Manila Standard - 2023 September 25 - Monday

VOL. XXXVII • NO. 223• 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

China walls in Scarborough

Sets 300-m floating barrier to keep Filipino fishermen out of shoal

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

PHILIPPINE officials and lawmakers on Sunday denounced China’s installation of a floating barrier in the southeast portion of Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough) Shoal, which prevents Filipino fishermen from entering the area to catch fish.

Manila to UN: Keep SCS on rules regime

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Philippines made a plea before the United Nations General Assembly Saturday for the preservation of a rulesbased global order as it called for an amicable resolution of disputes in the South China Sea.

Speaking before the 78th session of the UN General Assembly on Saturday (early Sunday, Manila time), Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manila said the “preservation of a rules-based global order is our collective responsibility.”

''Its present and future rest on the predictability and stability of international law, which safeguards the rights

300-METER ILLEGAL BARRIER.

The Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources confirm the presence of a 300-meter floating barrier installed by the Chinese Coast Guard along Bajo de Masinloc. Inset photo shows a wooden boat, with Filipino fisherman Arnel Satam on board, dwarfed by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel after he was intercepted for attempting to enter Scarborough Shoal. AFP, PCG

day, Sept. 22 in the vicinity of the shoal.

Three Chinese Coast Guard boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat installed the floating barrier upon the arrival of the BFAR vessel, the PCG said in a statement. Filipino fishermen note that the CCG

usually installs floating barriers whenever they monitor a large number of them in the area. BFAR found more than 50 Filipino fishing boats in the area during its routine patrol.

Next

China coast guard chases Pinoy fisherman in disputed waters

faster boats in the hope of slipping inside the ring of reefs controlled by China, where fish are more abundant.

Friday's pursuit was witnessed by AFP journalists on board the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship BRP Datu Bankaw, which was delivering food, water and fuel to Filipino

Marcos: Give sari-sari store owners ayuda amid rice price cap

By Vince Lopez and Julito Rada

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to also distribute cash assistance to sari-sari store owners affected by the price ceiling on rice, the Palace said Sunday.

Romualdez: Gov’t service caravan to reach all provinces

By Rio N. Araja and Vince Lopez

ALL provinces will be reached by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF)—the country’s biggest service caravan—to serve millions of Filipino-beneficiaries after the resounding success of its launch held simultaneously in four provinces on Saturday.

Speaker Martin Romualdez, one of the principal organizers of the caravan that aims to bring more than 60 government services closer to the people, said the BPSF will visit all 82 provinces.

“The government under the Marcos Jr. administration is just here – very, very active and very much present. That is what the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair is telling us,” he said.

“The Serbisyo Fair truly breathed life into the aspirations of the President to bring so many government programs within the reach of people who may not

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The DSWD would work with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to identify the beneficiaries, and would distribute the cash assistance from Sept. 25 to 29, it added.

Marcos had also directed the DSWD to provide cash assistance to small rice retailers affected by the mandated price ceiling on regular and well-milled rice.

The President approved the price caps

of P41 a kilo of regular milled rice and P45 for well-milled rice.

Based on its latest report, the DSWD said that it has released P92.415 million in financial assistance to 6,161 out of the 8,390-target micro and small rice retailers affected by the implementation of the EO 39.

Meanwhile, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said he does not expect the

proposed lowering of the import tariffs on imported rice to significantly affect the government’s revenue collections.

“It’s actually not that big… Our collection from rice imports is around P17 billion,” Diokno said, referring to the latest Bureau of Customs data showing that rice imports tariff collection stood at P16.81 billion from January to Aug. 26,

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3 senators push for gradual POGO phaseout

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Julito G. Rada

THREE senators who signed the committee report seeking a total ban on Philippine Overseas Gaming Operators (POGOs) said they will withdraw their

signatures if the phaseout is abrupt.

Senators Ronald dela Rosa, JV Ejercito and Raffy Tulfo said the stop to POGO operations should be gradual, citing its negative impact on government revenues and employment.

They asserted the outright ban should apply only to illegal POGOs while legal-

ly operating POGOs should be afforded sufficient time for the phaseout.

Dela Rosa said one to two years should be enough, while Ejercito said the phaseout should be carried out over two to three years, giving them enough time to adjust since they invested in their operations here.

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DONE WITH THE HARD PART.

An aspiring lawyer (center, holding a rose) takes a selfie with her family and loved ones after finishing the last day of the grueling Bar examinations on Sunday, September 24, 2023, at the University of Sto. Tomas in Sampaloc, Manila. Norman Cruz

EXAMINERS,

NOT

Makati laments rejection of health transfer plan

MAKATI on Sunday bewailed Taguig City’s decision to reject its proposal for a "smooth transfer" of health facilities and services in barangays affected by the Supreme Court decision on their territorial dispute.

Makati City administrator Claro

Certeza said Taguig denied their proposed memorandums of agreement

China coast...

From A1

fishermen plying the contested waters, sometimes for weeks on end.

The fishermen complained that China's actions at Scarborough Shoal were robbing them of a key source of income and a place to shelter safely during a storm.

"I want to fish in there," a defiant Satam, 54, told journalists as he stood barefoot on his light blue outrigger bearing a Superman "S" emblem.

"I do this thing often. They already chased me earlier today," he said, adding the Chinese speedboats had bumped his vessel.

"I just laughed at them."

Scarborough Shoal is 240 kilometers (150 miles) west of the Philippines' main island of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometers from the nearest major Chinese land mass of Hainan.

Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which China helped negotiate, countries have jurisdiction over the natural resources within about 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) of their shore.

China, which claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, snatched control of Scarborough Shoal from the Philippines in 2012.

Since then, it has deployed coast guard and other vessels to block or restrict access to the fishing ground that has been tapped by generations of Filipinos.

Philippine officials also accused the Chinese coast guard of laying a 300-meter long floating barrier across the entrance to the shoal shortly before the BRP Datu Bankaw arrived.

It took 18 hours for the BRP Datu Bankaw to make the more than 300 kilometer journey to Scarborough Shoal from a port in Manila Bay.

More than 50 wooden outrigger fishing vessels, which Filipinos call "mother boats," were operating in the deep waters outside the shoal when the Philippine ship dropped anchor last Wednesday.

Some of the fishing crews had been there for two weeks already using nets, lines and spears to catch tuna, grouper and red snapper.

To enable them to stay at sea for longer and catch more fish, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources carries out regular resupply missions.

Four Chinese coast guard boats patrolled the waters, keeping the BRP Datu Bankaw and Filipino fishermen away from the shoal.

The voice of a Chinese coast guard radio operator crackled over the airwaves 15 times, ordering the BRP Datu Bankaw to "immediately" leave "Chinese territory."

The instruction was repeated in English on a scrolling digital message board on one of the Chinese coast guard vessels.

Unfazed by the warnings, the 12 crew members of the BRP Datu Bankaw distributed 60 tons of fuel in blue plastic jerry cans to the fishing boats, as well as food packs for those running low on provisions.

The supplies were free for the fishermen, but some showed their gratitude by giving the BRP Datu Bankaw crew tubs of freshly caught fish.

"We are very grateful for this assistance," said Johnny Arpon, 53, whose 10-meter boat "Janica" arrived at the shoal in time to stock up on extra diesel.

Some of the Filipino fishermen crowding around the BRP Bankaw in small outriggers to receive provisions climbed aboard to eat snacks and drink fresh water.

They told journalists they had been chased and water cannoned by Chinese vessels in the past and even had their anchors cut.

"They should give it back to us because this is ours," said Nonoy de los Reyes, 40, referring to Scarborough Shoal.

"They should leave this place."

After decades of overfishing by countries surrounding the waters, the men have to spend longer at sea to catch enough fish to cover their costs and, hopefully, make a small profit.

China's blocking of the shoal had made the situation even tougher and the fishermen said they hated them for it. (See full story online at manilastandard.net) AFP

(MOA), which in effect would delay the transfer of the Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) and eight barangay health centers.

He said Taguig was "adamant" on taking control of OsMak and the barangay health centers without respecting Makati's

ownership rights.

Certeza cited Makati Mayor Abby Binay's letter to Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano where the former suggested an MOA for OsMak.

Binay likewise offered to grant a credit line to Taguig to ensure that impacted residents could continue to access basic medical services at these institutions.

"Makati is even willing to allocate

millions in funding for this credit line to Taguig to avoid any disruption in health care services. Yet, Mayor Cayetano refused to even consider the proposal, opting to put off any discussions regarding OsMak, purportedly in deference to the wishes of the Health Secretary," Certeza said.

Taguig has yet to make any statement on the issue as of press time.

Manila...

From A1 of all states. If multilateralism must endure, all states must adhere to the rule of law,'' he said.

The country’s top diplomat said the Philippines is working with other countries to promote a rules-based international order.

''We advocate the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law. This has always been our position with respect to the disputes in the West Philippine Sea, inasmuch as we are prepared to defend our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and territorial integrity,'' he said.

Although China claims the South China Sea nearly in its entirety, the UNbacked Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague invalidated this claim in July 2016 following a case filed by the Philippines in 2013.

FIRE IN THE SKY. The Philippine contingent displays fireworks near the Macau Tower Shorefront during the 31st Macau International Fireworks Contest in Macau on September 23, 2023. AFP

China walls...

From A1

grocery items and fuel subsidies to sustain their operations.

Four CCG vessels, however, initiated a series of 15 radio challenges in an attempt to drive away the BFAR vessel and Filipino fishers.

“The CCG crew alleged that the presence of the BFAR vessel and Filipino fishermen violated international law and the domestic laws of the People's Republic of China,” the PCG said.

The PCG said the Chinese vessel that issued the challenge maintained a safe distance then moved away when it realized there were media aboard the BFAR vessel.

PCG commandant Admiral Artemio Abu expressed his commitment to supporting the BFAR and other national government agencies in their efforts to ensure the safety and security of Filipino fishermen.

"The PCG will continue to work closely with the government to address these challenges, uphold our maritime rights, and protect our maritime territories." Abu said.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Sunday requested the PCG to immediately cut and remove all illegal barriers in the West Philippine Sea.

He said this would not just assert the country’s sovereign rights, but also protect Filipino fishermen from any possible accidents that may be caused by the barriers.

Zubiri said the Chinese have no right to put any structures within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Thee structures also pose a danger to passing fishing boats that could get entangled on the lines

Secondly, he said thseese structures pose a danger on passing fishing boats that can get entangled in the lines.

Senator Risa Hontiveros also denounced the Chinese action.

“China’s cruelty knows no bounds,”

Marcos:...

From A1

2023, 6 percent up from P15.82 billion a year ago.

“But it will depend on to what extent [the tariff will be reduced]. Right now it is 35 percent. It depends if it is reduced to 20 percent or 10 percent, and also on the quantity of imports,” Diokno said.

The Department of Finance earlier proposed to reduce the 35 percent rice import tariff rates, both ASEAN and MFN (most favored nation) rates, temporarily to 0 percent or a maximum of 10 percent to arrest the surge in rice prices.

Rice, which accounts for around 9 percent in the consumer basket, was one of the triggers of the two-month high

Romualdez:...

From A1 have the means to avail of these benefits.

I am truly proud of what we have accomplished here, from our dry run in Biliran to our ambitious and simultaneous grand launch in four provinces. We could not have done this without the

she said in a mix of English and Filipino. “They have shamelessly and aggressively blocked our fishermen in our own waters.”

“Filipino fisherfolk are among the poorest in our country. They only rely on our seas for their food and their livelihood,” she said, as she condemned China’s destruction of the marine environment to the detriment of future generations.

She said she trusts the PCG can escort Filipino fishermen to ensure they can pass through the floating barriers.

“We should no longer accept acts like this going unpunished. If we allow China’s bullying to continue, it will cost the lives of our own people,” she said.

Senator Francis Tolentino said it was well within the country’s right to remove the floating barriers.

From the House, ACT Teachers partylist Rep. France Castro also condemned China for unjustly blocking Filipino fishermen from accessing their traditional fishing grounds. She said this was a blatant violation of our country's sovereignty and an infringement on the rights and livelihood of Filipino fishermen.

"The installation of these barriers is a clear display of China's aggressive and expansionist actions in the West Philippine Sea. It is a deliberate attempt to assert dominance and control over the maritime resources that rightfully belong to the Filipino people," she said.

"Our fishermen have been fishing in Scarborough Shoal for generations, relying on it for their sustenance and livelihood. By obstructing their access, China is not only depriving them of their right to earn a living but also undermining our national sovereignty,” she added.

She called on the Department of Foreign Affairs to intensify efforts in asserting the Philippines' territorial rights through diplomatic channels, while mobilizing international solidarity to pressure China to respect international law and uphold the rights of Filipino fishermen.

5.3-percent inflation in August from 4.7 percent a month ago, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Farmers groups, who fear the entry of cheap imported rice will hurt them, have attacked the DOF proposal and called for Diokno’s resignation.

But Diokno said he would not make a recommendation because the Tariff Commission will do so, to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board.

While the commission has already conducted a hearing on the proposal, it has not yet made a recommendation, he said.

Diokno earlier said reducing the import tariffs on rice was part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce prices for consumers and mitigate a potential shortage of the staple due to the impact of the

vision of our President,” he added.

