Manila Standard - 2023 October 3 - Tuesday

PH, US, allies kick off 11-day naval drills

By Vince Lopez and Rio N. Araja

President, VP’s approval ratings see steep drop in third quarter

By Charles Dantes

THE approval ratings of the country’s two top officials dropped noticeably in the third quarter of the year, the latest Pulse Asia survey showed.

From a high of 80 percent in June, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s approval rating dropped by 15 percentage points to 65 percent in September.

Vice President Sara Duterte’s rating fell from 84 percent to 73 percent in the same period.

“Although the President and the Vice-President continue to enjoy majority approval scores at the national level and across geographic areas and socioeconomic classes, both experienced significant erosion in their respective approval ratings during the period June 2023 to September 2023,” Pulse Asia said in its report.

Mr. Marcos’ biggest score loss came from Class E, the country’s poorest sector, where he lost 29 percentage points.

Senate, House performing well, Pinoys say in Pulse Asia survey

MORE than half of Filipino adults approve of the performance of the Senate and the House of Representatives, a thirdquarter survey by Pulse Asia showed.

Nearly half of respondents of the September 2023 Ulat ng Bayan survey also approved of the work of the Supreme Court at 49 percent, down four percent-

age points from 53 percent in June.

“While the national performance ratings of these institutions are essentially unchanged during the period June 2023 to September 2023, there are a few significant movements across areas and classes,” Pulse Asia said in its media

‘Jenny’

seen reaching peak intensity today

TYPHOON “Jenny” intensified while moving northwestward over the Philippine Sea, the state weather bureau said yesterday.

AIR ASSET. Canadian Navy frigate HMCS (His Majesty’s Canadian Ship) Vancouver carries the twin-engine CH-148 Cyclone helicopter while docked at Manila South Harbor’s Pier 15 on Saturday. The vessel will be part of the ‘Samasama’ (Together) maritime drills from Oct. 2 to 13, along with the United States Navy, Philippine Navy, and representatives from Japan, Australia, France, and the United Kingdom. Yancy Lim

DRILLS involving the naval personnel of the Philippines, the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, and Indonesia kicked off on Monday as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it could not commit to constant patrols in the West Philippine Sea unless it acquires more ships. between the Philippines and the United States— and the capability of the PN to fight a war will

PH BETS IN ACTION. Gilas Pilipinas guard Chris Ross gestures during their Asian Games men’s basketball match with Qatar, which they defeated 80-41 on Monday. Meanwhile, PH bet Eric Cray competes in the heats of the men’s 400m hurdles in Hangzhou in China’s eastern Zhejiang province. AFP

GILAS DUMPS QATAR, ADVANCES TO ASIAD QUARTERFINALS

Napoles dodges plunder rap, but guilty of 9 counts of direct bribery

By Maricel V.

Cruz

CONVICTED plunderer Janet Lim Napoles was acquitted by the Sandiganbayan in a plunder case together with a former party-list lawmaker.

Pair wins Nobel Medicine prize

However, Napoles and former Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) Rep. Edgar Valdez were convicted of nine counts of direct bribery. Napoles was convicted in 2018 for plunder.

She is serving multiple sentences from earlier convictions for plunder and graft charges related to the pork barrel scam.

Napoles is also still facing a slew of plunder, graft, and other cases in connection with anomalies in the use of

NOBEL WINNERS. A screen at the Karolinska Institute shows this year’s laureates Katalin Kariko of Hungary (left) and Drew Weissman of the US during the announcement of the winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm on October 2. AFP

lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel.

The anti-graft court meted out a fine of P26,996,700 to Napoles and Valdez as well as jail term of a minimum of

prices rolled back P2, kerosene down, diesel up

By Alena Mae S. Flores

OIL firms are implementing a mixed price movement effective 6 a.m. today (Tuesday) with a price rollback of P2 per liter for gasoline and an increase for diesel by P0.40 per liter. The oil firms also cut the price of kerosene by P0.50 per liter.

6 Navotas cops facing charges for teen’s slay

STATE prosecutors have filed criminal charges against six Navotas police officers implicated in the death of 17-year-old Jerhode “Jemboy” Baltazar.

In the charge sheet, Assistant City Prosecutor Arvin Carael and City Prosecutor Armando Cavalida named the respondents as Executive Master Sgt. Roberto Dioso, Staff Sgts. Gerry Maliban, Antonio Bugayong, Jr., and Nikko Esquillon, Cpl. Edmard Blanco and Pat. Benedict Mangada. The charge sheet was filed before the Navotas City Regional Trial Court.

Gas

Socorro members could lose homes

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE suspension of an agreement that allowed the suspected cult Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI) to use 353 hectares of land in Surigao del Norte as a protected area, could leave thousands of its members homeless because they had sold their houses to join the group.

A spokesperson of the task force formed by the mayor of Socorro town to investigate SBSI, Edelito Sangco, warned of a “humanitarian crisis” if the decision by the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to rescind its Protected Area Community-Based Resource Management Agreement with the group.

“They will have no home to go back

On the other hand, Duterte’s rating received a huge hit from Class ABC, Pulse Asia said.

Pulse Asia said the drop in their respective scores might be traced to the continued rise in the prices of basic commodities such as food and fuel.

The administration is facing key issues, including the rising tension in the West Philippine Sea, the rice crisis, inflation, and the controversy over its use of confidential funds.

The approval ratings of Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and Supreme Court Justice Alexander Gesmundo also slid down.

Zubiri tallied a score of 50 percent, six percentage points lower than his June approval mark of 56%, while Romualdez’s 52 percent approval rating decreased to 41 percent for a decline of 11 percentage points.

Gesmundo received a 34 percent approval rating, 10 percentage points lower than his June score of 44 percent.

The survey was conducted from Sept. 10-14, 2023 with a margin of error of 2.8 percent.

Earlier, the Pahayag 2023 third quarter survey showed that more Filipinos are dissatisfied with the administration, but not enough are leaning toward the political opposition.

The lobbying and campaigns firm PUBLiCUS Asia Inc., which ran the survey, said the poll reveals “a decline in the proportion of pro-administration sentiment, while anti-administration sentiments have shown an increase.”

While these were “notable changes in the political landscape of the Philippines,” these shifts “do not appear to have an observable impact on the leanings towards the opposition,” it added.

The survey showed that the proportion of respondents who expressed their pro-administration sentiments declined to 43 percent in the third quarter from 48 percent in the second quarter.

Anti-administration sentiments, meanwhile, grew from 18 percent in the first quarter of 2023 to 23 percent in the third quarter.

to because almost all of Sitio Kapihan sold their houses because their leader, Senior Agila, told them to sell all their belongings because the world was ending,” Sangco said in Filipino in an interview on TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

He said SBSI has 3,560 members or more than 1,000 families.

After selling their homes, SBSI members gave away 40 percent of their earn-

ings to SBSI leaders, Sangco added. He sought government and non-government help to reintegrate SBSI members into society. Sangco acknowledged that the local government did not have the funds to provide housing, but said it could not dodge the responsibility to do something about the “man-made calamity.”

The Senate is investigating SBSI for cult-like practices such as child marriage and rape.

The leader of the group, 22-year-old Senior Agila or Jey Rence Quilario in real life, denied that he promised heaven to his followers and hell to those who defied his orders.

During the Senate hearing led by Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Risa

Hontiveros, Quilario denied these promises, including his claims of being Jesus Christ, the messiah or a reincarnation of Sto. Nino.

Witnesses said Quilario also told his followers that a girl or woman should not remain single as she will not be able to board “Noah’s Ark.”

Because of this, upon reaching the age of 12, a girl will be forced into marriage.

Witnesses told the Senate that Quilario has been officiating weddings, conducting circumcision, and imposing punishment on those who did not follow his orders.

He disallowed children from going to school, saying “I’m God and I don’t study, what more you?”

Gilas five thumps Qatar, moves on to quarterfinals

GILAS Pilipinas moved closer to the 19th Asian Games men’s basketball medal rounds after a dominant 8041 win over Qatar in the qualification game for the quarterfinals on Monday at the Zhejiang University Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China. The Philippines will move to the quarterfinals against Iran on Tuesday at noon for a chance to improve on its fifth-place finish back in 2018.

The Philippines got off to a phenomenal start, with Arvin Tolentino’s triple pushing the first-quarter lead up to 29-8. An 8-0 run that closed the second quarter pushed the advantage up to 5723 entering the halftime break.

June Mar Fajardo and CJay Perez led the balanced offensive effort which saw seven Filipinos score eight or more points.

Fajardo, the six-time Philippine Bas-

assistance and disaster response tabletop events.

The exercises will be held at the Naval Forces Southern Luzon area.

DMW probing death of OFW in Saudi Arabia

THE Philippine government is investigating the death of a Filipino domestic worker who was found dead with stab wounds in Saudi Arabia, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Monday.

The DMW identified the victim as Marjorette Garcia, 32, a domestic worker deployed to Saudi in 2021.

The department, through its Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) are working with the Philippine Embassy as well as local police authorities in an ongoing investigation into the circumstances behind Garcia’s death.

Both MWO-Al Khobar and OWWA are coordinating arrangements as well with Garcia’s family for the return of her remains at the soonest possible time.

ketball Association Most Valuable Player, and his fellow San Miguel Beermen Perez had 12 points apiece. Calvin Oftana added 11 points, while Japeth Aguilar and Justin Brownlee contributed nine markers each.

Coach Tim Cone’s wards shot 51 percent from the field and shut Qatar down to just 21 percent. Gilas also dished out 21 assists in an impressive display of team basketball.

would be unrealistic.

“We assure them of our continuing support during their time of grief and in the ongoing investigation,” the DMW said. Vito Barcelo

Senate,...

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release.

be on full display in drills that run until Oct. 12.

Calling the drills “a beacon of cooperation and readiness,” Adaci said Exercise Samasama was aimed at enhancing interoperability and fostering regional cooperation among its participants.

“From territorial defense to countering transnational crimes, Samasama [helps] us to face an array of threats together,” Adaci said.

For the PN, Adaci said the exercise is a vital platform for capacity building and improving war-fighting capabilities in “various dimensions of modern naval operations from anti-submarine warfare, to electronic warfare.”

The drills enhance the Navy’s readiness to confront a spectrum of security challenges, Adaci noted.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) earlier said Exercise Samasama aims to further improve maritime integration and combined interoperability with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF), Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), and the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) through subject-matter expert exchanges (SMEEs) and humanitarian

It added that the French Navy and RAN will send personnel to join the SMEEs while the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and Indonesian Navy would join as observers.

Participating personnel for Exercise Samasama include 733 from the PN; 632 from the USN; 244 from the RCN; 169 from the JMSDF; 34 from the RN; seven from the French Navy; three from the RAN; two from the Indonesian Navy; and one from the RNZN.

Participating ships include the BRP Antonio Luna from the PN, USS Dewey and USNS Wally Schirra of the USN, RN’s HMS Spey, RCN’s HMCS Vancouver, and JMSDF’s JS Akebono.

Earlier, the Philippine Army and the Philippine Air Force completed a five-day interoperability exercise that stressed air-to-ground operations. The exercises ran from Sept. 25 to 30 at the 5th Infantry Division headquarters at Camp Melchor F. Dela Cruz in barangay Upi in Gamu, Isabela.

Meanwhile, the PCG said it can commit to increased presence in areas of the West Philippine Sea like Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), but unless it acquires more ships, constant patrols

Speaking to Radyo 630’s TeleRadyo Serbisyo, Commodore Jay Tarriela — PCG’s spokesperson on the West Philippine Sea — said the Coast Guard can conduct “regular but not constant” patrols given its current fleet size.

