hegland, a shipping magnate whose admiration for Laiya’s enchanting landscapes led him to create a thriving community that celebrates nature and unity. The hall accommodates up to 150 guests.

Playa Laiya’s newly — launched Grand Coral Clubhouse is designed according to its surrounding natural splendor

Additionally, 14 cabanas by the pool offer relaxation, while the Reef poolside restaurant caters to culinary desires. The Grand Coral Clubhouse not only elevates Playa Laiya as an exclusive beachfront haven but also embodies Landco’s core

values of innovation, sustainability, and premium development. This world-class amenity fosters connections and enriching experiences for residents, visitors, and the wider community, offering a canvas for creating cherished memories amid nature’s splendor.

Seattle discoveries

A sightseeing adventure beyond the ordinary

IKEEP telling friends I can never have enough of Seattle because every time I visit, I always discover interesting parts of the city that fascinate me. I thought I had seen enough during the recent Harbor Cruise I took with my daughter and grandsons but my daughter insisted we’d go on a sightseeing bus so that I could see other noteworthy parts of the city that are not popular but, nevertheless, beautiful.

So off we went on one of those red double-deckers that ply the city routes, together with dozens of eager Seattle firsttimers on board. Of course, we made sure we were on the front seats on the second deck, to have an unobstructed view of everything we passed by.

Seattle is Washington state’s largest city, located on Puget Sound, and is surrounded by mountains, water, evergreen forests, and thousands of acres of parks. Aside from being the home of Microsoft, Amazon, Costco, Starbucks, Nordstrom, Verizon, Alaska Airlines, Holland America Cruise Lines, and many other large enterprises, I know there is much more to see in the city, thus, my eagerness to discover more attractions that don’t usually make it to the “must-visit” list of many tourists thanks to the prodding of my daughter.

blooms all over the place. It is a very nice place to have some peace and quiet, while slowly sipping on your favorite coffee blend or, in my case, a cup of hot chocolate. It definitely is a beautiful place to commune with nature…and it’s right in the heart of the city.

Whether basking in the morning light, enjoying a tranquil afternoon, or relishing a poolside barbecue, the clubhouse’s design, inspired by nature’s magnificence, provides an unparalleled backdrop for life’s celebrations.

beauti-

lo-

The Kubota Garden is a 20-acre Japanese Garden lo cated in the Rainier Beach neighborhood and is open daily to the public, free of charge. It is beauti ful during summer because the lush foliage banners a profusion of colors, with attractive

The attractive doubledecker which took us to Seattle’s less popular but interesting attractions

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the interi-

We passed by KOMO Plaza near the Space Needle, The helipad on top of the building was actually utilized to show the rooftop of the hospital portrayed in the very popular TV series, Grey’s Anatomy. How ever, it will surprise many fans of the show to know that the interi ors of the hospital used in the TV series were actually those of a hospital in California.

For those who enjoyed the movie, 50 Shades of Grey, Christian Grey’s fancy penthouse in the movie was a replica of the penthouse of the Escala Tower, an upscale condominium complex in the downtown area where a fancy onebedroom unit sells for a million dollars minimum. Still, our Tour Guide identified the luxury structure with that controversial movie.

The tour also passed by the Seattle Central Library with its ultramodern architecture. It is a towering 11-storey glass and steel building designed by a

Roam like a local in Taiwan

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To learn more about Globe Roaming, visit https://www. globe.com.ph/international/ roaming.html . Taiwan’s famous skyscraper Taipei 101

Dutch architect. Its claim to fame is its unique structure which features 10,000 windows, yes, 10,000! It also has an enviable collection of 1.4 million books and other reading materials. What makes this library a favorite venue of many are its workspaces, music practice rooms, a writers’ room, classrooms, conference rooms, a teen center, and a children’s center.

We also passed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foun-

S N A P S H O T

dation Headquarters which is right across the Space Needle. According to our Tour Guide, the building is where the grantees, partners, and employees work together in tackling some of the pertinent issues that plague society or the grantees’ respective countries. Bill Gates established the Foundation in 2010 to “give every person the opportunity to live a healthy and productive life.”

But the biggest discovery and a pleasant surprise I had during this tour was the Dr. Jose Rizal Park, an 8.4-acre open space with a picnic shelter, an amphitheater, play areas and a public restroom in the outskirts of the city. I learned that this same area was originally condemned by the city in the early 1900s due to some engineering problems and was left undeveloped for several decades.

across and issues the healthy play a restroom in the was undeveloped to The Kubota Garden, ablaze with attractive colors from the trees and blooms, is an ideal place for some peace and quiet

However, in 1973, Seattle’s Filipino Alumni Association petitioned the city to honor our national hero, thus the park was named after him and funds for its redevelopment were granted by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Aside from the aforementioned facilities, the park now has walking trails that offer a scenic view of the city, as its location is on the slopes of Beacon Hill.

I’m glad I followed my daughter’s suggestion for me to take this sightseeing tour, otherwise, I wouldn’t have discovered all these interesting spots in one of my favorite cities in the USA. I’m looking forward to more discoveries in my next trans-ocean sojourn!

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

SPURRING TOURISM ASPIRATIONS

Tourism Undersecretary Shalimar Tamano (right) visits Bohol Province Booth at Philippine Travel Mart with Bohol Congressman Edgar Chatto (left) and Gov. Aris Aumentado (second from right). Bohol, recently designated as the Philippines’ sole Geopark Island by UNESCO, showcased its tourism potential during a product presentation at the SMX, where Gov. Aumentado pledged to develop and promote the province as a prominent tourism destination in the country.

The ultra-modern design of the Seattle Central Library boasts of its 10,000 windows