“Our fishermen are not pawns in a geopolitical game. They deserve our full support and protection. We stand in solidarity with them and demand that China immediately remove these barriers, allowing our fishermen to exercise their rights and livelihood without hindrance," she said.

Also on Sunday, the PCG rejected Beijing's claim that the Philippines is "creating political drama from fiction" over the destruction of corals in parts of the West Philippine Sea, and said that harvesting and dumping corals at Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal a serious crime.

Mao Ning, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson earlier in the week accused Manila of "creating a political drama from fiction" over the corals and said it should remove the grounded BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal to protect the marine ecosystem in the area.

"The destruction of corals goes far beyond drama," Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea said in response on Sunday.

"It is a violent act and a serious crime against humanity," he added.

The destruction of corals affects marine life and the livelihoods of fishers dependent on them and the effects of coral harvesting at Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal could last for decades.

He also said the PCG is monitoring other areas of the West Philippine Sea where corals may have been harvested.

"Stop making allegations that the BRP Sierra Madre is polluting the water, but blame [the pollution] on your numerous Chinese maritime militia swarming the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ)," Tarriela also said.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on Saturday called China a hypocrite over its remarks on environmental damage in the West Philippine Sea, adding these remarks "will only heighten the mistrust by the Filipino people and the rest of the world of the Chinese government."

ongoing El Niño phenomenon.

The 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, up 8.9 percent year on year, while well-milled rice averaged P47.63, higher by 8.1 percent.

Earlier, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) exempted the rice subsidy program for small-scale retailers and fuel subsidy program for public utility vehicles (PUVs) in relation to the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) spending ban.

The DSWD had asked the Comelec to exempt the nationwide distribution of financial aid to micro rice retailers from the election-related ban on the release of public funds.

a fund of about P1 billion, is expected to initially benefit over 400,000 Filipinos seeking to avail of the services offered by various government agencies. In his speech during the launching, President Marcos said: “Although we are separated by islands, we are united by one spirit and one dream: a New Philippines for New Filipinos.”

China has refused to recognize the ruling and insists on the legitimacy of its massive claims over the South China Sea, including part of the West Philippine Sea.

But at the UN, Manalo asserted that the arbitral award ''is now part of international law.''

''Adherence to international law contributes to keeping the Indo-Pacific, with the ASEAN at the center, free and open, stable and peaceful,” he said.

Last week, the Office of the Solicitor General said it was considering filing another case before the PCA, following reports of damage to the corals in the West Philippine Sea, supposedly by Chinese vessels that swamped the area.

At the UN, Manalo also said the Philippines is working with partners for rules to govern lethal autonomous weapons systems.

''We advocate the peaceful uses of outer space, the elaboration of the principle of due regard in the space domain, and greater responsibility among states to reduce space threats, including debris from rocket launches,'' he said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

3 senators...

From A1

Ejercito said he had talked with Dela Rosa and Tulfo.

"We don't like an abrupt or outright cancellation," Ejercito said.

The three senators signed the report of the ways and means committee calling for a total ban on POGO operations but said they wanted to introduce amendments.

Dela Rosa, who chairs the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs, conducted a separate probe on POGO-related crimes.

He admitted having reservations about signing the report, and said he would raise his points during the period of interpellation, because Gatchalian was for an outright ban.

The former police chief noted there are two committee reports on POGOs —the first one released by Gatchalian on social costs of POGOs and the second will be released by him. His report is just being routed for signature, he added.

The three senators said they would leave it up to the executive branch, which has the final say on POGOs.

Gatchalian's report asked the Labor department to find jobs for those who will lose their employment with the shutdown of POGOs.

Despite the reservations by the three senators, Gatchalian said the call for an immediate ban on POGOs was gaining ground.

Gatchalian, who has long been pushing for the ban, expressed confidence that it will happen soon.

Gatchalian on Sunday cited the opinion of former Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon in support of his committee report.

“It’s worth noting that Drilon has consistently advocated for the expulsion of POGOs, asserting that the country is being exploited by organized crime syndicates for money laundering through POGO operations,” he said in a news release on Sunday. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

"We have initiated a series of correspondence and MOA proposals to the City of Taguig aimed to facilitate the smooth transfer of Makati-owned health facilities to its jurisdiction. However, these have been rejected outright, without valid reason,” Certeza said.

Vog level down as Batangas logs better air quality

By Vince Lopez

AIR quality in Batangas has improved, as the volume of volcanic haze or vog continues to decrease, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMO) reported on Sunday, “Since yesterday, there has been a big improvement. No smog was seen. If there is any, it is very little because the gas emission was very light, as well as the height of the plume,” Batangas PDRRMO head Amor Calayan said in an interview with GMA 7’s Super Radyo DZBB.

The last time Taal Volcano emitted sulfur dioxide was on Friday, September 22, averaging 2,730 tonnes, based on the update today of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

Upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in the main crater lake was also observed and the volcano also generated a moderate 900-meter tall plume which drifted northeast and north-northeast.

PHIVOLCS still raised alert level 1 in Taal Volcano due to low-level unrest. Zero visibility conditions were earlier reported in Tuy, Balayan, Lian, and Nasugbu in Batangas due to the vog caused by Taal Volcano’s activity.

Calayan reported that the Batangas PDRRMO is currently validating how many residents were hospitalized due to the effects of the vog, but said no people were confined so far.

By Rey E. Requejo

CHIEF Justice Alexander Gesmundo has ordered the suspension of work in all courts nationwide starting at 3 p.m. on Monday in observance of the “Kainang Pamilya Mahalaga Day” which is held every fourth Monday of September.

The “Kainang Pamilya Mahalaga Day” is part of the week-long celebration of the National Family Week every last week of September under Proclamation No. 60 issued in 1992.

The suspension of work in the judiciary covers the Supreme Court (SC), Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, Court of Tax Appeals, and all second and first-level courts in the country.

Earlier, the Office of the President (OP) – through Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin – issued Memorandum Circular No. 32 on the suspension of work in all government offices in the Executive Branch.

The OP encouraged all government workers to fully support the Family Week celebration programs prepared by the National Committee on the Filipino Family.

TINIKLING. Tourists try to dance the native “tinikling” along with cultural dancers during a ferry ride at the Loboc River in Bohol. Manny

‘Restore state schools budget’

By Gabriellea Pariño

MORE than 30 state universities and colleges (SUCs) are calling on Congress to restore their respective budgets for next year after a P6.155-billion cut in the proposed budget for schools in 2024.

In a social media post, the Kabataan party-list shared a joint statement from the SUCs which also said 30 state schools are due to face budget cuts next year based on the 2024 National Expenditure Program.

“We, the undersigned, hereby register our call to the Philippine Congress

to restore the budget cuts to all State Universities and Colleges and to further augment the Higher Education Budget,” the statement said. The schools also claimed that cuts were made despite the increasing budget for free higher education, adding that it is

proof of the government’s anticipation for higher enrollment in the years to come.

“If our state universities and colleges are to be expected to do their duties, they must be funded accordingly,” the SUCs said.

The SUCs further said: “[An] additional budget is needed for our learning institutions to regain their public character and provide ample support for student services and faculty development.”

“Going through the world’s worst and longest school closure has had a negative impact on the quality of learning for students at all levels, and has forced changes in modalities that we have yet to recover from,” the statement further said.

Villanueva: Medical schools bill to address shortage of doctors

SENATE Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said the passage of the bills creating five additional medical schools will help mitigate the shortage of doctors and address the future health needs of Filipinos.

With more schools producing doctors, Villanueva is optimistic that the

Philippines will be closer to achieving the ideal ratio prescribed by the World Health Organization of 10 doctors per 10,000 population by making quality medicine courses affordable and accessible to the students.

Villanueva, principal sponsor and author of the Doktor para sa Bayan Law,

said many are dreaming of becoming doctors but cannot do so because of financial constraints.

“Marami pong nangangarap maging doktor pero walang pampaaral. Kailangang bigyan daan po ng gobyerno na maabot ang pangarap ng ating mga kabataang kapos ngunit may kakayahan.”

Through Republic Act No. 11509 or the Doktor Para Sa Bayan Act, which Villanueva principally sponsored and authored, 17 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in 13 regions are now offering courses under their College of Medicine, from eight (8) SUCs in seven (7) regions prior to the passage of the law.

The party-list also said that the Philippine educational system has been in a crisis for a long time.

“Education is a fundamental right that should be accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status. It plays a vital role in empowering individuals and shaping a just society,” the party-list added.

The budget department earlier proposed a P100.88-billion budget for SUCs next year, which is 5 percent lower than the budget in 2023.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) also expressed its support for the SUCs and the call to Congress to restore the schools’ budget.

‘Act swiftly on cyber attack vs. PhilHealth’

By Rio N. Araja

THE AKBAYAN Party on Sunday urged the government to immediately resolve the recent cyber attack on the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

PhilHealth was reportedly hacked by the Medusa ransomware group early Saturday evening.

“We call on the Department of Information and Communication Technology to act swiftly and resolve this breach immediately. We also call on the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group to work with the DICT to identify the people responsible and bring them to justice,” PhilHealth spokesperson Perci Cendaña said.

Medusa has supposedly demanded a ransom of $300,000 and threatening to release the entirety of the stolen PhilHealth data online if the ransom is not paid.

Ransomware is a kind of malware that encrypts files in a device or system, and that if a hack is successful, cybercriminals demand a ransom in exchange for regaining access.

“At the same time, the government must ensure that there will be continuity of services for PhilHealth beneficiaries,” Cendaña said, adding that

By Jun David

THE Public Safety and Transportation Management Department (PSTMD) of the Caloocan City government conducted clearing operations at the Simon Flea Market and along the 10th Avenue area.

By Butch Gunio

THE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) vowed to hasten its transition to renewable and sustainable energy sources.

Recognizing the importance of in-

Various divisions of the PSTMD including its Special Task Force Disiplina (STFD), Traffic Management Division South, and Special Operations Group District I-B participated in clearing the said areas of sidewalk obstructions, illegal market vendors, and traffic violators.

City Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapi-

Caloocan LGU conducts extensive road clearing NGCP to hasten renewable energy transition

creasing the presence of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix, the NGCP stated it will draw on its strategic partnership with the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) for its sustainability strategy.

The state power transmission com-

tan commended the PSTMD for the successful conduct of the clearing ops and noted the positive effects of the program in the safety and traffic management initiatives of the city. The mayor also thanked the PSTMD for implementing the local government’s programs.

pany said it will leverage SGCC’s expertise in renewable energy integration. The collaboration with SGCC will allow NGCP to accommodate the increasing adoption of renewable energy technologies into the national grid, the company said.

SC chief says work on courts to be suspended

SALUTE. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez salutes and offers a wreath to the monument of Daniel Z. Romualdez, who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1957 to 1962 in Tolosa, Leyte on Saturday. He is the first cousin of former Leyte Governor Benjamin “Kokoy” Romualdez (father of the Speaker) and of former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos. Ver Noveno

Cruz

Palmero

CLEAR VIEW. Mayon Volcano shows itself to tourists and motorists passing by Diversion Road in Camalig, Albay on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 23, 2023. Alert Level 3 is still up, which means the volcano is in a relatively high level of unrest and hazardous eruption could still be possible, thus the continued stay of 3,470 families in 22 evacuation centers in six local government units.

Connie Calipay

66 BSKE bets face disqualification

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will file this week disqualification cases against at least 66 candidates for the October barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) for alleged premature campaigning, poll body chairman George Garcia said on Sunday.

“Based on our initial assessment, it looks like we would file 66 disqualification cases. We expect the number will still increase because we will have more show cause cases to file in the next few days,” Garcia said in a radio interview.

Comelec data showed the poll body has issued a total of 1,955 show cause orders to BSKE candidates as of Saturday. At least 228 candidates have answered. Garcia said Comelec dropped 104 complaints as they have no factual basis.

Examiners, not AI program, to check Bar exams, says SC

By Rey E. Requejo

AS MORE than 10,000 aspiring law-

yers took the last day of the grueling 2023 online Bar examinations yesterday, the Supreme Court clarified the exams will be checked personally by four examiners per subject and not through artificial intelligence contrary to the claims posted in at least two Facebook accounts.

Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, chairperson of the 2023 Bar examinations committee, said they were able to trace the authorship of social media accounts -- Bar Law for Dummies Training Program and Tzidkenu Dizon, and have already asked

Villar: Bamboo fiber to spur textile industry

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Cynthia Villar expressed hope that the use of bamboo as textile will help the local industry and spur development in the countryside.

Speaking during the “KAWAYARN:

A Bamboo Textile PH Launch,” Villar urged the DOST- Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) to be at the forefront of propagating bamboo given its significant role in the textile industry.

Villar said bamboo has at least 35 percent textile fiber recovery compared to other sources, which are only at 2 percent.

The chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture added that bamboo is abundant and robust across the country.

“The technologies are simple, deployable, and scalable. The machines can also be fabricated locally for more massive and extensive deployment,” Villar said.

Manila seeks support for UNSC seat bid

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Philippines on Sunday sought the support of the United Nations for its bid for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

In a speech delivered on behalf of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo asked UN member-states to back the country’s bid for a non-permanent seat for the term 2027 to 2028.