He said Coast Guard Admiral Artemio Abu has committed the PCG to ensuring the safety of Filipino fishers at Bajo de Masinloc.

“The presence of our vessels gives confidence to our fishermen to come here again,” the PCG official added.

A fishers group, the Bigkis ng Mangingisda Federation condemned Chinese incursions into the traditional fishing ground.

“We urge the government to level up its efforts in reclaiming what is rightfully ours by asserting Philippine sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea,” the group also said.

Tarriela said Monday that the Coast Guard fleet is too small to conduct round-the-clock patrols.

He said that the PCG currently only has three large offshore patrol vessels and 10 44-meter multi-role response vessels.

Ideally, he said, the Coast Guard should have at least four OPVs each to patrol Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and around three to five to keep an eye on the West Philippine Sea.

The Senate had a performance rating of 59 percent, down three percentage points from 62 percent in the previous survey.

The House of Representatives got an approval rating of 54 percent, down four percentage points from 58 percent in June.

Across geographic areas, the Senate’s rating went up 12 percentage points in Mindanao but dropped by 17 percentage points in the Visayas.

Ratings for the House, on the other hand, fell by 11 percentage points in the Visayas but rose by six percentage points in Mindanao.

The Supreme Court experienced an improvement in its approval score in Mindanao (+14 percentage points) but its Metro Manila rating fell by 14 percentage points, Pulse Asia said.

Across institutions, approval went down most among the ABC sectors.

Pulse Asia conducted face-to-face interviews with 1,200 representative adults from September 10 to 14 for the survey.

The survey has a ± 2.8% error margin at the 95% confidence level.

Pair...

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police officers, who were all assigned to the Navotas City Police Station.

The prosecutors said the accused conspired and shot Baltazar which inflicted gunshot wounds on the back of his head.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the decision to file a murder

case underwent a thorough process. “This was discussed in the DOJ and we had the information evaluated to ensure we file the correct case. We did not agree that this was a homicide case. The Navotas case was murder,” Remulla said. Relatives and neighbors of Baltazar as well as forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun were identified as witnesses in the complaint.

On Aug. 2, the police officers launched a pursuit operation against

a murder suspect when they chanced upon Baltazar who was then onboard a boat.

They then commanded Baltazar and his companion to surrender. However, the victim allegedly jumped into the river, prompting law enforcers to fire at him, which resulted in his death.

The police officers later admitted that Baltazar was not the suspect they were looking for but a certain Reynaldo Bolivar.

favorites, were honored “for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19,” the jury said.

“The laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times,” it added.

The pair will receive their prize, consisting of a diploma, a gold medal, and a $1 million cheque, from King Carl XVI Gustaf at a formal ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of the 1896 death of scientist Alfred Nobel who created the prizes in his last will and testament.

two years and four months to up to six years and one day.

In the complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by the Ombudsman, Napoles was accused of plunder through the use of her bogus non-government organizations.

The NBI said the bogus NGOs were used to channel lawmakers’ pork barrel in exchange for kickbacks.

Valdez was accused of allegedly receiving P56 million in kickbacks.

The minimum threshold for the crime of plunder is P50 million.

Napoles and Valdez were acquitted of plunder “due to insufficient evidence proving that they had, through conspiracy, amassed, accumulated and or acquired at least 50 million pesos of PDAF funds through kickbacks and or commissions,” according to the decision.

A 2016 ruling by the Fifth Division, which earlier allowed Valdez to post bail, said the prosecution only proved that the lawmaker received P2.6 million in kickbacks from a Napoles foundation.

The mixed movement followed the increase in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by P3.73 to P3.75 per kilo -- equivalent to P41.03 to P41.25 per 11-kilo tank -- effective October 1.

Petron Corp. also raised auto LPG prices by P2.09 per liter.

The Department of Energy earlier said oil prices may have a “mixed move -

ment” this week. “Prices are still volatile and we need to manage our expectations,” DOE director for the oil industry management bureau Rodela Romero said.

Romero said world oil prices softened due to the elevated interest rates, higher US dollar, and the relaxation of Russia’s fuel import ban.

“But the long-term reason for the increase is still the extension of the voluntary cuts of Russia and Saudi until the end of December 2023. Added to it is the fall

wan Strait in the afternoon.

Tropical cyclone wind signal no.

of US stockpile contributing to worries of tight global supplies and unexpected strong demand from China,” she said.

The average price for gasoline in the National Capital Region currently ranges from P62.30 to P89.95 per liter, diesel from P62.60 to P86.92 per liter, and kerosene from P80.25 per liter to P92.59 per liter.

The latest price rollback resulted in a year-to-date net increase of P17.30 per liter for gasoline, P13.40 per liter for diesel, and P9.44 per liter for kerosene.

Last year, the Medicine Prize went to Swedish paleogeneticist Svante Paabo, who sequenced the genome of the Neanderthal and discovered the previously unknown hominin Denisova.

The Nobel season continues this week with the announcement of the winners of the Physics Prize on Tuesday and the Chemistry Prize on Wednesday.

They will be followed by the muchanticipated prizes for Literature on Thursday and Peace on Friday.

protocols.

It is expected to reach peak intensity today, and may slightly weaken by late Wednesday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the typhoon will make landfall over the southern portion of Taiwan on Thursday morning then exit the Philippine area of responsibility over the Tai-

1 was raised over Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, northern and eastern portion of Isabela (Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan, Santa Maria, San Pablo, Tumauini, Cabaga n, Ilagan City, San Mariano, Santo Tomas, Dinapigue, Benito Soliven, Naguilian, Gamu, Quirino, Delfin Albano, Quezon, Mallig), Apayao, northern and central portion of Ilocos Norte (Carasi, Vintar, Burgos, Dumalneg, Bangui, Pagudpud, Adams,

Nueva Era, Pasuquin, Bacarra, Laoag City, San Nicolas, Sarrat, Piddig, Dingras, Solsona, Marcos), northeastern portion of Abra (Tineg, Lacub, Malibcong) and the northern portion of Kalinga (Balbalan, Pinukpuk, Rizal, City of Tabuk).

The typhoon was moving northwestward at 15 km/h, packing maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 190 km/h.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has already activated its emergency response

“We continue to coordinate with different agencies and our regional counterparts to prepare and provide ample response, ensuring that all necessary measures are in place from the national down to the local level,” Office of Civil Defense Administrator and NDRRMC Executive Director Ariel Nepomuceno said.

“OCD regional offices and the RDRRMCs are all prepared for this weather disturbance,” he added. Rio N. Araja and Vince Lopez

Lawmakers question P2.69 billion confidential funds for Davao mayor PCSO says new system to upgrade lotto operations

THE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Monday said it has launched its brand-new Philippine Lottery System (PLS), which is expected to enhance the operations of the government’s lottery games.

PCSO general manager Mel Robles and other agency officials, together with representatives from the Commission on Audit, witnessed the transition from the old lottery system to the stateof-the-art PLS at its command center at the PCSO Conservatory Building in Mandaluyong City on Sunday.

Robles said the PLS would bring a wide range of benefits such as the centralization of sales reports, generation of winning numbers, and more accessible validation of tickets which would lead to improved efficiency and transparency for both the PCSO and lottery players.

“The Philippine Lottery System Project is a testament to our commitment to innovation and providing the best experience for our valued customers... All lottery operations are now seamlessly integrated into a unified platform,” he added.

For the past two decades, the PCSO has used two separate lottery systems nationwide for its lotto outlet’s ticket-selling operations—the Philippine Gaming and Management Corporation (PGMC) system for Luzon and the Pacific Online Systems Corporation (POSC) system for Visayas and Mindanao.

Though the agency’s plan to install a centralized lottery system has been in the works for around a decade, it was stalled due to numerous unforeseen circumstances and the COVID-19 pandemic.

IN BRIEF

DMW warns of group luring Pinoys to work in Italy

THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) warned the public against a group of persons based in Italy who were luring Filipinos wanting work in Italy and being charged with illegal and exorbitant placement and consultancy fees.

The department said the group is preying on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are lured into non-existent jobs in Italy.

The DMW is coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila and the Philippine Consulate General in Milan (PCG-Milan), and our Migrant Workers Office in Milan (MWO-Milan) in the investigation of alleged perpetrator agencies and individuals both in Italy and the Philippines.

Nearly 100 OFWs have been victimized after the DMW received the complaints last week.

The DMW warns the public on offers of fake overseas job offers and the illegal collection of exorbitant placement fees.

“Through our AKSYON Fund, the DMW will put the full force of the law to bear on unscrupulous individuals and organizations and seek justice for victimized OFWs,” it said. Vito Barcelo

CAAP eyeing more modular airports nationwide

THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is planning to expand its modular construction system to two more airports across the country, following the completion of Borongan Airport in Eastern Samar.

The system aims to create more spacious, efficient, and passenger-friendly environments that meet international standards and accommodate the increasing passenger volume of airports.

The modular construction system, initially piloted at Borongan Airport, offers a sustainable approach to constructing terminal facilities with passenger amenities, minimizing construction waste and using pre-fabricated structural steel.

The additional modules will integrate seamlessly with existing structures, creating a cohesive and modern terminal space.

CAAP has identified two additional airports for the system: Laguindingan Airport, set to begin construction by December 2023, and Ozamis Airport, under consideration to augment passenger movement. CAAP Director General Manuel Antonio Tamayo expressed enthusiasm for bringing the benefits of the modular construction system to more airports nationwide, prioritizing sustainability in development projects.Joel E. Zurbano

Agents seize firearms, ammo in Marikina raid

THE Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) uncovered a cache of unlicensed firearms on Friday in an operation in Marikina City. CIDG operatives in collaboration with other police units swooped down on the residence and store of an unlicensed gun dealer which resulted in the recovery and confiscation of 26 long

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

HOUSE Deputy Minority Leader France Castro on Monday said the P2.697 billion in confidential funds reportedly spent by the mayor of Davao City over eight years could have been utilized more effectively to benefit the education sector, specifically by providing much-needed support to teachers.

Castro, of ACT Teachers party-list group, said these funds were spent from 2016 to 2022 during Vice President Sara Duterte’s term as Davao City mayor.

ACT Teachers stated the amount Sunday in a press statement and urged the Commission on Audit to thoroughly investigate how the funds were spent in Davao.

If allocated differently, Castro, nominee of ACT Teachers party-list group, said the P2.697 billion could have been

used to grant a P1,000 city allowance to approximately 17,000 Davao City teachers for more than 13 years.

“This funding could have greatly contributed to improving the quality of education by ensuring that teachers had access to essential teaching materials and resources, ultimately benefiting the learning experience of countless students at least for Davao City,” Castro said. She emphasized the need for trans-

parency and accountability in public financial management, such as “independent audit and oversight.”

She also urged government officials in Davao City and beyond to reevaluate their budgeting priorities and ensure that funds are allocated in a manner that aligns with the needs of the Filipino people.

Senator Risa Hontiveros meanwhile asked if China is also “taking over” Davao City as she noted that the Senate should look at the questionable P460 million annual confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) of the Davao City government from 2019 to 2022.

Hontiveros said this was based on the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA).

“While Davao City faces existing security challenges, are these challenges really so much worse than China’s incursions and abuses in our territorial waters?” she further questioned.

She noted this was in stark contrast to

the CIFs of big cities like Makati, Manila and Cebu which did not even reach P100 million.

She pointed out that public funds are not the automated teller machines (ATMs) of politicians.

According to the opposition lawmaker, there should be clear guidelines and limitations in the use of such funds.

She said the 1987 Constitution empowers local government units (LGUs) with fiscal autonomy, and LGUs are mandated to ensure peace and order within their jurisdictions. However, there should be a reasonable threshold on the amount that LGUslike national agencies- may allocate as CIFs, to promote accountability and transparency.

On the assertion of Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa that politics was behind the questions on the Vice President’s CIF, Hontiveros pointed out Robredo had no confidential funds.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 81, QUEZON CITY email address: rtc1qzn081@judiciary.gov.ph contact #86596451/091664532786/09985499862

IN THE MATTER OF THE SETTLEMENT OF THE INTESTATE ESTATE OF THE DECEASED, ELADIO C. ABQUINA, SR., PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATORS OF THE INTESTATE ESTATE AND ISSUANCE OF LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION, SPEC. PROC. CASE NO. R-QZN-17-12722 AMANDA B. ABQUINA and ELAINE B. ABQUINA-CACHO, Petitioners. x----------------------------------------------------x

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Letters of Administration having been issued in the above-entitled case in favor of Amanda B. Abquina and Elaine A. Cacho.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that notice be, and the same is hereby given to all persons having claims

CA denies NOW Telecom plea to operate

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Court of Appeals CA) has denied the petition filed by NOW Telecom Company asking for a provisional authority (PA) to allow the firm to operate mobile telephone services within its desired frequency range.

In its petition, NOW Telecom asked the CA to compel the National Telecommunications Commission to issue the PA.

In a decision dated Sept. 28, 2023, the CA stressed that NOW Telecom failed to show a clear legal right to the PA it sought and that the NTC had not neglected any ministerial duty on the issue.

“We should therefore refrain from intervening in the discretionary functions and prerogatives of the Executive department. Moreover, considering that NOW Telecom failed to establish that it has a clear legal right over the concomitant frequencies, this Court is powerless

to grant the remedy prayed for in the petition,” the appellate court held.

“Accordingly, the Petition for Mandamus (filed by NOW Telecom) is dismissed,” ruled the CA in a decision penned by Associate Justice Tita Marilyn B. Payoyo-Villordon with the concurrence by Associate Justices Myra V. Garcia-Fernandez and Walter S. Ong.

NOW Telecom’s petition was based primarily on the March 1, 2021 resolution and order of automatic approval (OAA) issued by the Antired Tape Authority (ARTA).

ARTA had declared that NOW Telecom’s application for PA to operate in the frequency range 1970 Mhz-1980 Mhz paired with 2160 Mhz to 2170 Mhz and 3.6 Ghz to 3.8 Ghz frequency ranges, was automatically approved by operation of law, particularly Republic Act No. 11032, the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.

NOTICE TO SUPPLIERS, CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANTS

politicians with alleged private armies, and some uniformed personnel from the police and military.

A criminal complaint for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition punishable under Republic Act 10591 was filed against the arrested suspect on October 1, 2023 at the Office of the City Prosecutor, Marikina City.Vince Lopez

THE US has provided P450 million to the Philippines as additional funding to strengthen the country’s disaster preparedness in vulnerable communities.

In a statement, the US Embassy in the Philippines said the new funding will come from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) intended to enhance typhoon preparedness and develop resilient strategies in Regions 5, 8, and the Caraga Region.

“It will also fund partnerships with the private sector to help ensure the continuity of businesses and other critical services, such as energy and water, after disasters,” the statement said.

Part of the US assistance also involves training personnel from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Department of Social Welfare and Development

(DSWD), and other relevant government agencies.

The US Embassy stressed that it will help them set up post-disaster logistics, emergency shelters, and emergency telecommunications.

“USAID will also work with local government units in Eastern Samar and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to set up referral systems for children’s welfare and protection during disasters,” the embassy said.

USAID Philippines Mission Director Ryan Washburn said the P450 million disaster fund for the Philippines reminded the US how vulnerable the many Philippine communities are to the impacts of natural disasters.

“We are proud of our partnership with the Philippine government to help the Filipino people prepare for and respond to disasters,” Washburn stressed. Rey E. Requejo

mariel.mohammad-sali@bir.gov.ph, marilyn.orapa@bir. gov.ph and bac@bir.gov.ph not later than October 9, 2023. For particulars, please inquire from the Procurement Division thru the BAC Secretariat at Telephone Nos. 8925-5275 or 8926-5547.

TERESITA M. ANGELES Deputy Commissioner Resource Management Group

O-1 /MRQ/MDVM/mcdm

CASH AID FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS. Senator Imee   Marcos visited Rizal Technological University in Mandaluyong City to provide financial assistance to 2,000 college students. Marcos and the Department of Social Welfare and Development have given P10 million worth of aid to college students in Metro Manila. Lino Santos

PNP sees smooth conduct of BSKE, rules out deferral

By Vince Lopez and Vito Barcelo

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP)

chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. on Monday expressed optimism that the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) would not be postponed in any area across the country.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) signed a memorandum of agreement to address vote-buying and vote-selling, which would provide complainants free legal representation and assistance.

“So far, we are not seeing any areas that would postpone.. All areas will be simultaneously doing or conducting the BSKE as scheduled,” Acorda said in a press conference.

He noted however that some areas needed additional deployment of personnel, like the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

IN BRIEF

Solon wants scientific crime probe process

BICOL Saro party-list Rep. Brian

Yamsuan wants law enforcers to get rid of “obsolete and unreliable investigation procedures” such as paraffin testing to make way for modern, science-driven techniques in gathering and preserving evidence in crime scenes.

To do away with such obsolete procedures, Yamsuan filed House Bill (HB) 7975 seeking to modernize the crime investigation methods of law enforcement agencies and put in place rigid standards in ensuring the integrity of evidence in crime scenes.

“Out with the old, in with the new. Our law enforcers should ditch outdated crime investigation methods and embrace technology and science in doing their job. This would not only ensure airtight cases against crime suspects, it would help build the public’s trust in police investigations,” said Yamsuan, a former assistant secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), which supervises over the PNP. Maricel V. Cruz

Bill eyes Kadiwa stores in all brgys

A CONGRESSIONAL leader on Monday batted for the passage of a bill to institutionalize Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita Stores at the barangay level, while providing better opportunities to local farmers.

“We have witnessed how these Kadiwa stores effectively help the public buy basic commodities at lower prices compared to those being sold in regular markets. The idea of having these stores permanently is a win-win solution to local suppliers and consumers especially now that prices of goods are on the steady rise,” House deputy majority leader and Quezon City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas said.

Vargas has filed various measures (House Bills 5878 to 5891) for the establishment of Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita Stores in all barangays of District V, Quezon City. He stated that this can also address some of the issues regarding food insecurity among Filipinos. Maricel V. Cruz

Adopt ‘blue economy’ policy—lawmaker

AGRI party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee is pushing for the adoption of a “blue economy” as a framework for safe use and sustainable development of Philippine maritime resources.

Lee stressed that harnessing the blue economy will “maximize the economic contributions of our seas while ensuring its responsible development to preserve it for future generations.”

Lee is the author of House Bill No. 8893 or the Blue Economy Act of 2023 which was approved by the House Committee on Economic Affairs on September 12.

The blue economy refers to a practical ocean-based economic model using green infrastructure and technologies, innovative financing mechanisms, and proactive institutional arrangements for meeting the twin goals of protecting our oceans and coasts and enhancing its potential contribution to sustainable development, including improving human well-being, and reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. Maricel V. Cruz

NO TO RUDE BEHAVIOR.

An employee of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board shows a sticker they post in buses and jeepneys against rude passengers and drivers at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange . LTFRB has a nationwide campaign against violence and sexual harassment in public areas, notably in public transportation.

Danny Pata

Marcos glorifies teachers, vows to improve their lives

By Charles Darwin

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday vowed to improve the teachers’ lives through the administration’s “Bagong Pilipinas” campaign.

In a Facebook post, Mr. Marcos paid tribute to the teachers, calling them the “heroes of children’s education”.

“As National Teachers’ Month comes to a close, we pay tribute to the heroes of children’s education! As we thank you for all that you do, we also continue to work harder to improve your lives,” the President stated in his post.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to enhance the country’s education system.

“The Marcos-Duterte administration will remain hard at work in addressing the needs of our schools, our teachers, and our students,” Marcos said.

President Marcos’ remarks came a day after he led another “Konsyerto sa Palasyo” dubbed “Para sa Mahal Nating Mga Guro” concert on Sunday to

celebrate the country’s educators.

Various teachers expressed their gratitude to the President, citing the concert as a “morale booster” for the education sector.

Meanwhile, Vice President and concurrent Education Secretary Sara Duterte hailed the President’s action in giving importance to the teachers.

“We thank all the teachers for their service to our country and we extend our support to them to be strong in the challenge of teaching our learners well,”Duterte said.

She reassured that the government, especially the Department of Education, fully supports the Marcos said he still calls female instructors “Ma’am” during his school visits even if he is now the Chief Executive.

“Until now, if I am talking to a teacher, I

still call her ‘Ma’am’. I cannot kick that habit anymore,” Marcos said in a pre-recorded address aired on Sunday night during the third installment of the “Konsyerto sa Palasyo” (Concert at the Palace) at the Malacañang Palace grounds in Manila.

The President watched the concert with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Vice President Secretary Sara Duterte, and Senator Imee Marcos, among others.

The free concert was specially dedicated to teachers and a huge contingent of instructors graced the event as they were treated to musical entertainment and got a chance to see President Marcos up close.

Marcos vividly recalled the time he spent with one of his first teachers in school, a certain Miss Reyes.

“Noong Grade 1 hanggang Grade 2, may teacher na ako ang naging teacher’s pet niya. Lagi akong tinutulungan sa pag-aaral (From Grade 1 to Grade 1, I had a teacher who made me her teacher’s pet. She helped me a lot in my studies),” narrated Marcos, a La Salle Greenhills alumnus.

Toward this end, the PNP and other agencies were discussing and making preparations to implement appropriate measures in concerned areas.

Asked about the situation in Socorro, Surigao del Norte amid reports of an alleged cult, Acorda said they were monitoring and planning appropriate deployment in the area.

“No less than our director for operations is in coordination with intelligence units and also with other agencies,” he said.

On September 28, the Comelec gave assurance that there would be no failure of elections.

They should be able to vote without pressure, no influence from others, but according to their will,” Comelec chairman George Garcia said.

“That’s the issue in Socorro and that’s the reason why Comelec is closely monitoring the developments in Socorro and likewise, the Senate hearing,”Garcia said.

As of September 20, the PNP is considering 246 barangays as election areas of concern under the red category, which will be placed under Comelec control.

A total of 44 incidents of violence suspected to be related to the upcoming BSKE have been monitored so far, the PNP said.

Six of these incidents have been validated as election -related, while 32 were validated to be unrelated to the elections.

BIR saddled by lack of professional employees due to low pay

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Monday said low pay is the cause of the lack of tax collectors, accountants and lawyers in the agency.

In a Senate budget hearing of the Department of Finance (DOF) and its attached agencies, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian cited the more than 11,700 vacant positions in the BIR, of which 7,700 remained unfilled.

“Is it an issue of process or issue on salary? Or issue of attrition?

Seven thousand is quiet significant,”

Gatchalian said.

He also inquired if the lawyers working with the BIR were getting lower salaries than lawyers working with other government agencies and the private sector.

BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui admitted they were having difficulty recruiting people, especially in the provinces due to small salary in the BIR as compared to other agencies of the government.

He said the starting basic pay for BIR lawyers was only P27,000 a month compared to entry-level pay in other agency like in the Civil Service which reaches P51,000 in a month.

“So these are the challenges that we’re having especially in the

Bomb stir halts Bicol airport operations

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Bicol International Airport (BIA) in Daraga, Albay resumed operations Monday afternoon after a reported bomb stir affected several flights, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said.