Manalo cited the Philippines’ adherence to UN Security Council resolutions, as well as its work on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as a manifestation of “the vision of the Philippines for people-focused peace-building.”

Among the reasons for the disqualification cases are the hosting of raffle draws and the posting materials that include the names and positions that candidates are running for.

Some candidates also use social media to campaign ahead of the official campaign period set from October 19 to October 28, Garcia said.

“Regardless of what platform you use, that is premature campaigning,” he added. Garcia said the disqualification cases to be filed this week will be raffled to various Comelec divisions that would

conduct hearings and rule on the cases.

Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco earlier explained that the manual BSKE was not covered by a Supreme Court decision which said that those who have filed their certificates of candidacy were not considered candidates until the start of the campaign period.

Thus, putting up posters before the election period may be considered premature campaigning.

“Section 80 on premature campaigning of the Omnibus Election Code applies,” Garcia said.

“The Philippine candidature for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the term 2027 to 2028 manifests our strong desire to offer the best of the Philippine diplomatic tradition,” he said.

“We count on the support of all UN member states in this regard,” the country’s top diplomat added.

In May, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the Philippines already presented its candidature and started its campaign for a non-permanent seat in the UNSC.

the National Bureau of Investigation to start a probe.

“These social media publications as false, baseless, irresponsible, defamatory, contumacious, detestable, and formulated with apparent intent to erode the integrity of the digitalized Bar examinations,” Hernando said.

“The 2023 Bar Examinations shall be checked by four examiners per subject, all of whom are established experts in their respective fields, and who are by no means created or powered by artificial intelligence,” he added.

AI is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems.

House launches 3-volume compilation on DRRM laws, jurisprudence

THE House Legislative Information Resources and Management Department (LIRMD), in collaboration with the Legal Affairs Department (LAD), released a compilation of legal issuances on disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) at the Women Legislators’ Lounge of the Batasan Complex.

The three-volume compilation, en -

titled, “Laws, Executive Issuances, Treaties, and Jurisprudence on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management,” consolidates 185 laws and executive issuances, 28 treaty and international agreement digests, and 64 jurisprudence case digests from 1908 to present that touch on and govern DRRM in the country.

The compilation, the second publication collaboration of the two departments, is available in the traditional paper book and electronic book formats.

LIRMD Deputy Secretary General Edgardo Pangilinan, said that the books are designed to serve as comprehensive reference materials to policy makers, policy implementers, students, re -

FESTIVE DECORS. With 91 days before Christmas, motorists stop along the main road of San Fernando in Pampanga where Christmas lanterns are on display. Joseph Muego

Bangsamoro declares state of calamity in 63 barangays

By Nash B. Maulana

THE Special Geographic Area of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (SGA-BARMM) has been placed under a state of calamity due to continuing heavy rains that spawned widespread over-

flows of the Mindanao River. Quoting a resolution passed by the SGA Development Authority (SGADA) Council, Butch Malang, SGDA administrator, said 27 of the 63 SGA-BARMM villages have been underwater since Thursday. The state weather bureau said the Inter-

tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) triggered heavy rains in the past few days.

Malang, who is also the Disaster-Risk Management head of the BARMM SGADA, said up to 25,946 families from the 27 barangays, comprising 60.21% of SGA population, have been affected or displaced by the floods.

searchers and advocacy groups.

“This publication stands different and above from similar publications we produced in the past, because this mirrors the thrust of our beloved Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for more responsive and technology-enabled legislative support services from the House Secretariat,” Pangilinan said.

House lauds Metrobank Foundation awardees

THE House of Representatives has adopted a resolution to congratulate and commend the recipients of the 2023 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino awards for their unwavering commitment and exceptional contributions to public service.

House Resolution No. 1312 was introduced by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, and Tingog party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre.

“For exemplifying commitment, selflessness and dedication in the pursuit of public service, the House of Representatives proudly joins the Metrobank Foundation Inc. in honoring and commending these 10 exceptional individuals who exemplify public service as a worthy endeavor,” the House resolution read.

The resolution commended the awardees for “their dedication and steadfast commitment in providing exceptional public service.”

The Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos is the foremost and most prestigious career-service award bestowed upon outstanding individuals in the academe, military, and police sectors.

NEW PUBLICATION. The House of Representatives releases a three-volume compilation of legal issuances on disaster risk reduction and management. Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodor (center) underscored the value of the publication, given the nation’s susceptibility to various calamities.

Ang Bayani, bow!

I WAS shocked by the news, shortly after noon last Friday, that Bayani Fernando had passed away, after a fatal fall from the rooftop of his Marikina Valley residence.

My first reaction was to ask why he was at all in the rooftop of his house. At 77 years of age, going up to the roof and looking at repairs is quite atypical, if not unusual.

But then again, for BF, the engineer turned construction magnate and public servant, that rather daring deed was in his usual regimen. Hands on, all action, few words.

I first heard about the guy from a Valley Golf subdivision resident in 1992, who told me he would be volunteering for the campaign of one Bayani Fernando to become mayor of Marikina.

At the time I was quite busy as spokesman of the presidential campaign of the Mitra-Fernan ticket for president and vice-president.

My candidates did not make it, but BF won in Marikina against six other candidates.

Then we saw how Marikina was transformed into Quezon City’s backwater into a clean, orderly and disciplined metropolitan town, later to become a city in late 1996, on his second term as mayor.

Never before in the contemporary history of Metro Manila had a near-forgotten town achieve such national prominence than when Bayani became mayor of Marikina.

BF was the epitome of efficiency and effective leadership, armed with vision and political will, qualities which if appreciated by a people who allow emotions to prevail over brains, would have made him a great national leader

Sure, Makati was the wealthiest municipality, but that was because it had become the financial center starting from the late 50s into the 70s, when the Ayalas converted hectares of rice fields and talahib into enclaves for the rich, around which exclusive villages big banks and tall buildings as well as the well-planned Makati Commercial Center stood out in the midst of nearby warrens of low income habitat.

The same may be said of cities like Mandaluyong, San Juan and Pasig, where real estate values went astronomical because of shopping malls and high rise buildings jumpstarted by big business.

But Marikina before BF was then truly backwater, known only for its shoe-making industry, Manila’s Boys Town, Loyola Memorial Center where Quezon City residents buried their deceased, and crime was rife in the barangays going to San Mateo and Montalban.

Marikina River was unkempt, the industrial wastes of obsolescent textile mills disgorged into it. For a long time, a few barangays comprised the red light district of the eastern section of NCR.

In our college days, we would motor to Marikina, at the time without traffic, to visit the Valentino and Mendoza shoe factories, to get the former to copy footwear featured in GQ magazine long before the word “bespoke” described our local “pasadya,” or buy the latest Jarman shoes made by the latter before they got into the Escolta outlet of the American brand, courtesy of Marikeno college chums.

Sadly, the shoe industry has declined due to the massive flood of cheap China imports.

Marikina’s Bayani moved with decisive steps to transform his town, cleaning its sidewalks of street vendors, putting order into the wet markets, widening thoroughfares, lined them with trees, dredged the silt out of the river, built its embankments and a former textile mill into a riverside park that had no equal in the metropolis, and made his city clean and green. He reclaimed the sidewalks from itinerant vendors, illegal structures and parked vehicles,

SHUSHA, Azerbaijan—Azerbaijan forces tightened their grip on the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh on Saturday as international concern mounted over the plight of ethnic Armenian civilians trapped there.

As the first Red Cross aid convoy crossed into the disputed enclave since Azerbaijan launched this week’s lightning offensive, government forces said rebel “demilitarization” had begun.

Moscow announced on Friday that ethnic Armenian separatist fighters had begun to surrender weapons under a Russian-mediated agreement. On Saturday, the Azerbaijan forces were keen to show off a captured rebel arsenal.

They displayed infantry weapons including sniper rifles, hundreds of Kalashnikov rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and four tanks painted with cross insignia, that they said they had seized from the separatists.

“We have more like that in the forest, but we can’t bring them all here,” said Lieutenant General Mais Barkhudarov, commander of Azerbaijan’s 2nd Army Corps.

From the Shusha district, outside the regional capital Stepanakert, Azerbaijani Colonel Anar Eyvazov said they were working closely with Russian peacekeepers conducting the demilitarization process. Baku’s forces now control the area and the

Tougher sanctions on agri smugglers

with strictly enforced bike lanes and pedestrian walkways.

He went to the extent of prohibiting half-naked istambays from gallivanting, ordered them to wear decent t-shirts, so as to imbue order and discipline.

Here was a local government official who used the authority given to him by the new Local Government Code not for personal gain but for holistic and efficient governance, unafraid to do what was unpopular provided it was the right thing to do.

Which was why Marikenos rediscovered their pride of place, and the whole country saluted their mayor for consistently good performance.

When his three-term limit expired, they gave his wife Marides another three terms as mayor, where she continued building upon the renaissance BF started.

It was during the presidency of Erap that I got to meet Bayani and Marides, when we were their dinner guests along with then defense secretary Orly Mercado and his wife Susan, amid banter and song.

As I was the head of the Philippine Tourism Authority at the time, I realized that one of the complaints of tourists on long road travels was the absence of clean and well-maintained public toilets.

Mayor BF designed for me an easy maintenance prototype of a public toilet made entirely of stainless steel, to be cleaned regularly by simple water hosing.

That project failed to materialize when Erap was deposed by GMA, the funds transferred to Intramuros by the succeeding tourism leadership.

BF and I had long discussions on the solid waste management of Metro Manila, where tons of garbage were at the time trucked to Payatas and later Montalban.

His idea was to bring each city’s garbage to PNR stations where they would be loaded into cargo trains and brought to public land in the boundary of a southern province where a modern garbage segregation facility complete with recycling factories for paper and plastics could be built.

This would provide regular work for those who lived on daily scavenging, their work made easier and safe.

But the Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) mentality prevailed. If Erap was not ousted, I got his commitment to appoint BF as MMDA chief, since Jojo Binay was returning to Makati in the elections of 2021.

As fate would have it, GMA appointed Bayani to the same post, where his skills, innovative talents and management expertise would bring so much improvement to NCR’s even then worsening traffic.

He built pedestrian walkways and redesigned major thoroughfare flow with effective U-turns that remain to this day. Replicating his Marikina performance, he cleared the sidewalks of itinerant vendors, which the bleeding hearts and the leftists denounced, but the guy was undaunted.

One project I recall was the MMDA chief putting up public urinals out of simple steel enclosures with receptacles that emptied into the street drains.

Again a lot of criticism about the smell came up, mainly due to LGU cleaners failing to properly hose down the area, but it served its purpose. The indecent sight of drivers emptying their bladders into fences and trees was solved.

BF was the epitome of efficiency and effective leadership, armed with vision and political will, qualities which if appreciated by a people who allow emotions to prevail over brains, would have made him a great national leader.

Shunted off by his party from his desire to lead the nation in 2010, he settled for a vicepresidential slot with another effective leader, then senator and former Olongapo mayor Dick Gordon. But destiny denied them the nation’s leadership.

His untimely demise last Friday leaves a void in the politics of this benighted land. Farewell, my friend. You are a true bayani ng bayan.

ARE the days of smugglers and hoarders of agricultural crops numbered?

That’s a likely possibility with the recent move of the Marcos administration to certify as urgent a Senate bill imposing more severe sanctions for agricultural hoarding and smuggling.

Senate Bill 2432 or the “Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act” seeks to repeal Republic Act 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.

The President cited the need to facilitate the passage of this piece of legislation as “imperative” since the country is “beset by rising prices and shortages in agricultural products, partly due to the nefarious acts of smuggling, hoarding, profiteeríng, and cartel.”

The bill is important as it also seeks to promote the productivity of farmers and protect them from unscrupulous traders and importers. The President’s move followed the recent seizure by the Bureau of Customs of over 40,000 bags of imported rice worth P42 million in the Port of Zamboanga City. According to the Bureau of Customs-Port of Zamboanga, they followed the express directive of the President under Executive Order 39, which

put a price cap on rice and which authorized intensified efforts to combat smugglers and price manipulators.

The confiscated bags of imported rice were seized by Customs because of disparities between the actual seized goods and the descriptions provided in the submitted documents.

The warehouse also lacked the necessary Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance from the Bureau of Plant Industry.

The seizure of smuggled rice by the Bureau of Customs is allowed under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, Rice Tariffication Law, and Republic Act 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.

The BOC has vowed to conduct more inspections of warehouses following the presidential move to address hoarding and illegal rice importation. In late August, the BOC raided three warehouses in Bulacan reportedly storing smuggled rice worth over P500 million.

Early this year, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, claimed that a syndicate led by Chinese nationals is behind the smuggling of agricultural products into the country, and vowed to focus on the committee’s oversight functions by launching a crackdown on the ‘mafia’.

But it seems that smuggling of rice and other agricultural commodities still goes on unabated.

The BOC recommended donating the seized rice imports to the government.

The Department of Social Work and Development immediately distributed the confiscated rice to the poor and the needy. This was a good move on the part of the national government.

This only goes to show that harsher penalties for those involved in smuggling and hoarding— or what amounts to economic sabotage— could make the smugglers and hoarders think twice about continuing with their nefarious trade.