A Cebu Pacific flight at the BIA, which was set to leave for Manila, had requested security assistance due to a bomb joke, the CAAP said in a statement.

The BIA’s runway was temporarily closed as a precautionary measure, the regulator said.

Security personnel also screened the luggage and hand-carried items of travelers who had been deplaned

following the prank call.

In an update, the CAAP said the 130 travelers of the Cebu Pacific flight that reported the bomb hoax were already boarding for Manila. At least 10 Cebu Pacific flights were affected by the bomb joke, according to the CAAP.

It added that a Philippine Airlines flight en route to BIA had to return to Manila because of security protocols.

The CAAP is now “working closely” with the police to uncover more details of the incident. A person who makes bomb jokes or bomb threats in the Philippines could face up to five years in prison, a fine of up to P40,000, or both.

provinces,” he said.

He also noted that a lot of BIR employees would want to be posted in Metro Manila.

“That’s also problem we’re encountering,” said Lumagui, adding there are more unfilled positions for lawyers and accountants in the provinces,” he said.

As far as processes are concerned, he said they were cutting the requirements down.

He said they are trying to fix that as well by having their agency accredited with the Civil Service Commission so that the regions can also quickly hire without going through the process.

“In terms of appointments we’re doing things or we’re addressing that particular issue,” he further stated.

Lumagui told the Senate Finance subcommittee that they need support for salary adjustment.

He expressed belief that higher compensation would entice “talents” to join the BIR especially lawyers and accountants.

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Commitee on Ways and Means, manifested his support to increase the pay of BIR personnel. He aired concern that if the low pay will continue, they might resort to corruption and other illegal practices.

THUMBS UP FOR STATE SUBSIDY.

San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora takes selfies with some 1,500 tricycle drivers and operators following cash payout by the Department of Social Welfare and Development of the government’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program. Manny Palmero

BARMM governors hold projects assessment caucus

THE Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Governors’ Caucus (BGC) recently conducted a comprehensive survey in the BARMM, specifically Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, and Sulu. The survey aims to assess the state of development within the BARMM and identify pressing issues affecting the planning, budgeting, implementation, and evaluation of regional development projects in local government units (LGUs) in the region.

During the Council of Leaders meeting last August 9, a commitment was forged to provide a comprehensive list of development projects implemented by the regional government in LGUs within the BARMM.

Memorandum Circular 141, issued by the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), mandates the LGUs to submit their approved Annual Investment Program for the fiscal year 2024 to facilitate the alignment of plans at the regional level

The BGC instead suggested the establishment of a task force comprising planners and representatives from both regional and local governments. The task force will devise a bottom- up budgeting and planning process that promotes harmonization of regional and local government plans. What is crucial is the establishment of a planning and budgeting framework that receives full support and consensus from all major participants within the BARMM, including both regional and local governments.

CHRISTMAS DONATION DRIVE FOR WPS RESIDENTS. Senator Risa Hontiveros, along with other cause-oriented groups under the banner “Atin Ito!” holds a press conference to drum up wider public support for West Philippine Sea fisherfolk and communities at the disputed territory. The project aims to launch a Christmas donation drive for WPS fishermen and frontliners. Manny Palmero

PBBM actually walking on a tightrope

PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. is actually walking on a tightrope in dealing with the activities of China on the West Philippine Sea, Santa Banana!

PBBM knows well enough the provocative acts of China’s Coast Guard and marine militia at the Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and lately at the Scarborough Shoal, or the Bajo de Masinloc, both within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) will worsen the situation.

The Ayungin flashpoint at the West Philippine Sea and at Scarborough Shoal, which China claims its own and its sovereignty, also a flashpoint, are both critical.

And one misstep by BBM could lead to a China-Philippine conflict. However, so far so good for BBM, my gulay.

Marcos Jr. is fully aware that, with the presence of the rusty World War II vessel at the Ayungin Shoal west of Palawan and within our EEZ, what China is doing in blocking the Philippine Coast Guard vessel is actually taunting BBM’s resolve.

Similarly, what has been happening at Scarborough Shoal which China claims to be its own in installing that 300-meter floating barrier to prevent Filipino fisherfolk from intruding is clearly an act of provocation.

And, Santa Banana, since BBM had no choice but to order the Philippine Coast Guard to remove the barrier, China warned the country to “behave” since from China’s point of view, it is a challenge.

But, will China change its strategy of provoking the Philippines to commit acts that it considers a challenge to China?

I don’t think it will and that’s where the danger lies. With any misstep on the tightrope he is walking could lead to you know what.

The next $20 question, if and when BBM missteps on that tightrope he is walking on, will it lead to a confrontation between two superpowers, the United States and China?

And if there’s a conflict between China and the Philippines will the US come to the protection of the Philippines as provided for in the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty?

That’s the biggest question of all. Since that’s a speculative question, only God knows the answer, Santa Banana!

Sue for damages

With the frequent intrusion of China in the Philippines even to the extent of even intruding into the Exclusive Economic Zone of the country, there have been proposals for the Philippines to sue for damages, particularly with the devastation of corals at the Escoda Shoal and Rozul Reef and the recent installation of floating barriers at Scarborough Shoal within the EEZ off Zambales.

Why not? And the proper venue would be at the Arbitral Court at The Hague.

With the Chinese harvesting corals within the EEZ area off Palawan and the Scarborough Shoal, Filipino fishermen have been deprived of their livelihood. That means a big loss of money.

We can never underestimate the harm done by China with its frequent intrusion into Philippine waters.

The problem, however, is will China comply with whatever decision the Arbitral Court makes since China simply ignored the 2016 victory of the Philippines in that suit against the Nine-Dash Line claim of China at the South China Sea?

This is also a problem if the country will sue China’s 10-dash Line claiming the whole China Sea. a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Will the Philippines just grin and bear everything?

CIF realignment

With all the increasing threats of China within the West Philippine Sea and into the country’s EEZ, China’s bullying has become a sure threat to the country’s national security.

Strong message

Ergo, it stands to reason why government agencies involved in the surveillance and monitoring of these threats have become important.

Among these threats, it is but logical for both chambers of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives, to provide government agencies involved in the country’s national security, like the National Intelligence Coordinating Council (NICC), the National Security Council (NSC), the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. adequate funding, especially the socalled CIF or Confidential Intelligence Funds.

Thus, when both chambers of Congress, in line with the 2024 National Budget, decide to realign the CIF to government agencies where the CIF are needed, it’s only logical for Congress as mandated by law to appropriate funds of government to where the CIF are needed most to the prejudice of other agencies like the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education which have allocated CIF. The CIF for government agencies is needed most especially at this time considering how volatile China’s continued threats and bullying are.

Declining support

A newspaper last week headlined that a polling firm called Publicus Asia had found that sentiments for President Marcos Jr. had declined and that support for the opposition had risen.

Those who opposed the Marcos administration grew from 18 percent in the first quarter to 23 percent in the third quarter this year.

Pro-administraton had slipped to 43 percent from 48 percent.

Publicus based its survey on pro and anti sentiments on what’s happening and on the priorities of the Marcos administration.

This means the survey does not base its findings on the true sentiments of the people, which can change from quarter to quarter.

Nevertheless, the administration can tell what the people feel at the moment, but what the leadership of the administration should be concerned about is why there’s a decline of support and dissatisfaction.

What I see is the people are feeling the impact of the increasing prices of all commodities, primarily the increased prices of the main staple, rice.

On headwinds like the continued rising prices of fuel and gasoline which are admittedly beyond the control of the administration, people are feeling dissatisfied.

Surprisingly, while the pro-administration sentiments of the people declined in most parts of the country, in Mindanao there is continuous support.

This simply means the decline of sympathy for the Marcos administration is not a sure indication of dissatisfaction of/for the Marcos administration.

Recall that President Marcos Jr. got the majority support of the people during the 2022 polls. But, there is a lot of dissatisfaction in the air.

Biggest shabu catch

That reported P3.6 billion seizure of shabu in a warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga was certainly the biggest catch under the Marcos administration.

A total 530 kilos worth that amount in street value raises, however, the question. Was it smuggled?

Considering the amount seized, it can only imply the demand is still there.

If it’s true as suspected the shabu was smuggled through the Subic Freeport, it’s a sure indication it was the fault of Customs, and there’s need to further investigate.

Santa Banana, if that amount of illegal drugs can be smuggled through a well known port, it’s a sure indication that shabu is still smuggled and that illegal drugs are still in demand nationwide. This simply means that the problem of illegal drugs in the country is far from being solved, contrary to reports there are drug-free barangays nationwide.

WE AGREE the decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to knock down the floating barriers China placed at the entrance to Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea made ripples of a strong message this Southeast Asian country is ready to protect its rights over the area.

An academic, De La Salle University professor Renato Cruz De Castro, has said as much in a forum, where he analyzed the 65-year-old President has waved a policy that while the Philippines would like to have a peaceful and cooperative relations with its giant neighbor, “we will have to defend what we believe is ours.”

Truth is, the President himself has underlined the Philippines did not mean to create trouble but was only protecting the welfare of its fishermen in its maritime territory when it removed the floating barrier installed by China in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

We second what the President stressed before reporters in Surigao del Norte, that the area where the China Coast Guard placed the floating barrier is well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

“We are not looking for trouble. What we do is we will continue to defend the Philippines, the maritime territory of the

The President himself has underlined the Philippines did not mean to create trouble but was only protecting the welfare of its fishermen in its maritime territory

Philippines, the rights of our fishermen who fish there, where they have been fishing for hundreds of years,” said the President.

“Again, many of these are operational issues and that I really cannot talk about. But in terms of taking down the barrier, I don’t see what else we could do,” the President stressed.

“It’s not right to put a barrier like that as it is clear that it is within the

Philippines,” Marcos said partly in Filipino.

This was the first time President Marcos spoke about the issue, adding he was surprised by China’s latest action in the West Philippine Sea.

“As I have said, we avoid trouble, we avoid provocative language but we remain resolute in defending the Philippine territory,” he said.

The Philippine Coast Guard removed the 300-meter long barrier installed by the Chinese Coast Guard in the southeast portion of the shoal upon the instruction of Mr. Marcos.

Beijing, through foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, assailed Manila for removing the floating barrier, insisting that Panatag Shoal is Chinese territory, following its mythical 10-dash line.

“What the Philippines did looks like nothing more than self-amusement,” he said in a statement released by the Chinese embassy in Manila.

Panatag Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc is classified as traditional fishing ground of Filipinos in the 2016 ruling of the The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration on the case filed against China by the Aquino administration in 2013.

The ruling invalidated China’s massive South China Sea claim and reaffirmed the Philippines’ maritime entitlements.

Lagman’s politics of opportunism

ALBAY Representative Edcel Lagman seems to be the current, and perhaps the only available, talking head of the moribund and unpopular Liberal Party, which likes to label itself as the dominant opposition party. The LP may be a political opposition party, but it is not dominant. This spent political party is a ghost of its previous, abusive and corrupt self during the presidency of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, and Lagman is its occasional political apparition. Lagman was with the opposition during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte (2016-2019). During those years, Lagman made many sweeping, erroneous observations about the political situation. An example was in 2020, when the legislative franchise of ABS-CBN Corporation expired. ABSCBN expectedly applied for a new franchise but it was rejected by Congress.

I remember Lagman claiming in news interviews the decision of Congress not to issue a new legislative franchise to ABS-CBN amounted to an abridgment of the constitutional rights of free speech and free expression. Lagman spoke as if he was the embodiment of constitutional expertise.

It turned out that Lagman was wrong.