Understanding how to fight text scammers

TEXT scammers are still on the prowl despite the enforcement of the SIM Card Registration Law and even after the lapse of the extended deadline for registering all SIM card users, text scammers remain undeterred.

They persistently target millions of unsuspecting mobile phone users, employing an array of increasingly ingenious and deceptive tactics in their cybercrime schemes.

These tech powered fraudsters have become adept at the craft of trickery, skillfully incorporating Filipino social subtleties for the propagation of their deceitful financial plots. This highlights not only the audacity but also the complexity of the cybercrime networks behind text scams.

Social engineering is a key tactic used by cybercriminal syndicates in the Philippines to carry out text scams. Here’s how they do it:

Pretexting: Scammers create a believable situation that convinces the target to reveal personal or valuable information.

They often pretend to be someone legitimate or familiar to make the target feel comfortable, such as a customer service agent from their internet service provider, a co-worker from a different branch or office, or someone from the company’s IT support.

Phishing: Despite increased public awareness, phishing is still widely used and effective. Scammers send emails or text messages pretending to be a trusted entity, such as the company CEO or a bank, to trick the recipient into revealing sensitive information.

Smishing: This is a form of phishing that involves a text message. Scammers use elements of social engineering to gain the trust of the victim to divulge personal information.

Use of Filipino Social Nuances: Scammers have even applied Filipino social nuances to convincingly impersonate banks or e-payment platforms to propagate fraudulent financial schemes.

Use of Over-The-Top (OTT) Platforms: News reports and even public statements by some government officials have pointed to “pre-registered” SIM cards being used for persisting waves of text scams. Apparently, this is an inaccurate term. What’s really happening is that syndicates have shifted to OTT platforms such as WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, and Messenger.

These messaging services allow users to send messages over the internet, bypassing traditional text messaging services provided by Philippine telecom companies.

Since these services use the internet, they don’t require a SIM card to operate. This allows scammers to send messages without being traced back to a registered SIM card.

International SIM Cards: Some scammers use SIM cards issued by international telecom providers. These SIM cards are not subject to the SIM Card Registration Law of a specific country, allowing scammers to operate without registering their SIM cards.

The scammer then asks the victim for money and will vanish after receiving it.

One example of a “love” or “romance” scam involved the arrest of three suspects who were allegedly operating in Las Piñas City. They managed to swindle over P200,000 from their victim. Two of the suspects were of Nigerian descent, while the other was Filipino.

A recent Kaspersky study revealed that one in two, or 45 percent of people surveyed in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, lost money to online love scams.

The oldest and loneliest group lost the most -- over half a million pesos, from online romance fraud.

Purchase of registered SIM Cards: Syndicates have been procuring registered SIM cards. This allows them to operate under the identity of the original SIM card owner, making it difficult for authorities to trace the scam back to them.

The National Privacy Commission warned that the selling of registered SIM cards is not only unethical but also illegal. Violators may face fines of P100,000 to P300,000 and/or imprisonment of six months to six years.

Recent reports on the capture by authorities of 107,000 SIM cards seized in POGO hubs, which were being utilized for “text” and “love” scam operations, underscores the existence of organized criminal groups orchestrating these text scamming activities.

This not only highlights the scale of these operations but also the capacity of these syndicates to finance and mobilize technical talent for illicit purposes.

Love scams typically involve a scammer creating a fake profile to court victims online.

The relationship and trust between the scammer and victim develop at a fast pace.

Azerbaijan seizes arms from Nagorno-Karabakh rebels

town of Shusha appears deserted. Troops have mortar positions on high ground overlooking the approach to Stepanakert, AFP reporters saw. They also control the so-called Lachin Corridor to the southwest, that once connected the breakaway region to Armenia. Baku has mounted a de facto blockade there for the past nine months.

Food convoy

A humanitarian convoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross was nevertheless able to cross into the area on Saturday -- the first since fighting erupted earlier this week.

On the Armenian side of the border, at the Kornidzor checkpoint, local ICRC spokesman Zara Amatuni told AFP that 70 metric tonnes of food and humanitarian aid had passed through the Lachin Corridor. If the ceasefire holds, it could mark the end of a conflict between the Christian and Muslim Caucasus rivals that has raged, off and on, through the three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In a hint of the bad blood between the sides, Azerbaijan’s defence ministry on Saturday accused Karabakh Armenians of setting fire to their homes in one village to keep them from Baku’s advancing troops. Some villagers also set fire to their homes before fleeing after Azerbaijan first began to re-es-

They also control the so-called Lachin Corridor to the southwest, that once connected the breakaway region to Armenia

tablish control over parts of Nagorno-Karabakh in a six-week war in 2020. Russia said an Azerbaijani soldier had been “wounded during an exchange of fire”. It was investigating the incident with Baku and separatist officials, it added.

‘Deep concern’

A US congressional delegation travelled to Armenia to show support for embattled Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and to inspect the region’s blockade.

At the United Nations General Assembly, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov insisted “that Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate ethnic Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan as equal citizens”.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, also addressing the General Assembly in New York, called for a UN mission there to monitor treatment of the ethnic Armenians.

Also in New York, Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Armenian leaders of worsening tensions, referring to criticism by some of their politicians of Russia’s role in the crisis. He nevertheless voiced confidence that Armenians would remain linked to “Russia and other friendly states in the region rather than those who swoop in from abroad.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that the Washington had “deep concern” for ethnic Armenians in there, in a phone call Saturday, a spokesman said.

The years of fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh have been marked by abuses on both sides and there are fears of a new refugee crisis.

Trapped civilians

In the Armenian border town of Kornidzor, civilians were gathered at the last checkpoint

The National Telecommunications Commission has issued Memorandum Order 010-09-20231, setting strict guidelines for SIM registrations, including ID and detail verification.

This is in response to test submissions revealing that fraudulent IDs and details could bypass telecom companies’ SIM registration platforms.

In a published statement, our co-convenor in CitizenWatch Philippines and former Quezon City 6th district representative Christopher “Kit” Belmonte pointed out that “beyond more stringent policies and guidelines, we must approach this wave of cybercrimes holistically wherein the government, the telco industry, and all mobile phone users must actively fight text scammers.”

We at CitizenWatch Philippines call upon all sectors of society to unite in the fight against text scams and cybercrime.

This is not just a battle for the government or the telecommunications industry, but for every individual, every family, every community, and every business.

Don’t wait until you become a victim of cyber scammers. Be vigilant, be informed, and be proactive for a safer digital environment.

before Azerbaijani territory hoping for news of relatives.

“I’ve been here for three days and nights, sleeping in my car,” said 28-year-old Garik Zakaryan, as displaced Armenians borrowed a soldier’s telescope to scan a village across the valley.

It was shelled by Azerbaijani forces on Tuesday. No one was killed, but witnesses who managed to escape reported that 150 inhabitants had been forced to take refuge close to a Russian peacekeeper base a kilometre from the last Armenian positions. Zakaryan got his family out in December, three days before Azerbaijan blockaded the area, but he is worried for friends and family still across the border.

“I don’t have much hope of seeing them soon, but I couldn’t just do nothing. Just being here, being able to see the Russian base, I feel better,” he said.

Separatist leaders have said they are in Russian-mediated talks with Baku to organise the withdrawal process and the return of civilians displaced by the fighting.

They say they are discussing how citizens’ access to and from Nagorno-Karabakh, where up to 120,000 ethnic Armenians live, will work. AFP

The confiscated bags of imported rice were seized by Customs because of disparities between the actual seized goods and the descriptions provided in the submitted documents

Be vigilant, be informed, and be proactive for a safer digital environment

Biden aims to wrest influence from China in Pacific islands

WASHINGTON, DC—President Joe

Biden is set to host leaders of Pacific island nations aimed at countering China’s ever-growing influence, proffering goodies ranging from an American football experience to shiny new embassies.

The summit of leaders from the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum will take place Monday (Tuesday in Manila) and Tuesday (Wednesday), one year after the first meeting, which was also in Washington.

According to senior administration officials, Biden will announce a more assertive US stance in the region, funding for infrastructure projects and strengthened maritime cooperation, in particular to fight against illegal fishing. The forum brings together states and territories scattered across the Pacific Ocean, from Australia to sparsely populated micro-states and archipelagos.

There is “no question that there is some role that the PRC has played in all this.... its assertiveness and influence, including in this region, has been a factor that requires us to sustain our strategic focus,” a senior White House

official said on condition of anonymity, referring to China by the abbreviation of its formal name.

China’s influence will be felt through the absence of the prime minister of the Solomon Islands, now closely aligned with Beijing.

Manasseh Sogavare, who was in New York last week to attend the UN General Assembly, did not extend his stay in the United States.

“We’re disappointed that he’s chosen not to come to this very special summit,” another White House official said.

Another goal of the meeting is to renegotiate “Compacts of Free Association” with the Marshall Islands before current terms expire Saturday.

The agreement, which Washington also has with Micronesia and the Palau archipelago -- other territories formerly under American administration -- allows the United States to have a military presence on the islands.

In exchange, Washington provides economic assistance and security guarantees, and inhabitants of the islands can live and work in the United States. AFP

¥ Cash Deposit of USD2,183.41 in BPI-Vito Cruz Taft Ave. Branch – Acct. No. 6084-0142-98; Hyundai Tucson with Plate No. PIC285, CR No. 199524533 As per Doc. No. 63; Page No. 13; Book No. I; Series of 2023 before Notary Public ATTY.

UNITED NATIONS, New York —Western powers through their support for Ukraine are “de facto” fighting against Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday (Sunday in Manila), as Kyiv claimed fresh advances on the ground.

“You can call it anything you want, but they are fighting with us, they are straight-up fighting with us,” Lavrov told journalists at the United Nations.

“We call it a hybrid war, but that doesn’t change things.”

Westerners are “de facto fighting against us, using

COTONOU, Benin—At least 34 people died in Benin near Nigeria’s border on Saturday when a contraband fuel depot exploded into flames, sending up a black cloud of smoke into the sky and leaving dozens of charred bodies at the site, a government official and residents said.

The blaze erupted at a warehouse for smuggled fuel in the southern Benin town of Seme Podji, where cars, motorbikes and tricycle taxis came to stock up on fuel, according to local residents.

Nigeria is a major oil producer and fuel smuggling is common inside the

the hands and bodies of Ukrainians,” Lavrov said, pointing to the billions of dollars in Western military equipment provided to Kyiv since Russia attacked last year.

He also indicated the US and British intelligence support and the presence of Western military advisors.

Officials in Kyiv reported breaking through Russian defense lines in the south.

And its army said that senior Russian navy commanders had been among dozens killed or wounded in a missile attack on Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Crimea.

Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, the Ukrainian general leading the counteroffensive around the Zaporizhzhia area in the south, told US media that the advance was still underway.

“On the left flank (near the village of Verbove) we

country and along its borders, with illegal refineries, fuel dumps and pipelines sometimes causing fires.

“I am still in shock. We heard people screaming for help. But the intensity of the flames was too much for people to try to approach,” said Innocent Sidokpohou, a local carpenter.

“I got gas for my motorbike to go do my shopping. I left and barely five meters away I heard an explosion. When I turned around it was all black smoke.”

Benin’s Interior Minister Alassane Seidou told reporters a serious fire had ocurred in the town, but did not give details about exactly how it had

have a breakthrough, and we continue to advance further,” he told CNN in an interview released Friday.

Progress had been “not as fast as it was expected -not like in the movies about the Second World War,” he added. But it was important, he added, “not to lose this initiative”.

Ukraine launched its counteroffensive to claw back territory from Russian forces in June. Progress has been slow, with much of the territory heavily mined.

But Kyiv has in recent weeks reported making strategic advances in the Zaporizhzhia region. And Tarnavskiy did not accept that Ukraine’s push could be further slowed in the coming winter months.

“The weather can be a serious obstacle during advance, but considering how we move forward, mostly without vehicles, I don’t think (it) will heavily influence the counteroffensive,” he said. AFP

happened.

“Unfortunately we have 34 deaths including two babies. Their bodies are charred because the cause of the fire is smuggled fuel,” the official said.

The minister said another 20 people were being treated in hospital, including some in serious condition.

“I live not far from the tragedy,” said Semevo Nounagnon, a local bike driver.

“I can’t really give you the cause of the fire, but there is a large gasoline warehouse here and cars, tricycles and motorcycles come from morning to evening.” AFP

GUIDED BY DETERMINATION.

Migrants from Venezuela get out of the Rio Grande river as they climb the river bank at the US-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas on Sunday.  AFP

HANOI—Vietnam has executed longtime death row prisoner Le Van Manh, a lawyer confirmed Saturday, despite international pleas to spare his life.

In 2005 Manh was charged with robbery, as well as the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl in the northern Thanh Hoa province.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said police obtained a confession through torture that was relied upon to convict him.

Manh later retracted the confession, saying that police had beaten him severely.

The Supreme Court in Hanoi handed down the death penalty at an appeal trial in 2008.

Hanoi lawyer Nguyen Ha Luan, who helped Manh’s family petition the Vietnamese president to halt the execution, posted his death certificate on social media Saturday.

“According to reports and official letters, defendant Le Van Manh was executed... the (execution) notice letter has been sent to the family,” he said on Facebook.