ABS-CBN management petitioned the Supreme Court for relief, but the high tribunal ruled that Congress cannot be compelled by the Supreme Court to issue a legislative franchise if Congress does not want to.

The Supreme Court also held the denial by Congress of ABS-CBN’s application for a new legislative franchise is not a violation of the Constitutional rights of free speech and free expression.

Since he became a politician, Lagman liked projecting the image he is against the martial law regime of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Information available online also states Lagman’s late brother Filemon was the founder of the Alex Boncayao Brigade, the urban assassination unit of the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

The LP has been an anti-Marcos political party

since 1965.

Thus, it was not surprising that after Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was proclaimed the winner in the 2022 presidential election, Lagman assumed the presidency of the LP.

That’s akin to a political counterpart of the conservator of a bankrupt corporation.

Why so?

Mar Roxas, the LP candidate for president in 2016, was soundly defeated by President Duterte.

Three years later, all of the LP’s candidates for senator were clobbered in the polls.

Eventually, the University of the Philippines, headed by its controversial president, Atty. Danilo Concepcion, donated hectares of valuable real estate in its campus in Diliman, Quezon City. Observers believe the donation is illegal, but that is a topic for another essay.

Last September, during the 52nd anniversary of Presidential Proclamation 1081, the official instrument by which President Marcos Sr. placed the entire country under martial law in September 1972, Lagman was in the news again. He was complaining about the lack of funds for the anti-Martial Law museum.

Lagman also said the anti-Martial Law museum “will constantly remind Filipinos of the atrocities of the Marcos Sr. martial law regime.” The traditional politician from Albay added the martial law era was a period of oppression, and was the darkest segment in Philippine history.

IN THE budget hearing, Vice President Sara Duterte underscored the critical necessity of confidential funds within the Department of Education (DepEd), citing the sector’s vital link to national security.

In her capacity as the head of DepEd, Duterte seeks ₱150 million in confidential funds to bolster the department’s operations.

Duterte refrained from revealing the budget breakdown but emphasized the presence of guidelines governing the government’s utilization of these funds.

In justifying for the inclusion of confidential funds in the upcoming year’s budget for the Department of Education (DepEd) during a budget hearing at the House of Representatives, the VP said the funds would be used to address issues in the education sector that required the help of the security cluster, such as the “sexual grooming of learners,” “recruitment in terrorism and violent extremism,” and “drug use of DepEd personnel. x x x

“These are not laid out for regular personnel to see; that is why we need the help of the security cluster and the security sector to address these issues and challenges to basic education,” Duterte explained.

Confidential Intelligence Funds (CIF) went

LP senatorial bet Bam Aquino, who ran for reelection, lost, while Imee Marcos, the elder daughter of President Marcos Sr., won as a neophyte senator.

By 2022, the LP had become so unpopular that to run under its banner was equivalent to a political death kiss.

Thus, LP candidates made one final, desperate attempt at recovering political power in the May 2022 national elections by abandoning the LP label and by running instead as “pinklawan” candidates.

That ruse failed to deceive the voters, and so “pinklawans” Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan, the de facto LP candidates for president and vice president, respectively, lost miserably in the 2022 elections.

In 2013, during the presidency of Noynoy Aquino, the LP managed to get Republic Act 10368 enacted. This law called for the construction of an anti-Martial Law museum.

Curse of confidential/intelligence funds

largely under the radar for an extended period, eclipsed by the more conspicuous PDAF/CDF.

This was mainly because the funds in question were not nearly as substantial as those currently making headlines.

In their inception, CIFs were created to meet genuine operational needs, especially within the armed forces.

However, the present-day confidential funds attracting attention differ markedly from their original purpose and objectives.

Confidential funds are used for “surveillance activities in civilian government agencies that are intended to support the mandate or operations of the said agency.”

While intelligence funds (IF) are for “intelligence information-gathering activities of uniformed and military personnel and [of] intelligence practitioners that have direct impact (on) national security.”

Both definitions are contained in Joint Circular

2015-01 of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of National Defense (DND), the Commission on Audit (COA), and the Governance Commission for governmentowned and controlled corporations (GOCC).

By their very nature, CF and IF are difficult to audit.

However, this does not imply the COA lacks its own mechanisms to oversee the utilization of

these funds, because according to former COA chairperson Grace Pulido Tan, “Intelligence and confidential funds should be used for intelligence gathering or the purchase of information…but these have to be within a framework of a peace and order and safety program,” Despite the confidential and clandestine nature of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF), a multitude of government agencies, including those without explicit mandates related to national security or law enforcement, persist in being allocated substantial CIF amounts totaling billions of pesos. The problem lies in the absence of transparency surrounding CIF utilization, which is enveloped in secrecy, and the COA audit has not been made available to Congress or the public.

Needless to say, CIF utilization breeds graft and corruption, such that the greater the amount involved the greater the corruption. Some have aired serious concerns over the utilization of these lump sum amounts which some have even likened to “pork barrel,” which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2013.

In Araullo v. Aquino, the Supreme Court ruled certain actions and procedures associated with the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), National Budget Circular 541, and related executive directives as unconstitutional.

The court justified this decision by invoking the principle of the separation of powers.

It specifically deemed unconstitutional the following actions: withdrawing unobligated allotments from implementing agencies, conducting cross-border transfers of Executive savings, and funding projects, activities, and programs not covered by appropriations in the General Appropriations Acts.

The transfer of P221.424 million, which included P125 million designated for confidential and intelligence funds (CIF), from the Office of the President (OP) to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2022, clearly constitutes a breach of the Constitution as well as the Court ruling in the above-entitled case.

Surely, the transfer goes against the fundamental

Further, Lagman criticized President Bongbong Marcos for supposedly keeping silent about martial law on its latest anniversary.

Lagman also accused the Marcos Jr. administration of engaging in political revisionism in an attempt to justify what Lagman called “the disgraceful history of the Marcos Sr. dictatorship.” If that is so, Lagman has to explain why his son and political heir and namesake, incumbent Albay Governor Edcel Greco Lagman, recently affiliated himself with the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, the political party of President Bongbong Marcos. Governor Lagman’s membership in the Marcos Jr. political party is a repudiation by the son of the statements of the father regarding everything about the Marcoses and martial law. It’s either that or the elder Lagman is surreptitiously betting on both the administration and opposition camps, which is Lagman’s politics of opportunism.

budgeting and governance principles outlined in Article VI, Section 25 (5) of the Constitution.

As noted in Araullo, the process of transferring funds is exclusively permitted through a procedure known as “augmentation.”

Nevertheless, this procedure could only be applied to pre-existing appropriation items that are insufficient.

If there were no pre-existing items in the budget, as in this case, the OVP (Office of the Vice President) for such purposes, then the OP (Office of the President) could not have the authority to augment any funds.

The way the money was spent last year is nothing but scandalous.

Whether it took Duterte’s office to spend P125 million in 19 or 11 days, that is still a staggering amount.

Of course compared to the nearly P3 billion spent in the same way in Davao City during a sixyear period, the “125 million is peanuts.

In this regard, I must praise the excellent fiscalizing work by the Makabayan legislators –Gabriela’s Arlene Brosas, ACT-Teacher’s France Castro, and Kabataan’s Raoul Manuel.

Together with Representative Edcel Lagman and Senator Risa Hontiveros, they have done a great service for the country.

Clearly, budgeting confidential and intelligence funds for non-security officials is a curse for this country. Like the pork barrel, it is time to abolish them.

Website: tonylavina.com. Facebook: tonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

The problem of illegal drugs in the country is far from being solved, contrary to reports there are drug-free barangays nationwide

confidential and intelligence funds for non-security officials is a curse for this country.

It’s either that or the elder Lagman is surreptitiously betting on both the administration and opposition camps, which is Lagman’s politics of opportunism

Moody’s Analytics expects inflation to slow down to 5.2% in September

By Julito G. Rada

MOODY’S Analytics, which operates independently of Moody’s Investors Service credit rating agency, said Monday it expects a slower inflation rate in the Philippines in September 2023.

Moody’s Analytics said in a report inflation in September might have slowed slightly to 5.2 percent from 5.3 percent in July. The projection was contained in its economic preview for the week.

Moody’s, however, did not provide the reasons for its inflation forecast.

SEC orders closure of 2 companies for enticing investors

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Monday it revoked the licenses of Commodore Agri-Ventures Holdings Corp. (CAVHC) and Champion Lifestyle Global Corp. (CLGC) for soliciting investments from the public without permits.

It said in an order the Enforcement and Investor Protection Department (EIPD) found that CAVHC was publicly offering securities to the public without the necessary license from the commission.

The SEC said that based on its investigation, CAVHC was enticing the public to invest in the company with a promise of 10-percent profit in a span of one to two weeks.

Investors will earn profits without doing anything apart from investing their money in the company.

The agency said that while CAVHC is registered with the SEC, it had not secured a secondary license that would enable it to sell securities to the public as provided under the Securities Regulation Code.

The SEC said CAVHC’s operations could be considered a Ponzi scheme where the profits or payout should be taken from incoming investors or additional pay-ins of existing members. The company also does not have any legitimate business where it could source its promised return on investments to its investors, it said.

Meanwhile, the SEC also revoked the license of CLGC for “serious misrepresentation of what it can do to the great prejudice of damage to the general public”, which is ground for the revocation of the corporation’s primary franchise of certificate of registration under Presidential Decree 902-A.

The SEC said it found CLGC to engage in the sale of motorcycles, which is in not in line with it primary purpose stated in its registration papers with the SEC, which is to engage in the business direct selling of food franchise, food supplement, wellness and beauty.

It said CLGC is only allowed to engage in business as provided under its articles of incorporation and is prohibited to operate an investment-taking scheme.

This was below the 5.3 percent to 6.1 percent estimate of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for August.

The government is set to release the September inflation data on Oct. 5.

The BSP said higher prices of fuel, electricity and key agricultural com-

modities, as well as the peso depreciation could be the primary sources of upward price pressures in September.

Meanwhile, lower rice and meat prices could contribute to downward price pressures for the month.

The BSP in its last policy meeting kept the policy interest rate steady at 6.25 percent amid the persistent elevated inflation.

It was the fourth pause for the year by local monetary authorities, but BSP Governor and Monetary Board (MB) chairman Eli Remolona said a rate hike “remained on the table in November.”

The BSP raised the policy rates by a

total of 425 basis points to 6.25 percent between May 2022 and March 2023, before taking what it called a “prudent pause” in the last four MB meetings.

The peso depreciation and higher crude prices in the world market lifted domestic pump prices in recent weeks, leading to petitions for transport fare hikes.

Electricity prices, however, remained stable, while food prices began to ebb following the imposition of rice price ceiling. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. rejected proposal to bring down the tariff on imported rice, citing the incoming fourth-quarter harvest by local farmers.

PH exports avocados to

By Othel V. Capos

THE Philippines launched its first export shipment of fresh avocados to South Korea on Sept. 30, 2023 in a ceremonial send off from the KTC Port Tibungco in Davao City.

The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), through the National Plant Quarantine Services Division (NPQSD), exported the maiden batch of Philippine Hass avocados to Korea following a series of discussions on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) concerns and the sustainability of the fruits export volume.

The Philippines exported an initial shipment of 3,040 boxes of the fruit valued at $48,433, which are expected to arrive in Pyongtaek Port, South Korea on Oct. 8, 2023.

It took the Philippines 15 years be-

Korea

fore South Korea agreed to accommodate fresh Philippine avocados into its domestic fruit market.

The BPI expressed its intention to export fresh Hass avocado fruits to Korea on Sept. 25, 2009, on behalf of Dole Philippines. The DA’s Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) of the Republic of Korea and BPI reached a historic agreement on June 19, 2023, which came into effect as of Sept. 8, 2023.

The Philippine government said it expects the milestone to be the start of a fruitful trade relationship between the two nations, complementing trade with fresh fruit exports.

The DA said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is committed to the acceleration of agricultural development by opening the country’s doors to Philippine fruit exports.

Alternergy raising P12b to fund two wind projects

By Alena Mae S. Flores

LISTED Alternergy Holdings Corp. said Monday it tapped three investment banks as lead arrangers for a P12-billion project finance structure for the construction of two wind power projects.

Alternergy issued the mandate to BPI Capital Corp., RCBC Capital Corp. and

SB Capital Investment Corp. after a competitive process.

The three investment houses will assist Alternergy in finalizing the terms and structure of the debt financing for the Tanay wind power project in Rizal province and the Alabat wind power project in Quezon province.

Alternergy won the Tanay and Alabat

wind projects with a capacity of up to 164 MW under the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Green Energy Auction Program 2 (GEAP 2) held in July. The projects are expected to be completed by 2025.

“Alternergy is delighted to work with these investment banks that will support us in expanding our green loan financing. We have been a longterm partner of RCBC Capital and equally excited to forge new partnerships with BPI Capital and SB Capital,” Alternergy chairman Vicente Perez Jr. said.

Alternergy established a strong track record of completing renewable power projects through project financing schemes since 2014.

“The total P12-billion mandate would be the largest project financing deal to be undertaken by Alternergy and we appreciate the support from RCBC Capital, BPI Capital and SB Capital to ensure that the transactions would yield the most benefit for the Tanay and Alabat wind power projects as laid out under the DOE’s GEA 2 Program,” Alternergy president Gerry Magbanua said.

PH stocks start fourth quarter trading in the red STOCKS started the fourth-quarter trading in the red as investors await the release of key economic data including the September inflation rate.

The main composite index slipped 16.71 points, or 0.26 percent, to close at 6,304.53, while the broader all-shares index lost 1.71 points, or 0.05 percent, to settle at 3,399.12.

“The Philippine shares were traded quietly to start the last quarter of the year as the country gears up for a fresh batch of data,” Reginal Capital Development Corp. head of sales Luis Limlingan said.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expects inflation to continue its upward trend in September from 5.3 percent in August on higher fuel prices and peso deprecation against the US dollar. Jenniffer B. Austria Japanese companies’ business confidence

up

TOKYO—Confidence among Japan’s largest manufacturers rose as business conditions improved for the second-straight quarter, a key survey showed Monday.

The Bank of Japan’s closely watched quarterly Tankan survey is considered the broadest indicator of how Japanese businesses are faring.

It reports the difference between the percentage of firms that are upbeat and those that see conditions as unfavorable.

A positive figure means more businesses feel optimistic than pessimistic.

Among major manufacturers, business confidence rose to plus nine from plus five three months earlier, the survey showed.

The headline figure—the highest level since June last year—came after the first improvement in seven quarters in July, and beat market expectations of plus six.

Optimism also grew among non-manufacturers, from plus 23 to plus 27, which was the sixth-straight quarterly improvement and the highest level since November 1991 and against market expectations of plus 24. AFP

UK invests $4b in nukepowered submarine project

LONDON—Britain has signed contracts worth 4 billion pounds ($4.8 billion) to finance a new phase of the SSN-AUKUS nextgeneration attack submarine project, according to government officials.

The deals, which involve British companies BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Babcock, are part of the AUKUS military alliance between the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom to counter China in the AsiaPacific region.

“(The) submarines will empower the Royal Navy to maintain our strategic advantage under the sea,” UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said at the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Manchester on Sunday.

AUKUS leaders unveiled the joint submarine project last March in a deal that will see Australia replace its diesel-powered submarines with nuclear-powered ones that have far greater stealth and range.

The plan involves Australia purchasing US nuclear-powered submarines, and then building a new model with US and British technology.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised it as “the most important multilateral defense agreement for generations.” AFP

Nation-building through good governance

IN A recent sales kick-off that our company conducted in Baguio City, we were privileged to have Mayor Benjie Magalong share about food governance as part of our Leadership Talk.

The talk included corruption, among others, as part of the country’s traditional politics. Corruption is a term I often hear, and after hearing Mayor Magalong spell out how government projects embed corruption, I am shocked about how little I knew about it.

During the talk, Mayor Magalong joked about the analogy between an ordinary and a political thief. In this joke, a regular thief will choose who to rob, while we are the ones who choose the political thief to rob us. We fight to defend our personal belongings from the ordinary thief, but we fight with each other to protect and defend the political thief. It is shameful.

So, how do we solve it?

Mayor Magalong admitted that he does not think traditional politics will change in his lifetime. However, he is encouraging everyone to participate in promoting good governance, no matter how small our actions may be.

In an article I wrote entitled, The Mission of Forming Lasallian Business Leaders, a critical realization I had in my DLSU MBA program is to shift my lens from how situations affect me to looking at myself as part of a community and how interrelated our actions are.

The shift of the point-of-view made me realize the effect of one person’s effort and how that effect multiplies as more people are involved. The change in the point-of-view is also actual for battling corruption in the country.

Mayor Magalong discussed a movement called “Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG)”. M4GG is an anti-corruption drive for local leaders who seek citizen empowerment, active political participation and inclusivity to curb corruption. I am inspired to know that we still have public servants who care about changing the deeply embedded culture of traditional politics.

In a world where uncertainty often clouds our horizons, the beacon of hope shines brightly through the principles of good governance. Good governance is not just a buzzword; it’s the foundation upon which nations and companies are built. It promises a better tomorrow, where equality, justice, and transparency prevail.

Good governance matters, and it ignites hope for culture and nationbuilding. Good Governance ensures that decisions are made openly, with information accessible to all. It’s the light that banishes the shadows of corruption and secrecy.

Leaders are answerable to their citizens and employees. It’s the assurance that those in power work for the collective good. Good governance encourages citizen and employee involvement in decision-making. The bridge connects leaders and the people, creating a sense of ownership in culture and nation-building.

Hope is not just a wish; it’s a belief in the possibility of a better tomorrow. Good governance fuels this belief by promising a fair, just and prosperous nation and organizations. Let’s champion good governance and light the way to a brighter future together.

The author is a recent MBA graduate from the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, DLSU. Visit her blog at https://leadershipgoals281954996. wordpress.com/.

The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty and its administrators.

South

after nearly 15 years of discussions

MAYNILAD SERVICES. West zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. offers free septic tank cleaning services to residential and semi-business customers this October in select parts of Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Manila, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Quezon City, Valenzuela and Cavite province. Maynilad’s sanitation program is part of its efforts to lessen pollution loading into Metro Manila’s river systems.

Weak peso, more borrowings raised gov’t debt to record P14.35t in August

THE government’s outstanding debt increased to a record P14.35 trillion as of end-August 2023 from P14.24 trillion a month earlier on weaker peso against the US dollar, the Bureau of the Treasury said Monday.

“The P105.28 billion or 0.7-percent increment from the previous month’s level was primarily due to the peso depreciating from 54.834 to 56.651 against the US dollar over the reference period,” the Treasury said in a statement on its website. It said of the total debt stock, 31.8 percent came from external sources and 68.2 percent from domestic borrowings.

Michael Ricafort, the chief economist of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said the record government debt could also be attributed to wider budget deficits amid higher inflation that also bloated government expenditures and higher interest rates that raised borrowing costs of the government.

“Tax and fiscal reform measures

would help narrow the country’s budget deficit and also curb the increment in the outstanding national debt, going forward,” Ricafort said.

Data showed that domestic debt as of end-August settled at P9.79 trillion, P21.24 billion or 0.2 percent lower than the previous month on large retail bond maturities.

New domestic debt issued in August totaled P229.29 billion with debt redemption of P253.43 billion, resulting in a net repayment of P24.14 billion. This was partially offset by the P2.90 billion incremental value caused by peso depreciation on foreign currency-denominated domestic securities.

The Treasury said from the endDecember 2022 level, domestic debt increased by P582.74 billion or 6.3 percent.

The external debt of P4.56 trillion was P126.52 billion or 2.9 percent higher month-on-month, mainly because of the weaker peso.

Julito G. Rada

2M SUBSCRIBERS. Converge ICT Solutions Inc. business center employees celebrate as the number of the fiber broadband and technology provider topped 2 million as of end-September2023. Converge recently expanded its reach to the mass market, offering a prepaid fiber internet product and a low-cost postpaid plan. It introduced its pioneering prepaid product Surf2Sawa (S2S), which has been attracting budget-conscious customers since its launch, evident with the 77-percent growth, or over 25,000 net additions it registered in the second quarter of 2023.

WB reduces PH growth forecast to 5.6%

By Julito G. Rada

THE World Bank on Monday reduced its 2023 growth forecast for the Philippines to 5.6 percent from the 6-percent estimate it made in June amid the elevated inflation and global economic slowdown.

“GDP growth in the Philippines is projected to moderate to 5.6 percent in 2023 from 7.6 percent in 2022 due to still-elevated inflation, tight financial conditions and a weak external environment,” said Ergys Islamaj, WB senior economist for East Asia and Pacific during the bank’s East Asia and Pacific

Industry

global growth. “So our projections [for the Philippines] reflect the slowing global growth [that] has slowed down financial conditions,” Mattoo said.

percent, bringing the average in the first eight months to 6.6 percent, above the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

the first half.

Diokno said a revision of the targets might be considered.

Economic Update online briefing. Islamaj said growth was projected to edge up to 5.8 percent in 2024, although slower than the previous estimate of 5.9 percent.

World Bank East Asia and Pacific chief economist Aaditya Mattoo said the big concern for most of the economies in the region was the slowing

“The good news for the Philippines is we expect the economic activity to be supported by domestic demand to be led by private consumption and decelerating inflation,” Mattoo said. Economic reforms implemented by the government would make it easier for foreign investments to come that would contribute to future economic growth.

Inflation peaked at 8.7 percent in January 2023 but eased in the succeeding months. The August inflation, however, picked up to a two-month high of 5.3

VICT CRANES. Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT), Australia’s first fullyautomated container terminal and one of world’s most advanced port facilities, will soon handle the largest boxships to arrive in Australia after the delivery of two new ship-to-shore (STS) cranes. The new automated cranes are the largest in Australia, with a lift height of 49 meters or 10 meters higher than the terminal’s five existing STS cranes. The 60-meter boom outreach enables the new cranes to operate 22 containers across on a vessel.

group expects

By Othel V. Campos

AN INDUSTRY group expects franchising revenues to rise 13 percent in 2023 to P30.5 billion from P27 billion in 2022, in anticipation of the contribution of local brands that expanded overseas.

Sherill Quintana, 2023 International Franchise Expo chairman, said more Philippine brands penetrated the global market in 2023.

“We are actually grooming 50 Philippine brands to go to 50 different locations abroad. These will add to the 20 brands that PFA has helped expand

franchising

The Philippine economy grew by 5.3 percent in the first half this year, below the government’s target range of 6 percent to 7 percent after a lackluster 4.3 percent in the second quarter.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said over the weekend the interagency Development Budget Coordinating Committee—composed of the heads of the Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management, and the National Economic and Development Authority—would meet this month to review the economy’s performance in

revenues to grow 13% to P30.5b in 2023

overseas,” Quintana said at a pre-event briefing for the upcoming 2023 International Franchise Expo to be held on Oct. 27 to 29, 2023 at SMX Convention Center-Manila.

Expo co-chair and Philippine Franchise Association director for advocacy

Richard Sans said more than 1,000 local and foreign brands would converge during the three-day expo.