The death certificate stated: “Le Van Manh born in 1982. Nationality: Vietnamese. Died at 08:45 on September 22, 2023, at execution house of Hoa Binh provincial police.”

His body was buried at Cho Nhang cemetery, the lawyer said, citing official documents sent to Manh’s family. AFP

EAGLE PASS, Texas—After weeks of travel on dangerous roads and rugged trails, hundreds of Venezuelan migrants experienced a bittersweet moment Saturday when they reached Eagle Pass, Texas, on the US border with Mexico, only to encounter a thicket of barbed wire and armed soldiers.

“Are we safe?” asked Karlen Ramirez, who was in tears after crossing the Rio Grande, the natural border separating the two countries, and strug-

gling through the barbed wire barriers.

Eagle Pass, a town of almost 30,000, has for decades been one of the border points most heavily used by arriving migrants searching for opportunity or escaping from hunger, violence or political turmoil in their home countries.

Next to a golf course that extends under a bridge between the two countries, the US authorities have placed new rolls of barbed wire, the latest challenging obstacle for migrants pur-

suing the American “dream.”

“I was frightened when I saw this,” said Luis Duran, 37, one of roughly 500 migrants, nearly all of them Venezuelans, to arrive on Saturday. “I thought they were going to mistreat us.”

He alternately cried and nervously smiled after managing to wriggle through a gap in the fencing.

“They robbed us in other countries; they mistreated us,” said Duran, who was limping after leaping from the roof

of a train that had carried him, his brothers and nieces across a stretch of Mexico.

“Over there,” he said, pointing to the river, “some armed men tried to take my niece.” In tears again, he hugged a seven-year-old girl, who fixed an empty gaze on the horizon.

“But Venezuela is worse,” Duran added. “We are afraid to be there.”

“Now we are calmer,” said his sister, 28-year-old Lexibel Duran, as border authorities approached. AFP

CONTROVERSY OVER ARRIVALS. This photo taken and handout on Sunday by The Vatican Media shows Pope Francis waving to the crowd during a holy mass at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille, south of France. AFP

Tax collection fell in August, gov’t budget deficit widened IN BRIEF

By Julito G. Rada

THE government’s budget deficit widened by 84.63 percent in August to P133 billion from P72 billion in the same month last year on lower revenue collection and higher expenditures, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said over the weekend.

Data showed that revenue collection fell 6.58 percent or P21.9 billion to P310.6 billion in August from a year ago, while expenditures increased 9.66 percent or P39.1 billion to P443.6 billion.

Diokno said the lower revenue collection in August could be linked to in-

2 China firms plan to invest billions in PH

By Othel V. Campos

TWO Chinese companies plan to invest billions in the Philippines, according to the Board of Investments.

BOI managing director Ceferino Rodolfo said a state-owned Chinese firm, considered as the world’s biggest renewable energy player, sought the help of the agency to link them up with local counterparts that are also into renewable energy business.

“This company has a dedicated reserve fund for investing in Southeast Asia which is about $15 billion. We were under the impression that it is willing to invest as much as $5 billion for renewable projects in the Philippines,” Rodolfo said over the weekend.

Another Chinese firm also disclosed plans to put a world-class electronics assembly plant, said Rodolfo.

The Guangdong-based company plans to penetrate the Philippine market for electronics, but has yet to firm up its investment plans.

“Right now they are just renting, but they are serious enough to consider having assembly operations here,” Rodolfo said.

The company is renting a five-hectare property in Batangas where it plans to start assembly operations, he said.

Rodolfo said the company was also expanding in China. “That means it provides an opportunity for the Philippines to complement whatever facilities they have in China.”

“The plans for the Philippines is to replicate whatever it has in China in terms of world-class facilities. And one very important thing is that they can make the Philippines their hub for research and development for software,” he said.

clement weather and the shift in value added tax collection. “The explanation was that I think their collection days were reduced because of inclement weather, which caused the suspension of classes because of typhoons,” he said.

“On personal income tax this year, we lost something like P70 billion, which is provided for under the TRAIN [Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion] Law…We are not collecting [like] the usual because we cut personal income tax,” he said.

Data showed that despite the decline in August, cumulative revenue in the first eight months reached P2.6 trillion, up by 9.03 percent or P213.9 billion year-onyear. It also represented 69 percent of the P3.7 trillion program for the year. The Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) tax collection dropped 6.73 percent in August to P213.5 billion from P228.9 billion a year ago, while the Bu-

Analysts expect tough stock trading week

PHILIPPINE stocks are expected to trade within a tight range in the last trading week of September on lingering worries over interest rates.

China Bank Capital managing director Juan Paolo Colet said investors should prepare for a tough trading week as the market would test the durability of the technical rally in the past two trading days.

reau of Customs’ (BOC) collection declined 4.92 percent to P75 billion from P78.9 billion.

The BIR collected P1.7 trillion in the eight-month period, surpassing the previous year’s outturn by 9.43 percent or P147.0 billion. This made up 65 percent of the full-year target of P2.6 trillion.

BOC increased its cumulative revenue by 3.99 percent to P581.5 billion from P559.2 billion raised in the eightmonth period of 2022. BOC reached 67 percent of its 2023 target of P874.2 billion.

Diokno remained optimistic that the Customs could improve its collections in the coming months.

“A cloudy economic picture and prolonged hawkish monetary policy will keep risk appetite for Philippine stocks in check,” Colet said.

“Both the Federal Reserve and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas have left the door open for a rate hike in November, and more importantly they have signaled a potentially long period of high rates next year,” he said. Philstocks Financial Inc research head Japhet Tantiangco said the index’s recent decline made the market attractive to bargain hunters. The index is trading below the 2018 to 2022 average price-to-earnings ratio of 19.08x. Jenniffer B. Austria

Metrobank recognized strongest bank for 3rd time

METROPOLITAN Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) becomes the first Philippine financial institution to claim the “Strongest Bank” title from The Asian Banker for three straight years.

The award is part of The Asian Banker’s pioneering and most credible annual ranking analysis of all major banks in the Asia Pacific Region based on their strongest balance sheet performance.

“Metrobank is privileged to have a team of committed Metrobankers who are dedicated to live up to the promise of keeping our clients’ trust, and delivering consistent and stronger results year after year for our shareholders.

We are honored to accept this award and we maintain our strong commitment to serve as the financial institution that our valued clients and stakeholders can depend upon for their financial needs,” said Metrobank president Fabian Dee. Metrobank continues to sustain its strong performance as it booked a 34-percent growth in net income to P20.9 billion in the first half of the year, fueled by asset expansion, enhanced margins and robust fee income growth. This translated into a 12.9-percent return on equity, higher than 10 percent recorded in the same period last year.

Farmers warn of brewing poultry price hike in Visayas

PPP FORUM. Government officials, business leaders and industry experts gather during Stratbase Group’s roundtable discussion

on ‘Revitalizing the Philippines’ Infrastructure Development through Public-Private Partnerships’ to achieve sustainable growth, improved connectivity and strong partnerships. Leading the panel are (from left) Stratbase Group chief operating officer Rupert Paul Manhit, Acciona business development head Brett Lim, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System administrator Bobbi Cleofas, Senator JV Ejercito, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. government relations and public affairs director and Chamber of Mines of the Philippines chairman Mike Toledo, Stratbased Group founder and CEO Prof. Dindo Manhit, WawaJVCo president Melvin Tan, Stratbase communications and advocacy manager Joyce Ilas and Stratbase research and program manager Katrina Guerrero.

PNOC EC expects high success rate for new Malampaya wells

By Alena Mae S. Flores

STATE-RUN PNOC Exploration Corp.

projected a high success rate for new wells to be drilled by the Malampaya consortium, a top executive said.

The company owns a 10-percent interest in Service Contract 38, which covers the Malampaya gas field in northwest Palawan.

PNOC EC president Franz Josef

George Alvarez said during the budget hearing of the Senate sub-finance committee Friday the consortium led by operator Prime Energy Resources Development B.V. would drill two new wells in 2025.

The government renewed for another

San Miguel, Metro Pacific competing to take over MRT-3 operations—DOTr

By Darwin G. Amojelar

METRO Pacific Investments Corp. and San Miguel Corp. are competing for the right to take over the operations and maintenance (O&M) of Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3, according to an official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

DOTr Undersecretary for planning and project Timothy John Batan said the agency received a new proposal from MPIC for MRT3 operations, but said San Miguel has an original proponent status (OPS) for the line system that was awarded by the Duterte administration in early 2022.

An OPS gives a company a competitive advantage to competitors during the competitive Swiss Challenge for the project.

Batan said the DOTr was coordinating with the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Center on how to properly address the two offers.

“There are rules on how to handle multiple unsolicited proposals. We are just confirming with the PPP Center for proper disposition,” he said.

“We’re just making sure that we address it in accordance with the rules. By next week, we will finalize our way forward,” Batan said.

He said San Miguel’s unsolicited offer for MRT was not yet endorsed to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). MPIC, through unit Light Rail Manila Corp., operates LRT Line 1, while San Miguel is building MRT Line 7 which would eventually connect to MRT-3.

Batan said while the government was evaluating the two unsolicited proposals, the agency planned to engage the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and International Finance Corp. (IFC) for the solicited bidding of MRT-3 and LRT Line 2 as a bundle.

“We will process solicited bids for MRT-3 and LRT-2 as if there were no unsolicited proposals, and we will process the unsolicited proposals as if there were no solicited bids,” he said.

Batan said the solicited and unsolicited proposals would be elevated for NEDA board for approval. The DOTr will pursue the NEDA-approved mode, he said.

The build-lease-transfer (BLT) agreement between the government and Metro Rail Transit Corp. for MRT-3 would lapse by 2025.

The government operates MRT-3, while MRTC, owned by Metro Rail Transit Holdings II Inc. led by businessman Robert John Sobrepeña, is responsible for the design and construction of the EDSA rail transit system.

Formed in 1995, MRTC started building MRT-3 in October 1996, completed it in December 1999 and started full operations in July 2020.

15 years SC 38 and required the consortium to explore and drill at least two new deep water wells in the first phase of its work program for 2024 to 2029.

The work program is designed to unlock the potential of both the Malampaya gas field and nearby areas. Alvarez said preparations for actual drilling were ongoing.

“By 2025, we will drill two additional wells. If successful, by 2026 we will have additional production,” Alvarez said.

“The probability of success is around 80 percent,” Alvarez said when asked by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.

The Malampaya consortium is composed of Prime Energy, a subsidiary of

Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. led by businessman Enrique Razon Jr., UC38 LLC and PNOC EC.

Prime Energy has a 45-percent stake in the consortium, while UC 38 LLC owns the remaining 45 percent.

Alvarez said the consortium was expected to invest at least $690 million in further exploring the remaining gas deposits in Malampaya.

Prime Energy and its personnel have shown technical competence in managing the decline in gas supply and completing an accident-free maintenance program of Malampaya.

PNOC EC, as part of the consortium, will spend some P3.45 billion on the work program.

POULTRY farmers warned about a possible sharp increase in the prices of chicken in Eastern Visayas after the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources ordered excavation inside the breeder farms of the largest poultry producer in the region to check alleged dumping of wastes. The DENR office reportedly acted on complaint by individuals who alleged dumping of wastes from DBSN Farms Agriventures Corp.’s facilities in Leyte province despite the earlier dismissal of the case by the local court.

DBSN, one of the largest agriculture companies in the Visayas, said the action of DENR Region 7, endangers the livelihood of hundreds of poultry farmers and threatens the supply to the public of chicken in Eastern Visayas from the only “AAA” poultry dressing plant in the region.

DBSN, which employs more than 600 workers, said the National Meat Inspection Service certified its plant as GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) compliant.

It noted that the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau Region VIII earlier asked for the dismissal of the complaint as the Pollution Adjudication Board has the exclusive and original jurisdiction on the case. It said the local court also dismissed the case in February this year.

PSE INDEX CLOSING

CREATIVE HUB. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual underscores the vital role of the creatives industry in strengthening the Philippine economy during the launch of the ENSAYO Creative Hub on Sept. 22, 2023 held at the Philippine Trade Training Center in Pasay City. Pascual says that through the hub, Filipino creative talents will be nurtured to be globally competitive.

Pag-IBIG Fund members saved record P59.52b in 8 months

PAG-IBIG Fund members collectively saved P59.52 billion from January to August this year, up by 11.45 percent year-on-year and setting a new record for the highest amount saved by members for any eight-month period.

“We are happy to see that more Filipino workers recognize the importance of saving and are choosing to save with Pag-IBIG Fund. The record high in Pag-IBIG members’ savings collected from January to August 2023 shows their continuing trust and confidence in us and in our programs,” said Secre-

tary Jose Rizalino Acuzar, head of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund board of trustees.

“This is good news because as our collection increases, the more funds we are able to utilize for the benefit of our members who seek to apply for home loans and short-term loans. All these are in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to improve the Filipino workers’ access to finance,” Acuzar said.

Pag-IBIG Fund chief executive Marilene Acosta said the growth in members’ savings collected were seen in both the agency’s mandatory regular savings and voluntary MP2 savings.