“There will be 350 companies, representing 1,000 brands making this the biggest franchise show in the country. With new players joining the market, about 39 percent are new and unique

concepts such as breastfeeding centers, agriculture supplies, automated retail and convenience store concepts, kickboxing gyms, among others,” he said.

“The expo is a vehicle to promote the Philippines as an investment destination,” he said.

Sanz said the expo continued to draw crowd as 39 percent of exhibitors are new brands and 61 percent are repeat exhibitors.

The expo will coincide with the hosting of the World Franchising Conference (WFC) and the Asia-Pacific Franchising Conference (APFC).

The World Bank said growth in developing East Asia and Pacific would remain strong at 5 percent in 2023 but would ease in the second half. Growth is forecast to be 4.5 percent in 2024.

Improving external conditions will help growth in the rest of the region in 2024, but persistent domestic difficulties in China—the fading of the bounce back from the re-opening of the economy, elevated debt, and weakness in the property sector, structural factors such as aging—will weigh on growth in China to 4.4 percent.

2 major hydro power plants rising in Apayao

By Alena Mae S. Flores

PAN Pacific Renewable Power Phils.

Corp. plans to build two hydro power plants with a combined capacity of 400 megawatts in Kabugao, Apayao that would cost P41.65 billion.

Pan Pacific is developing the Gened-1 and Gened-2 hydro plants with a capacity of 150 MW and 250 MW, and project cost of P 19.8 billion and P21.85 billion, respectively.

“The Gened 1 and Gened 2 projects would have a sole purpose of power generation only and is expected to be a major contributor in the share of hydropower in the renewable energy mix of the Philippines,” the company said in a submission to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The Philippine Franchise Association (FPA) holds a media briefing to announce the holding of the 2023 International Franchise Expo on Oct. 27 to 29, 2023 at SMX Convention Center-Manila. Attending the briefing are (from left) FAP Expo 2023 overall co-chairman Richard Sanz, founding chairman and CEO of BBK Group; PFA chairman Sherill Quintana, founding president and CEO of Oryspa Spa Solutions Inc.; PFA president Sam Christopher Lim, CEO of Francorp Philippines; and FAP Expo 2023 ways and means committee chairman Dr. Ma. Alegria Limjoco, executive vice chairman of Francorp. Philippines and chairman of the board of Phoenix-Sibs Publishing.

Participating countries include Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the US.

PFA president Chris Lim cited data from the WFC country reports that the Philippines continued to lag behind its neighbors when it comes to overseas franchises.

“But we are undeterred with goal of binging 50 Philippine franchises to international markets. We just have to be constant with our aspirations and constant with how we do things,” he said.

GCash operator acquires ECPay from Globe for P2.3b

By Darwin G. Amojelar

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Monday it sold its controlling stake in Electronic Commerce Payments Inc. (ECPay) to unit Mynt which operates GCash.

The telecom unit of the Ayala Group said it signed an agreement with Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt) for the sale of its 77-percent stake in ECPay for P2.31 billion.

ECPay’s minority stakeholder, Payment One Inc., is also a party to the agreement, effectively making the transaction a full acquisition of ECPay by Mynt. Globe acquired ECPay in 2019 to enhance its distribution network. The ECPay platform enables merchant partners to process bills payments, electronic prepaid mobile phone top-up loading, electronic pins, e-wallet and cash card

reloading, airline ticket payments, online shopping payments and credit card payments in their various outlets.

“GCash’s meteoric rise to become one of the top fintech brands and the aggressive expansion of its financial services have created a perfect environment for strategic synergies with ECPay. Mynt’s acquisition of ECPay will enable more efficient and effective sharing of each other’s strengths and resources, thus creating a seamless and upgraded experience for their customers,” Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu said. The companies said that on the closing of the transaction, ECPay would have access to GCash’s platform, enabling it to better traverse the ever-evolving digital landscape, where GCash is a leader. Mynt is expected to better harmonize the capabilities of both ECPay and GCash.

The company said it conceptualized the projects to ensure energy security from the foreseen power shortage given the lack of additional generation capacity and expand the renewable energy to attain the target of at least 35 percent RE share in the power generation mix by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.

“The increased supply of renewable energy will lessen the country’s dependence on conventional fuels such as diesel and coal,” Pan Pacific said.

The hydro power plants are located on the Apayao-Abulug River about 16 kilometers upstream of Kabugao town. They are under the hydro service contract with the Department of Energy.

Gened 1 is in the development stage and already completed all necessary pre-development permits.

The project is undergoing intensive negotiations with the potential engineering, procurement and construction contractor who will construct the plant according to international standards.

The company said the provincial government of Apayao was pushing for the utilization of the ApayaoAbulug River as a source of clean energy and economic mover to sustain the energy demand of the province and improve businesses.

“The provincial government is also projecting an increase in revenues due to the government share and real property taxes from the renewable energy project that could be utilized for more livelihood, environmental and social programs to uplift the lives of the Yapayaos,” it said.

Watch out for Hidilyn Diaz in Paris: I’m getting stronger

By Riera U. Mallari

The Tokyo Olympics’ gold medalist placed fourth in the 59-kg division finals of the 19th Asian Games’ weightlifting competitions at XSC Gymnasium on Monday, but Diaz ain’t worried. “At the end of the day, ang Paris Olympics ang pinaka-importante. Patuloy ang ensayo para mag-qualify at para manalo sa Paris,” emphasized Diaz after her 223-kg total lift from the snatch and the clean and jerk event, ruled by a 20-year-old Kim Ilgyong from North Korea with a new Asian Games, Asian and World record total of 246.

Hometown favorite Luo Shifang placed runner-up with a 240, while Chinese Taipei’s Kuo Hsing Chun ranked third with 227 kgs.

But these lifters don’t scare Diaz, who is campaigning in the 59-kg division, four kilograms heavier than her gold medal-winning category in the Tokyo Olympics two years ago.

“Nakita niyo naman, nag-try ako ng 100 at 130, and it was my first time to try (those weights). Ganoon na pala ako kalakas, so malapit na ako sa top 5, top

6. Mga ilang kilos na lang,” said Diaz,

who didn’t have to take part in the Asian Games because it’s not a qualifying tournament for the Paris Olympics.

But she did, nonetheless.

“Gusto ko pa talaga sumali sa Asian Games kahit alam kong medyo (mahirap). Pero sa akin, kasi it’s good na may atletang Pilipino na naglalaro, at nagpapakitang, ‘uy malakas pa din kami, nandito pa din kami at hindi kami nagpapatalo kahit three weeks to prepare lang ito’. Kasi may IWF championship pa kami last three weeks ago,” said the Diaz, the oldest participant in these games at 31.

Another good thing derived by Diaz from competing in the Asiad is she now knows, where her current lifts stand and who to watch out for in Paris.

“China at Chinese Taipei ang malakas,” said Diaz, pointing out the run-

PSC chair Bachmann lauds PH athletes

By Peter Atencio

WATCHING the gold medal performance of Ernest John “EJ” Obiena has been a thrilling experience to Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann. Bachmann openly expressed satisfaction on the outcome of Obiena’s quest in the Asiad and the campaign of Team Philippines over the last two weeks.

“After eight days of competition from our Team Philippines here in Hangzhou, I am thrilled with the golden performance of EJ Obiena in the men’s pole vault finals last night (Sunday), winning the Philippines’ first gold medal at the 19th Asian Games,” said Bachmann.

Bachmann also applauded the rest of Team Philippines, which came up with 1-1-7 gold-silver-bronze medal haul for the country so far.

This includes Patrick King Perez of taekwondo for the first medal (bronze), followed by Jones Inso (silver), Gideon Padua and Clemente Tabugara Jr. in wushu.

Then, there’s Alex Eala and Nino Alcantara in tennis (two bronzes), along with the third place finish of Patrick Coo in men’s BMX racing last Sunday.

“There are many faces of victory. More than these medals that are a testament to their talent and determination, let us also celebrate the achievement all our competing athletes, and continue our support as they inspire us all with their remarkable performances,” a dded Bachman.

ner-up and third placer here.

The Asiad champion Kim is not a concern. Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella doubts her participation in the Olympics as North Korea doesn’t comply with doping rules and regulations of the International Weightlifting Federation.

Diaz needs to join two World Cup competitions in the next few months, the first in Qatar in December, and then in Thailand in February, to secure a place in the Paris Games, slated from July to August, 2024.

“Mayroon pang Asian Championship, pero depende pa kung gusto naming puntahan,” added Diaz, who plans to train soon for the Qatar World Cup.

Before leaving the Mixed Zone, Diaz sent this parting shot to her rivals: Hintayin niyo ako sa Paris.

Paalam faces world champ in quarterfinals

HANGZHOU—Carlo Paalam hopes to follow fellow Olympian Eumir Marcial in the boxing semifinals of the 19th Asian Games, but will be up against a tough opponent in reigning world c hampion Carlo Khalokov Abdumalik of Uzbekistan in Tuesday’s quarterfinal ro und.

Paalam climbs the ring against the 23-year-old Uzbek at 7:30 p.m. at the Hangzhou gymnasium.

The Tokyo silver medal winner needed to dispatch Uulu Munarbek Seiitbek of Kyrgystan in the Round-of-16 by the scor e of 4-1 to reach the quarterfinals. Seiitbek, 27, was bronze medalist in the last World Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Now, Paalam will have to go through no

less than the gold medal winner himself in a bid to join Marcial in the semis.

“Halos lahat sila sa division namin magaling,” admitted the 25-year-old Filipino of the stacked roster in the men’s 57 kg class where is fighting for the first time.

Daunting the task may be, but head coach Ronald Chavez likes the chances of Paalam opposite Khalokov.

“Kaya ni Carlo talunin yan,” said Chavez, unmindful of the fact Paalam is the shortest in his division given that he moved up from 54 kg where he won a silver in the Olympics.

Marcial, 27, already booked a berth in the semis on Sunday after demolishing Weerapong Jongjoho of Thailand in the second round of the men’s 80 kg.

Superlek seeks showdown with Haggerty

ONE Flyweight Kickboxing

World Champion Superlek “The Kicking Machine” Kiatmoo9 scored his biggest win inside the ONE Championship ring after beating ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon last week.

Now he’s targeting a move to the bantamweight division to challenge divisional Muay Thai king Jonathan “The General” Haggerty. Haggerty moved up to bantamweight and beat the legendary Nong-O Hama, making him one of the most sought after fighters in the promotion.

But not everyone has been happy

with the way he’s been acting. In fact, Superlek feels that the Englishman’s getting ahead of himself.

“He’s bold, full of ambitions, and he has a sharp tongue. He thinks now he’s a superstar and he has the right to look over me,” he said.

“Because it’s not only me who wants to challenge for his belt, he’d rather not waste his time looking at me.”

Superlek actually has a win over Haggerty in the latter’s home country. He beat “The General,” but he’s not happy with how it turned out. That match was halted in the second round owing to cuts on Haggerty’s face, giving Superlek the stoppage win back in 2018.

Pirates take on Stags, eye 4-0 slate

THE Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates, who last had a perfect elimination round record six years ago, is still far from duplicating what they did in that Season 93.

But the Pirates hope to remain unbeaten when they play their fourth game against the San Sebastian Stags at 4 p.m. Tuesday when the 99th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament resumes at the FilOil-EcoOil Arena in San Juan.

The Pirates have shown the depth of their bench in each of the three games that they have won, with JM Bravo, John Barba, Enoch Valdez, and Shawn Umali impressing their opponents on separate occasions.

Seeing how Haggerty has improved since that fight five years ago, Superlek wants to test just how much better Haggerty has gotten.

“I want to fight Jonathan again because in our last match, even though I won it [left] some doubt. And when he moved up to the bantamweight division, he beat NongO and became the world champion,” he said.