Collections for the Pag-IBIG regular savings reached P28.03 billion, a 7-percent increase from P26.16 billion in the same period in 2022. The agency’s popular MP2 Savings reached P31.50 billion, a 16-percent increase from P27.25 billion collected from January to August last year.

Climate inaction slows down fight against poverty, global hunger

INSUFFICIENT progress towards climate goals is slowing down the global fight against poverty, hunger and deadly diseases, according to a report released by the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed that message, warning that record temperatures and extreme weather were “causing havoc” around the world.

The global response has fallen “far short,” Guterres recently said, just as latest UN data indicates that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are only 15 percent on track at the midway point of the 2030 Agenda.

According to WMO, current policies will lead to global warming of at least 2.8 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels over the course of this century―well above the Paris Agreement target of 1.5°C.

This year’s northern hemisphere summer has been the hottest on record, prompting the UN chief last week to reiterate his call for a “surge in action.”

Guterres underscored in his foreword to the report that weather, climate and water-related sciences can “supercharge progress on the SDGs across the board.”

Transition to renewable energy must accelerate

TRANSITIONING to renewable energy is the key to securing humanity’s survival, as “without renewables, there can be no future,” says UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Renewable technologies like wind and solar power are, in most cases, cheaper than the fossil fuels that are driving climate change, but the world needs to prioritize the transformation of energy systems to renewable energy.

Fossil fuel subsidies are one of the biggest financial barriers hampering the world’s shift to renewable energy.

The UN Secretary-General has consistently called for an end to all international public and private funding of fossil fuels, one of the major contributors to global warming, calling any new investments in them “delusional.”

“All actors must come together to accelerate a just and equitable transition from fossil fuels to renewables, as we stop oil and gas expansion and funding and licensing for new coal, oil, and gas,” he said.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that $5.9 trillion was spent on subsidizing the fossil fuel industry in 2020 alone. The figure includes subsidies, tax breaks, and health and environmental damages that were not priced into the initial cost of fossil fuels. That’s roughly $11 billion a day.

Shifting subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy leads to a reduction in their use and also contributes to sustainable economic growth, job creation, better public health, and more equality, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable communities around the world.

An estimated $4 trillion a year needs to be invested in renewable energy until 2030 in order to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Net zero is the term which describes achieving the balance between carbon emitted into the atmosphere and the carbon removed from it. Investment in renewables will cost significantly less compared to subsidizing fossil fuels. The reduction of pollution and climate impact alone could save the world up to $4.2 trillion per year by 2030.UN News

The United in Science report, which combines expertise from 18 UN organizations and partners, shows how climate science and early warnings can save lives and livelihoods, advance food and water security, clean energy and better health.

After recent flooding in Libya that has claimed thousands of lives, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas stressed that a lack of adequate forecasting capacity can have deadly consequences for a country when faced with extreme weather events.

He highlighted the risky situation developing in Sudan, where conflict has

crippled the agency’s capacity to forecast hazards.

The head of the country’s meteorological service told him that most of her staff members escaped Khartoum and were unable to “run their business in a normal way,” he said.

“They are not able to forecast this kind of high-impact weather events anymore,” he warned.

Extreme weather events are also a key factor in the spread of global hunger and the new report seeks to inform urgent action on this front as the UN estimates that nearly 670 million people may be food insecure in 2030.

The report’s authors explore the link between life-saving food production and nutrition, and investments in weather sciences and services which enable farmers to make decisions on crops and planting.

Early warnings are also crucial to “helping identify potential areas of crop failure that may lead to emergencies.”

“United in Science” includes analysis from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which warned that climate change and extreme events such as heatwaves are set to “significantly increase ill health and premature deaths.”

Summit cites role of forests to achieve sustainable goals

NEW YORK―“Green should be the color of the future,” said QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The FAO chief articulated the message during a high-level event at the margins of the SDG Summit dedicated to build momentum on the role of forests in contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Qu stressed that initiatives for ecosystem restoration, combating desertification and expanding green areas and forest cover are huge opportunities for the world and that FAO stands ready to support its members in this context and promote further solidarity and cooperation.

The event was organized by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), chaired by FAO, a partnership of 16 major global organizations within and outside the United Nations system with substantial mandates on forests.

The CPF at the meeting launched the joint call to action for forests to-

wards 2030 highlighting the need for increased action and political commitment to strengthen the implementation of forest solutions in pursuit of the SDGs and other global objectives. The 2023 SDG Summit marks the halfway point in efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs along with other internationally agreed-upon goals related to forests, such as the Global Forest Goals outlined in the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 20172030. Covering 31 percent of the world’s land surface, forests sustain livelihoods and produce wood and non-

wood forest products, contribute to food security, combat climate change and desertification and conserve biodiversity and water. They also generate employment and contribute to human well-being.

According to FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment, the world has lost 420 million hectares of forest through deforestation since 1990. Deforestation continues although the rate slowed from 12 million hectares per year in the period 2010-2015 to 10 million hectares per year in the period 2015-2020.

Progress towards reaching global goals on protecting forests is not advancing fast enough, as forests are still disappearing, climate-change impacts and biodiversity loss are increasing, and malnutrition and hunger are rising, all undermined by social and economic instability.

The Collaborative Partnership on Forests’ aims to enhance the contributions of forests to the Sustainable Development Goals, the Global Forest Goals and other international commitments. FAO News

Habitat preservation propagates more medicinal trees, plants

the ASEAN Conference on Medicinal Forest Trees in Pampanga and cited their huge potential for the health of Filipinos.

Around 117 participants from the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan took part in the three-day conference.

ERDB director Maria Lourdes Ferrer said forest species studies had shown the links between nature and human health as exploited by indigenous people worldwide in treating diseases.

ient to climate change.

“We are working now on a technology called tree fortification. We are trying to fortify trees in a manner that will make them more resilient to pests and to add to the viability and manageability of particular tree species,” said Marquez.

Tree fortification seeks to protect threatened tree species and increase their population. The ERDB is also doing other vegetative propagation measures such as cloning to address scarcity of species.

The report’s findings show that integrating epidemiology and climate information makes it possible to forecast and prepare for outbreaks of climatesensitive diseases, such as malaria and dengue.

Early-warning systems can also help to reduce poverty by giving people the chance to anticipate and “limit the economic impact” of disasters.

The WMO-led report shows that between 1970 and 2021, there were nearly 12,000 reported disasters from weather, climate and water extremes, causing $4.3 trillion in economic losses―the majority of them in developing countries.

WMO deplored the fact that so far, there has been “very limited progress” in reducing the gap between promises that countries made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the level of emissions cuts really needed to achieve the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.

To limit global warming to 1.5°C, global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 45 percent by 2030, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions falling close to net zero by 2050.

The report’s authors wrote that while some future changes in climate are unavoidable, “every fraction of a degree and ton of CO2 matters to limit global warming and achieve the SDGs.”

WMO has also underscored the importance of the UN’s “Early Warnings for All” initiative aiming to ensure that “everyone on Earth is protected from hazardous weather, water, or climate events through life-saving early warning systems by the end of 2027.”

Currently, only half of the countries worldwide report having adequate multi-hazard early warning systems. UN News

Biodiversity thriving with clean rivers

ENDURANCE swimmer Lewis Pugh traded the ocean for New York State’s Hudson River, declaring at the end of his epic 517 kilometer journey downriver on Wednesday that “we can never become complacent when it comes to protecting the environment.”.

The UN Environment Program’s (UNEP) official Patron of the Oceans, Pugh said he’d undertaken the marathon swim ending at the tip of Manhattan, to emphasize the urgent need to protect the world’s waterways ahead of the UN’s landmark High Seas Treaty and Climate Ambition Summit last week.

Sporting his UNEP swim cap, Pugh lifted himself out of New York Harbor, just a short walk from the World Trade Center, to a crowd of supporters and curious onlookers.

HABITAT protection will preserve medicinal plants and allow them to multiply and enable experts to maximize the economic and health values of the vegetation. Experts stressed the need to implement conservation efforts to protect and propagate medicinal plants amid climate change and other threats.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources—Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (DENR-ERDB), the principal research arm and think tank of the DENR, hosted

Ferrer stressed the need to gather and preserve indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants and forest trees given their benefits and potential for economic activity.

“As we embark on this intellectual journey, let us remember that our discoveries have the potential to touch lives, alleviate suffering and shape the course of healthcare and medicinal forest trees species conservation,” said Ferrer.

ERDB assistant director Conrado Marquez said habitat protection through active management of forests, governance with the appropriate funding allocation are vital for medicinal forest trees to adopt and become resil -

Dr. Pastor Malabrigo Jr., professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, said based on the database of medicinal species in the country, 456 tree species have known medicinal value.

“We have 3,500 tree species. It’s safe to assume that we are underutilizing our plant resources. There are rare, threatened species, the public is not familiar with, which are not being used. We have to give attention to these,” said Malabrigo. He encouraged the event poster presenters to publish their researches on medicinal plants for people to recognize these and increase public awareness. DENR News

The 53-year-old British-South African began his 32-day journey in a small lake just south of the idyllic Adirondack village, Lake Placid. For over a month, he swam down the entire length of the river, occasionally covering over 20 km in a single day.

“I’ve been dreaming about this swim for many years, but it’s been worth the wait. For the past month I’ve got to know the Hudson River really intimately, and it feels like I’ve made a lifelong friend with this river,” said Pugh.

He described being in awe of the extraordinary biodiversity he had seen, which helped him push through the physical pain of the swim.

It also stiffened his resolve to keep advocating for damaged marine ecosystems across the globe.

Climate change protesters take to the streets of London, United Kingdom. news.un.org

Food and Agricultural Organization director-general Qu Dongyu

ERDB director Maria Lourdes Ferrer

Lewis Pugh arrives at the finish of his 315-mile Hudson River swim in New York on September 13, 2023.

Delgaco eyes historic rowing gold

HANGZHOU, China—Joanie Delgaco aims to make history when she competes in the final of the women’s single sculls event of the 19th Asian Games on Monday at the Fuyang Water Sports Center here.

Delgaco, 25, will be coming as an underdog in the race that starts at 9:10 a.m. as she battles a formidable cast of competitors bannered by a seasoned Uzbek who won the silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics last year.

Anna Prakaten, who was born in Bulgaria, played for Russia and is now competing for Uzbekistan, is heavily favored after topping the semifinals in seven minutes and 47.88 seconds, way ahead the 8:18.30 that Delgaco clocked to qualify in the medal round.

Also in the field are Shino Yonekawa of Japan, Liu Ruiqi of China, Leung Wing Wun of Hong Kong and Huang Yi Ting of Chinese Taipei.

If luck rolls Delgaco’s way, it’s going to be the Filipinos’ first-ever gold medal in the rowing competition of this prestigious continental tourney.

It’s also going to be their first medal since Alvin Amposta and Nestor Cordova clinched a bronze medal in the men’s lightweight doubles sculls in the Busan edition of the Asiad in 2002.

Philippine Rowing Association president Patrick Gregorio admitted that the battle will not be easy, but expects that Delgaco would go all out to make history.

“I’m very happy that Joanie is in the finals. She is the only Southeast Asian rower in the finals tomorrow,” Gregorio, who will be at the stands when Delgaco sees action, said.

“It’s going to be tough competition against No. 1 seed Uzbekistan, then China, Japan, and Chinese Taipei. Joanie will be racing in Lane 2 with the No. 1 seed. Hopefully, she outperforms herself.”

Gregorio admitted that the Uzbek will be a tough nut to crack, but there is a chance that Delgaco, the pride of Bicol, will pull off an upset.

“Joanie’s personal best is 7:39, which she did last week in training at the La Mesa Dam,” Gregorio said.

“If she duplicates it, she has a good chance of pulling off an upset.”

Also seeing action on the final day of hostilities will be Tokyo Olympics veteran Cris Nievarez, who will be competing in the Final B of the men’s single sculls event at 9:20 a.m. to determine his final standing in this tournament.

Members of Philippine delegation, led by agbearers Ernest John Obiena and Margielyn Didal, take part in the athletes’ parade during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Asian Games at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in Hangzhou in China’s eastern Zhejiang province. AFP

Road becomes narrower as Filipinas face Koreans

By Riera U. Mallari

HANGZHOU—The World Cup-seasoned Philippine women’s national football team shoots for a second straight victory on Monday night, this time against a stronger foe in Group E top seed South Korea in the 19th Asian Games here.

“There is no doubt South Korea are a top side,” said Filipinas’ coach Mark Torcaso ahead of the 7:30 p.m. match at the Wenzhou Sports Center, more than two hours away by bullet train from the main hub here.

While Torcaso, who took over fellow Australian Alen Stajcic following the team’s historic stint in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, passed his initial test with flying colors via an emphatic 3-1 win by the Filipinas over

Perez secures first medal for Team PH

HANGZHOU, China—Taekwondo jin Patrick King Perez delivered the first medal for the Philippines on Sunday, a bronze in the 19th Asian Games’ individual poomsae competition.

Perez lost his semifinal clash with Chinese Taipei’s Ma Yun Zhong after scoring 6.910 points in taekwondo discipline that combined both the freestyle and recognized events.

A win would have catapulted Perez to the goldmedal round, but the loss still proved worthy of the bronze.

``I couldn’t believe I won a bronze. I’m really happy, all the hard work paid off,’’ said the 23-year-old Perez, the reigning Southeast Asian Games champion.

Ma got the attention of the judges and scored 7.450 to advance to the goldmedal

duel against South Korea’s Kang Wanjin at the Lin’an Sports and Culture Exhibition Centre here.

Perez registered 7.640 points in the recognized and 6.180 in the freestyle, while Ma had a combined output of 8.000 and 6.900 in his routines.

The De La Salle University star in the UAAP set up the semis showdown with Ma after defeating Prem Bahadur Limbu of Nepal in the

Hong Kong on Friday, the road becomes narrower, and the task more challenging for the no. 44-ranked Philippine squad from here on. Standing in their way is South Korea, ranked no. 20 by the FIFA.

“They’re (South Koreans) very good in possession. But there are small gaps that we can expose and if we do it right, we’ll get our chance. But we also have to be very disciplined and be smart tactically,” he said.

But discipline is something the Filipinas have plenty of as shown in their remarkable debut in the World Cup, highlighted by a huge 1-0 win over the host team, and the runup to this Asian Games.

Three nights ago, the Filipinas kicked off their campaign with a convincing win, highlighted by goals from World Cup veterans Sarina Bolden, Quinley Quesada and Katrina Guillou.

The South Korens will rely on their own World Cup squad in their bid to get to the podium here following a bronzemedal finish in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games behind powerhouse Japan and China. The Koreans will head to the match against the Filipinas riding the momentum of a 4-0 win over Myanmar and, looking back, a 1-1 draw with Germany in the World Cup that was won by Spain.

Joanie Delgaco with rowing chief Patrick Gregorio

Tambalque rules JPGT

Pradera, tows 4

others

to finals

PATRICK Tambalque kept his stellar play in 18-hole tournaments going, repelling Tristan Padilla to rule Round 5 of the ICTSI Junior PGT Series for boys’ 13-14 with 54 Molave points at Pradera Verde in Lubao, Pampanga on Sunday.

In a virtual repeat of his feat at Splendido Taal last week, Tambalque gunned down three birdies against the same number of bogeys as he posted a gross 72 at the well-kept Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club to edge Padilla by one point for his third victory in 18-hole format, including his romp at Mount Malarayat last June.

Padilla turned in 53 points after a 73 for second while erstwhile Order of Merit leader Alexander Crisostomo struggled with a 76 worth 50 points for third. Rafael Leonio and Bien Fajardo pooled 48 and 46 points from grosses of 78 and 80 as they placed fourth and fifth, respectively.

Langkawi tour: Carcueva ranks 2nd in Asian category

By Randy Caluag

KOTA BHARU, Malaysia --Junreck Carcueva of 7-Eleven-Cliqq-Air 21-Roadbike Philippines placed second among Asian riders on Monday’s

Stage 2 of the PETRONAS

Le Tour de Langkawi.

Carcueva was in the lead pack in another mass finish, that brought the riders from Kuala Terengganu to Kota Bahru. It was a relatively flat race, with two mild ascents inside the 186.2-kilometer stage.

“Nu’ng makita ko na may lumalayo

sa final 500 meters, sumabay talaga ako kahit laspag na din ako,” said Carcueva, who came behind another Asian, Roku Onaka of JCL Team Ukyo from Japan.

Glen Syritsa of Astana Qazakstan topped the stage, where all the riders had similar clocking of 4 hours and 15.4 minutes.

Tuesday will have the crucial stage 3 where the riders will tackle four uphill climbs in the 183.1-km race from

Jeli to Baking.

The toughest of the four is the second trek up the mountains of Puncak Tiwangsa, that is 1,066 meters above sea level.

Veteran campaigner Nichol Pareja said Monday’s stage 3, which has four uphill climbs, will separate the men from the boys.

“Dami akyatan. Dito (stage 3) may mga bibitaw na diyan. Kung sino maglead diyan at makapag-maintain sa stage 5, malamang ‘yun na kukuha hanggang dulo.”

Pareja was the top Filipino performer last year, when he emerged best Asian finisher in Stage 7 and received trophy and cash prize for his podium-worthy performance.

The other Filipino riders Ismael

Gorospe, Rench Michael Bondoc, Joshua Pascual and team captain Ryan Tugawin also finished well and remained in the hunt for honors.

Stage 1 winner Arvid de Kleijn of Tudor Cycling Team is still the overall leader. He confirmed Pareja’s view, saying all sprinters like him should do well in the treacherous Genting Highland climb in Stage 5. The Dutchman admitted that while pure climbers may shine in two uphillfilled stages 3 and 5, sprinters will still take it in the end.

“But overall, it’s a sprinter’s race as there are six stages which favour us… so it’s good for sprinters to make an impact,” he said.

PH athletics’ team to arrive in 3 bunches

HANGZHOU—The Philippine Athletics’ team tasked to end a threedecade medal drought in the Asian Games is expected to arrive in Hangzhou, China in three batches, led by Southeast Asian Games’ long jump champion Janry Ubas and company on Tuesday.

Ubas, the current SEA Games’ longjump record holder at 8.08 meters, is planing in from Manila on Tuesday with Ronnie Malipay, Sarah Dequinan, Robyn Brown, Kristina Knott, Angel Frank, Lauren Hoffman, athletics’ secretary general and team manager Edward Kho, his deputy Jasper Tanhueco and coach Dario de Rosas.

Coming in on Wednesday are John Tolentino, Willie Morrison and Eric Cray, before coach Isidro Del Prado, Michael del Prado, Joyme Sequita, Frederick Ramirez, Umajesty Williams, Jessel Lumapas and Maureen Schrijvers arrive on Sept. 30.

Only Asia’s top pole vaulter and world’s no. 2 Ernest John Obiena, who did Philippine flag-bearing duty on Saturday night in the opening ceremonies, is so far accounted for.

“The Philippine Athletics Team is raring to see action in Hangzhou. We are

Janry Ubas Ernest John Obiena

keen on contributing to a distinctive Asian Games’ campaign of the whole Team Philippines. Our athletes are ready,” said Kho, who acknowledged the support of the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and team sponsors ICTSI

and CEL Logistics, Inc. to the Filipinos’ campaign.

The Philippines’ brightest bet naturally has to be Obiena, who is raring to bounce back from his seventhplace finish with a mere 5.3 meters in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian

Castil vows big bounce-back at ICTSI golf meet

REELING from a bungled pro debut, young Velinda Castil insists she’s ready for big-time golf, warranting a strong rebound in the ICTSI Mimosa Plus Championship beginning Tuesdayat the Mimosa Plus Golf Course at Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

“Babawi ako sa Mimosa,” vowed the 15-year-old student at Manolo Fortich National High in Bukidnon.

Inspired by a joint runner-up effort at Del Monte Championship which she led in the second round while playing under amateur status, Castil promptly turned pro in the next Ladies Philippine Golf Tour stop at South Pacific but missed the cut with an 87 score.

“I was so pressured since that was my first time to play as a pro,” said Castil. Now virtually free of the burden to de-

liver, Castil hopes to dish out the game expected of her in the P1 million event put up by ICTSI, not necessarily targeting the championship but turning in a modest finish.

“I don’t have any expectations this week,” she said. “I do dream of becoming an LPGT champion but I don’t know when but I know that time will come.”

Castil was actually set to compete in the national finals of the ICTSI Junior PGT Series at The Country Club next month, having qualified following a second place finish in the JPGT VisMin Classic earlier this month.

But by deciding to turn pro, she gave up the chance not only to measure up with her fellow junior golfers but also to possibly make the national team.

“Yes, it’s too early for me (to turn pro)

but I want to challenge myself with pro golfers,” said Castil, who packs power off the tee and boasts of a sound short game. Looking forward to facing the likes of two-leg winners Daniella Uy and Harmie Constantino and South Pacific Classic champion Florence Bisera again, Castil underscored the need to polish her putting stroke, which could hold the key at Mimosa Plus.

Also tipped to figure in the title race in the 54-hole championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and backed by PGTI official apparel Kampfortis Golf are Mikha Fortuna, Korean Seoyun Kim, Sarab Ababa, Chihiro Ikeda, Pamela Mariano, Gretchen Villacencio, Marvin Monsalve, Apple Fudolin and Minyeong Kim, also from Korea.

Games. The 27-year-old Obiena has improved significantly since then, with a personal best of 6.00 meters, also the Asian record.

If he lives up to his status as favorite here, Obiena will be the first Filipino to bag a medal in the Asiad athletics since Elma Muros-Posadas brought home the bronze in the women’s long jump of the 1994 quadrennial meet in Hiroshima, Japan.

Obiena shoots for the gold on Sept. 30, the same day heptathlete Dequinan plunges into action at the 55,893-seat Huanglong Sports Center.

A day before, though, Knott and Ubas see action in the 100-meters and long jump, respectively.

On Oct. 1, Knott also takes part in the 200 meters, while Tolentino and Morrison test their mettle in the 110-m hurdles and shotput, respectively.

Brown and SEA Games’ 200-m legend Cray then join the hostilities on Oct. 2 in the 400m, before the 4x400 relay teams of (women) Schrijvers, Manibog, Hoffman and Frank, and (men) Williams, Prado, Sequita and Ramirez, take the field, with triple-jumper jumper Malipay.

Tambalque’s back-to-back wins also netted him 30 points in overall points total which combines the points garnered from 18-hole tournaments and the overall DCP (drive, chip and putt) format as he ended up on top after the grueling course-hopping series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Padilla and Crisostomo tied for second overall with 25 points but the former (53 points) edged the latter (50 points) in the countback based on their Pradera Verde outputs, Fajardo and Chaz Limketkai grabbed the last two spots in the national finals with 20 and 19 points, respectively.

The grand finals, which will also feature the Top 5 finishers in the boys’ and girls’ 9-10, 11-12, girls’ 13-14 and boys’ and girls’ 15-18 brackets, will be held on Oct. 3 at The Country Club in Laguna.

Meanwhile, Santino Pineda turned back a late-charging Zachary Villaroman as he topped Round 4 of the boys’ 15-18 play with 56 Molave points on a gross two-under 70 at the well-kept layout.

In a follow-up to his victory at Splendido Taal last week, Pineda rode on a big backside charge to secure the victory, birdying Nos. 12 and 14 to recover from a frontside 37 on his way to a gross 71.

Villaroman actually matched Pineda’s gross one-under card on a birdiebirdie windup but fell short by one under the Molave scoring system as he ended up with 55 points and settled for another runner-up finish in the series put up by ICTSI.

Filipino gamers fall on opening day of inaugural Asiad esports

HANGZHOU—Filipino gamer Jorrell Aristorenas suffered a 0-2 loss to Brunei bet Rashed Alrowaihi at the start of the EA Sport FC Online competitions of the 2023 Asian Games here on Sunday.

The 29-year-old, London-born Aristorenas, who also dabbles in football as a Stallion FC player, dropped to the lower bracket, where he will meet India’s Charnjot Singh.

Some 36 players representing 22 teams are competing at the 5,000-capacity China Hangzhou Esports Centre for the right to be crowned the inaugural Asian Games’ esports champion. Alrowaihi advanced to the second round of the upper bracket, with Thai player Teedech Saisakul and Ali Al Hammadi of the United Arab Emirates.

Park Gi Yong of Korea also reached the second round with Hong Kong’s Fan Cheuk Wa and Li Jian Cheng of China.

In the Arena of Valor action, Thailand’s Vatcharanan Taworn took down the Miguel Banaag-led Philippine Sibol team, 1-0, to move up in Group D.

Meanwhile, Pinoy gamer Ross Villarin plunges into action in the Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Round of 32 Match 4 on Tuesday against Chantasriviroje Sitta.

After debuting in the Asiad as a demo event in 2018 in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia, esports is coming in as a regular sport, expected to be the most watched in the games’ calendar.

Asiad esports features five PC games and two mobile games, covering both multiplayer online battle arena, or MOBA, and single-player genres.

The all-Filipino crew of the 7-Eleven-Cliqq-Air21-Roadbike Philippines remains intact after two stages.

Velinda Castil

Finding the right love at the wrong time

By Angelica Villanueva

BEA Alonzo and Dennis Trillo come together in an extraordinary story about lost love and missed chances in Love Before Sunrise, a primetime series premiering tonight on GMA Network.

The series, which streams 48 hours in advance on Viu Philippines, recounts the tale of past romantic partners Atom (Dennis) and Stella (Bea), who, after many years, find themselves reuniting. They deeply regret losing each other when they ended up in unhappy marriages separately. The situation becomes increasingly complex as they succumb to their revived emotions and decide to pursue their love despite societal constraints.

Directed by Mark dela Cruz the series also stars Andrea Torres and Sid Lucero Discussing their on-set chemistry, Dennis shared that he was starstruck by Bea on the first day of shooting for their upcoming series. “On our first day, I felt really nervous. I was starstruck every time we had a scene together,” Dennis revealed. Dennis, who referred to Bea as the “Box Office Queen,” also mentioned feeling pressure while working with her.

“During filming, I would always check the script breakdown to see the scenes I had with Bea because I wanted to excel in those moments,” he explained. “We all know how talented Bea is. I’ve seen her

movies, and it was an intimidating experience.”

On the other hand, Bea admitted that she also felt some initial awkwardness on their first day.

“Our first day on set was a bit awkward. I felt uneasy because we were portraying scenes that mirrored our past relationship,” Bea shared.

However, both being seasoned professionals, they eventually found their groove as they spent more time working together.

“As we developed a rhythm and camaraderie on set, things naturally smoothed out, and we became comfortable with each other,” Dennis concluded.

For her part, Bea said, “It like, at first, it was hard… but then, we’re professional actors, so we got over that because there’s a sense of familiarity.”

Love Before Sunrise marked the reunion of Bea and Dennis 20 years after their youthoriented TV series K2BU in 2002.

Bea and Dennis were both part of Star Circle Batch 10 and began attending workshops together back then.

I think he’s very mysterious. I guess it helped in terms of during the scene when we need to show the ‘falling in love stage’. But, I can only speak for myself. That’s what I’ve experienced,” she said.

Also joining Bea and Dennis in Love Before Sunrise are Nadia Montenegro, Isay Alvarez, Sef Cadayona, Vaness del Moral, Cheska Fausto, and Vince Maristela

Crafting timeless melodies

DINDO Fernandez, a new balladeer, stands out with his unique music and heartfelt performances, captivating audiences with his melodious voice and emotional commitment to his songs.

Fernandez credits his church choir experience for inspiring his dream of becoming a performer. Singing in church is his way of expressing gratitude and praising God with all his heart and soul. The rigorous training and rehearsals in the choir helped him discover his special talents in singing and songwriting.

Two of Fernandez’s original songs, “Akala Ko” and “Makinig Ka,” can be found on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, and other platforms. These songs have garnered positive feedback and a growing fanbase since their release during the pandemic. This success motivates Fernandez to continue pursuing his career in performance and

songwriting.

He shares that he’s most inspired to create music when he’s relaxed and feeling great. His goal is for his audience to be inspired, motivated, and find meaning in the stories and wisdom conveyed through his lyrics.

Fernandez admits that as a singer and performer, he faced numerous challenges as a singer and performer, which ultimately contributed to his growth as an artist and individual.

“It was hard to find a team that would guide me and take good care of me in my musical journey,” Fernandez comes clean. “You know, there were some people I wish I had talked to and asked

for their advice and support. But, I just did not have the means or access to them, to get their attention and precious time.”

He adds, “Perhaps if I hadn’t gone through what I did, I might not have been this driven and passionate. The wandering and wandering phase made me more courageous to explore, discover, and be humble.

Eventually, my perseverance paid off.”

In 2022, he got a nomination nod from the ALWI Awards as “Best Male Performance in a Concert” and “Best New Male Artist of the Year” and now, he is more gung ho than ever om showcasing his talents.

Kathryn honors health workers in Seoul International Drama Awards

KATHRYN Bernardo won a prestigious Outstanding Asian Star award in the Seoul International Drama Awards (SDA) 2023.

In her acceptance speech, she honored health workers and expressed her appreciation for ABS-CBN’s hit series 2 Good 2 Be True

“I fell in love with this project because of its unique storyline. It’s always been more than just sharing a love story with our audience, but also spreading awareness about Alzheimer’s

disease and educating people about those who struggle with it, and how we can offer them the best support they need. This project made me appreciate our nurses and our healthcare workers so it was really more than just another TV show for me,” the Kapamilya star said. She played the character of Ali, a nurse who takes care of an elderly billionaire (Lolo Sir/Hugo Agcaoili played by Ronaldo Valdez) suffering from Alzheimer’s. During its successful

run, the show was commended for educating viewers on how to properly do health procedures like CPR and the FAST method that can help save lives.

The A Very Good Girl star also shared her award with the entire 2 Good 2 Be True team and thanked her loyal fans in the Philippines.

Kathryn also said she hopes that there will be “more worldclass content produced not just for Filipinos, but for the whole world to see” as well.

New balladeer Fernandez states: “I am dedicated to my craft and I believe that making more heartfelt ballads, letting people hear about the wonder and glory of love, my music will touch the lives, not only of music lovers and enthusiasts but for all. “

His singing idols are concert royalties Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano Michael Pangilinan, and the international musical sensation Boyz 2 Men

So, what happens now with his musical quest?

Dindo Fernandez’s rejoinder: “Surely, I will sing and compose more songs that in time, will be considered classics. I am also giving a novel spin to local and global hit songs music, course, concerts public and new believers hear and watch me

“I am so proud and humbled to be on this stage representing Filipino talent and being a Filipino. This means so much to me. Thank you so much and from the bottom of my heart, maraming maraming salamat po,” she added.

On the other hand, fans will get to see Kathryn again on the big screen in ABS-CBN Film Productions’ A Very Good Girl that is set to premiere in cinemas nationwide starting September 27.

THE Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors (SPEEd) has selected seasoned actor and film producer Piolo Pascual as the host for the 6th edition of Entertainment Editors’ Choice for Movies, more popularly known as The Eddys.

In addition to his hosting duties, the 46-year-old actor returns to The Eddys stage as the honoree of the prestigious Isah V. Red Award, joining a list of awardees that includes Herbert Bautista Rosa Rosal , and Coco Martin

This award acknowledges their unwavering support and inspiration to their fellow Filipinos in the face of various challenges, highlighting their significant contributions to the film industry.

Pascual was previously recognized in 2019 with the Rising Producer Circle Award for his contributions to Spring Films.

Continuing its tradition of honoring industry pillars, The Eddys will recognize eight industry pillars who have made a profound impact on the entertainment world through their exceptional bodies of work.

This year’s Movie Icon awardees include Aga Muhlach, Richard Gomez, Gabby Concepcion, Niño Muhlach, Snooky Serna, Jaclyn Jose, Barbara Perez, and Nova Villa

The Joe Quirino Award will honor Aster Amoyo , a veteran entertainment columnist, former TV host, and content creator, for her invaluable contributions.

Renowned writer Ed de Leon will be honored with the Manny Pichel Award for his exceptional work in the field.

Viva Films will be named Producer of the Year, while MavX Productions will be recognized as the Rising Producer of the Year.

The grand movie affair, Eric Quizon, is organized by Airtime Marketing Philippines and will have a delayed telecast on NET 25 on October 28.

This SPEEdled film event aims to recognize and celebrate the best in Philippine cinema.

A total of 14 acting and technical awards will be presented to nominated films released in 2022. SPEEd, composed of current and former entertainment editors from leading newspapers and online sites, is led by its President, Eugene Asis People’s Journal

Rising balladeer Dindo Fernandez

Dennis Trillo (left) and Bea Alonzo reunite in ‘Love Before Sunrise’

Bea Alonzo plays the role of Stella Dennis Trillo as Atom

Familiar luxury and comfort in the heart of the metro

By Nickie Wang

NESTLED along the picturesque banks of the Pasig River, Novotel Suites Manila is the latest gem in Metro Manila’s hospitality landscape, offering a unique blend of familiar luxury and comfort with a stunning view of the city’s rapidly growing skyline. With its prime location and unparalleled amenities, Novotel Suites Manila is set to redefine the concept of urban retreat.

Since its soft opening in December last year, it’s been offering local and foreign travelers a fresh hospitality experience, thanks to Century Properties’ maiden venture into the hospitality realm in partnership with the global hospitality powerhouse Accor. Together, they have crafted an oasis that seamlessly combines modern luxury with a touch of familiarity.

Manila Standard Life had an exclusive tour of this hotel housed within the sixth and final tower of Acqua Private Residences in Mandaluyong City. We were introduced to a 152-room mid-scale hotel that redefines modern luxury, a synergy of vision and expertise.

“We are offering a hotel experience that Filipinos will certainly welcome, given the amount of space and

Kids also have their own space where they can play and have fun

Novotel Suites Manila redefines modern luxury with its spacious rooms

perspectives that our hotel has to offer, thanks to our location and amenities,”

Raul Aquino, Novotel Suites Manila at Acqua General Manager said.

Ideal for families and long-term guests, suites range from 45 sqm Deluxe Suites to spacious 91 sqm Premier Suites with stunning 180-degree city views through floor-to-ceiling windows. All suites include ample work, living, and dining areas, as well as well-equipped kitchens.

Tempus, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant on the 6th floor, offers breakfast buffets and a la carte lunch and dinner options. Adjacent is a Private Dining Room for up to 20 guests,

ideal for intimate gatherings.

The infinity pool on the 6th floor offers a breathtaking view of the Makati skyline, seamlessly blending with the restaurant for a unique swimming experience. On the 21st floor, the Lobby Lounge provides panoramic city views, perfect for daytime refreshments and evening cityscape spectacles during the golden hour.

Two meeting rooms on the same level accommodate up to 30 guests each, with Meeting Specialists to ensure personalized, high-tech meetings with Wi-Fi and modern facilities. For fitness enthusiasts, the InBalance Fitness Centre offers free weights and modern cardio equipment. Worried about leaving your pet at home? Fret not as the

Elevating the Filipino hotel industry on global stage

THE Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) Philippines is the country’s premier organization of hotel sales and marketing leaders. It has grown to become a formidable organization of 140 hotel and resort properties nationwide.

Driven by its advocacy to empower Filipino hoteliers to become world-class leaders in the hospitality industry, this dynamic group has launched the country’s very first Hospitality Summit which will take place on October 12 at the Manila Marriott Hotel.

With the theme “Elevate the Game: Taking the Lead Towards Global Competitiveness,” the event will tackle relevant topics such as “Recovery in the Hospitality Industry,” “Developing Globally Competitive Filipino Hoteliers,” and “Consumer Behavior and Brand Management in the Digital Age.”

Some of the distinguished leaders in the country’s travel, tourism, and hospitality industry will share their expertise, among them, Jonathan Ravelas, a prominent private known for his extensive in the country’s economic landscape, and Wilma Estaura, Group Human Resources at Ayala and Resorts.

The day-long event will include panel discussions on “Globalizing Homegrown

Brands and Filipinizing International Brands,” and “Career Journey of Industry Leaders, The Lessons, The Wins and Everything In Between.” These segments will feature Sophia Hilario-Altamirano, Market Director of Sales, Distribution, and National Sales Office of Marriott Philippines; James Montenegro, Country Manager of Chroma Hospitality; and Cleofe Albiso, Managing Director of Megaworld Hotels.

Completing the panel experts topbilling event are Cathy Nepomuceno, Senior President and Head of Sales and Operations of Discovery Hospitality; Bruce Winton, MultiProperty VicePresident in the Philippines for Marriott International; Gindap

Senior VicePresident and Business Unit Manager of Robinson’s Hotels and Resorts.

Loleth So, HSMA President and Area Director of Sales and Marketing of Megaworld Hotels and Resorts, declared during the Launch that the organization is “excited to host this event towards giving the accommodation industry’s sales and marketing teams the skills required to manage the demands of the constantly changing industry.”

Ms. So is confident that, as the industry continues on its road to recovery, events like this can give critical insight to improve travel, tourism, and hospitality towards making it more competitive. The 1st HSMA Hospitality Summit is open to both HSMA members, who are entitled to a special registration rate of only P3500, and non-members at P4500. More information may be obtained from Riza Pangan at rpangan@ belmontmanila.com

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

YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE: GRANDMA: Back in our days, you could buy milk, soap, spices, eggs, and meat all for a dollar.

GRANDSON: You can’t do that now. They have CCTVs everywhere.

hotel has a Pawesome Staycation package, which allows dogs of up to two feet tall, and cats to join your stay. It’s even taking the experience up a notch as your fur babies will have their own bed and toys to enjoy and their own special play space at the Pet Qube located on the 11th floor

“As the appetite for staycations and travel have grown, Filipinos now have a fresh option that we are confident we will be able to give

them, courtesy of Accor and Century Properties’ combined expertise,” Marco Antonio, Century Properties Group, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer said in a statement.

“With this grand opening, Novotel Suites Manila is ready to transform every stay into an unforgettable experience, echoing the optimism of a nation poised for a remarkable rebound,” Antonio added alluding to Novotel Suites Manila’s grand opening this week.

Novotel’s all-day dining restaurant, Tempus offers breakfast buffets and a la carte lunch and dinner options

New era of travel innovation

AIRASIA Digital announces its transformation into MOVE Digital (MOVE), a rebranding that marks a new chapter in its next phase of growth through both its businesses, airasia Superapp and BigPay. airasia Superapp will also undergo a brand refresh and change its name to ‘airasia move’ as part of the ongoing transformation.

The visionary co-founder of AirAsia and CEO of Capital A, Tony Fernandes will assume the role of Executive Chairman of MOVE. He will play a pivotal role in driving the close collaboration between both airasia Superapp and BigPay to unlock the true potential and synergy of these digital businesses.

Tony Fernandes, Executive Chairman of MOVE said, “The name MOVE signifies us better as the digital arm of Capital A, and reiterates our commitment to move people, ideas and innovation forward within the travel space.”

“Imagine seamless access to travel and financial services on one single platform, with integrated financial features such as balance display, top-up and payments from BigPay and further strengthening the value proposition of airasia move as the travel app of choice,” Fernandes added.

HSMA President Loleth So spearheads the launch of the country’s first-ever Hospitality Summit