“That gave me my urge to fight him in his stronger version. There’s nothing personal, it’s not about, ‘I want revenge for Nong-O.’ I just want to fight him to prove that I’m better than him and this time I’ll leave no doubt.”

Coach Gilbert Malabanan said the team’s unpredictability and depth have so far given them a good start.

“’Yung sinabi ko last season hanggang ngayon, my team is very unpredictable. Hindi mo talaga alam sinong puputok sa team na ito,” Malabanan said after the Pirates got away with a 76-73 beating of the University of Perpetual Help Altas, 76-73.

Earlier, the Perpetual Help Altas will seek their first win when they play the Arellano University Chiefs at 2 p.m.

In their last game, it was Vince Cunanan’s turn to shine.

He scored only seven points, but he sank two winning charities in the last seven seconds for the Pirates in their stirring win over the Altas.

Peter Atencio

HANGZHOU—Let this be a warning to the big guns of her weight class—Hidilyn Diaz is getting stronger.

PSC chairman Richard Bachmann

Carlo Paalam

Superlek

Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz easily makes her first lift in the snatch competitions of the 19th Asian Games at the XSC Gymnasium in Hangzhou.

NBA‘s Celtics land ex-Bucks guard Holiday from Portland W

ASHINGTON—Responding to the blockbuster NBA trade that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee, the Boston Celtics obtained former Milwaukee guard Jrue Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers in a trade deal on Sunday.

The Celtics confirmed they are sending guard Malcolm Brogdon, center Robert Williams, a 2024 first-round NBA Draft pick obtained from Golden State and a 2029 first-round selection to the Trail Blazers for Holiday.

“The Holiday season came early this year,” the Celtics posted. “Welcome to Boston @Jrue_Holiday11.”

Alvarez gets 3rd straight bout at ONE Friday Fights

TEAM Lakay’s Carlos Alvarez is gearing up for another thrilling showdown as he prepares to step inside the ring on October 6 at ONE Friday Fights 36.

The 24-year-old phenom from Baguio City, Benguet is set to square off against Thai-French debutant Title Chai in a three-round featherweight contest.

Alvarez has been nothing short of sensational since making his debut under the ONE Friday Fights umbrella earlier this year.

“The Limitless” began his journey with a bang this past April, putting away Reza Abasi with ease to claim a secondround TKO victory.

But he didn’t stop there. In July, the Team Lakay standout authored the perfect follow-up, submitting Sadegh Ghasemi with a D’arce choke in the second round to improve his overall record to 3-0 with a 100-percent finishing rate.

With two impressive wins in The Home of Martial Arts, Alvarez is now looking to push the envelope by taking on his toughest challenge yet in Chai.

Chai holds a win-loss slate of 3-1, which includes a victory each by knockout and submission.

Furthermore, the Thai-French newcomer is the understudy of retired ONE athlete Mehdi Zatout, which suggests that he

PH shooters continue bid for berths in Olympics

By Peter Atencio

THE search for qualifying points and slots for the 2024 Paris Olympics continues immediately for two of the country’s top female shooters, Amparo Acuna and Franchette Quiroz.

Acuna and Quiroz will now head for the 15th Asian Shooting Championship 2023 in two weeks following their satisfying trip and stint in the 19th Asian Games in Huangzhou, China.

Both will now prepare for the competitions slated from October 22 to November 2 in Changwon, Korea.

The top shooters from across Asia compete in the many events for two weeks and with two slots offered in 12 events.

“Our Asian rankings should improve with our with our participation in the Asian Games. This helped us (Asian Games),” said Acuna, who is coached by Julius Valdez.

Acuna came near a national record again when she hit 578 points in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women’s Qualifications last week during the Asiad.

This was five points short of the 583 points she Acuna set last June during the final leg of the Asian Games Qualifying season at the Philippine Marine Shooting Range in Taguig.

Following her stint in the Asiad, Acuna has moved up a notch up as she is now no. 152 in the Olympic qualification rankings (from 153) in the 50-meter rifle, 3-prone position.

But Acuna, who remained at no. 175 in the 10-meter air rifle event, is hopeful of earning Olympic qualification points with her showing.

Acuna came close to Philippine mark when she fired a total of 618 points in qualification round to finish at 42nd place in the women’s 10-meter rifle event.

possesses a strong striking background.

It is a crucial juncture for Alvarez as he aims to prove his mettle once more and ascend to the grand stage of ONE Championship by securing a third-straight victory.

The Celtics answered the challenge issued by Milwaukee last Wednesday when the Bucks acquired superstar guard Lillard as part of a three-team deal with Phoenix that sent 33-year-old Holiday to the Trail Blazers. Holiday is a two-time NBA AllStar and five-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection who played a key role in Milwaukee’s 2021 championship run, the first NBA crown for the Bucks in 50 years.

“We’re excited to see Jrue in a Celtics uniform,” Celtics president of basketball ope rations Brad Stevens said. “He plays the game with a great competitive character and his impact on and off the court has been felt everywhere throughout his career.”

When Milwaukee swung the deal for Lillard, Las Vegas oddsmakers moved the Bucks into a most fancied role among title contenders for the upcoming season, leapfrogging the Celtics.

Boston’s response figures to add to Eastern Conference tensions even more with Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo having said how sad he was to lose Holiday even as his team was adding a top playmaker in Lillard.

Holiday won the NBA’s Teammate of

Carlos Alvarez

the Year award in three of the past four seasons from player voting, took the NBA Sportsmanship award in 2021 and won this year’s ESPY Sports Humanitarian Award for community charity efforts.

Holiday averaged 19.3 points, 7.4 assists, a career-high 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals a game last season for Milwaukee in his 14th NBA campaign.

Holiday time in Boston

In Boston’s lineup, Holiday likely will fill the starting point guard role that previously had belonged to Marcus Smart, who was traded to Memphis in a threeteam off-season deal that also brought giant Latvian power forward Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics.

Add them to the NBA’s top-scoring duo in swingman Jaylen Brown and forward Jayson Tatum and Boston will be a formidable rival for Milwaukee in the East.

Holiday and Tatum were teammates on the US gold medal team at the Tokyo Olympics.

The Bucks will visit Boston on November 22 and March 20 while the Celtics play in Milwaukee on January 11 and April 9.

Philadelphia center Joel Embiid, the Cameroonian star who won the NBA Most Valuable Player award last season, posted on social media: “This off-season was fun lmao.”

The 76ers haven’t swung a major offseason deal but still have guard James Harden, who has asked for a trade. The Sixers were unable to find a deal that worked well enough to move him. AFP

GA20: Smart Giga Arena’s Key to Ultimate Battleground Championships

IN an exciting development for the gaming community, Smart Communications, Inc., together with grassroots esports powerhouse Dark League Studios, is all set to revolutionize the esports scene with Smart Giga Arena and the upcoming launch of the Ultimate Battleground Championships.

With the Ultimate Battleground Championships, Smart Giga Arena is poised to become the country’s largest grassroots esports portal, hosting m ultiple game titles and offering substantial prize pools.

“This groundbreaking initiative aims to provide Filipino gamers with an unparalleled platform to showcase their skills and passion for competitive gaming,” said AC Valdenor, CEO of Dark League Studios.

At the heart of Smart Giga Arena’s accessibility

lies the new GA20 load purchase. For P20, Smart subscribers will receive two Smart Giga Arena tickets and 100MB of mobile data, and these grant them entry to the highly anticipated Ultimate Battleground Championships.

“The Ultimate Battleground Championships promise to be a gaming extravaganza like no other, boasting of diverse range of game titles, substantial prize pools up for grabs, and the chance to compete in an onsite setup,” Valdenor said.

“lt will cater to a wide array of gaming enthusiasts, ensuring that everyone can participate in their favorite digital battleground,” Valdenor added.

Smart Giga Arena’s Ultimate Battleground Championships aim to provide a platform for competitive gaming and foster a thriving esports community,

bringing gamers from all walks of life together.

The portal seeks to create a supportive environment where players can learn, grow, and connect with fellow enthusiasts.

From popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), Call of Duty: Mobile (CODM), and the rising star mobile FPS game, Farlight84, and more to come, the Ultimate Battleground Championships have something for every competitive mobile gamer.

With the launch of the Ultimate Battleground Championships and the introduction of the GA20 load purchase, Smart Giga Arena envisions to firmly establishing itself as a driving force in the Philippine esports landscape.

Youngsters take spotlight as JPGT finals get under way

SIXTY-ONE youngsters from four age-group categories ranging from 9-10 to 15-18 set out for a day-long battle of talent and skills in fun atmosphere with accent on the knack to withstand the challenges at The Country Club in Laguna.

The ICTSI Junior PGT Series winds up its inaugural season Tuesday, Oct. 3 at the TCC where the talent-search was launched last January with eight titles in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions to be disputed over 18 holes of stroke play under the Modified Stableford (Molave) scoring system.

But more than the bragging rights as the first champions of the pioneering series put up by ICTSI, the finalists, including 19 hopefuls from the JPGT VisMin Series, are already deemed winners just being able to compete and experience playing in the series which recognizes and nurtures young talents and develops their characters.

“I’d like to thank ICTSI and its staff for the experience I gained in the series. It’s very challenging. I have no expectations to emerge as overall champion. I only need to stay focused on every game and round,” said girls’ 9-10 class elims topnotcher Quincy Pilac in Filipino. “For the

finals, I worked on my short game, especially putting.”

Pilac will go up against Makayla Verano, Cailey Gonzales, Georgina Handog and Maurysse Abalos and VisMin top bets Zuri Bagaloyos, Rafella Batican and Eliana Dumalaog.

Race Manhit, on the other hand, is the marked player in the youngest boys’ division of the series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. after nipping Ryuji Suzuki and Vito Sarines in the countback to clinch the top spot in the elims. Jacob Casuga and Luis Espinosa complete the cast spiced up by VisMin bets Jared Saban, Franco Qiu and Mico Woo.

“I enjoyed playing in the JPGT and it was my first time to participate in a drive, chip and putt tournament which taught me to focus on accuracy vs sheer strength. I was also able to appreciate the training when I played in 18-hole tournaments,” said Manhit, adding that the opportunity to play in the series also made them feel like real pros.

Manhit worked extra hard in the run-up to the national finals, saying: “The game plan is practice, practice and practice. I need to play smart especially at the TCC.

I’m sure the finals will be init will be fun.”

Meanwhile, out to foil Villaroman are Alonso Mark Kobayashi, Rafael Mañaol and David Serdenia and VisMin finalists Zeus Sara, Simon Wahing and Ken Zonio while Lee brims with confidence as she faces Angelica Bañez, Lia Duque and VisMin topnotcher accion.

“In this series, I was able to improve my game and become a better player. I had a lot of fun playing here and I love that JPGT really supports the players,” said Lee, who also saw action in some legs of the just-concluded Ladies Philippine

Meanwhile, battling it out for the 11-12 titles are Mona Sarines, Precious Zaragosa, Lisa Sarines, Tiffany Bernardino and Althea Bañez, along with VisMin finalists Johanna Uyking, Britanny Tamayo and Kimberly Barroquillo (girls) and Javi Bautista, Aenzo Sulaik, Jacobo Gomez, Matteo Gallardo and Lujo Gomez, along with Ralph Batican, Blademher Estologa and Marcus Duenas.

Jrue Holiday is a two-time NBA All-Star and five-time NBA AllDefensive Team selection who played a key role in Milwaukee’s 2021 championship run, the first NBA crown for thae Bucks in 50 years.

The future of Philippine golf is in good hands with Race Manhit leading a growing list of kids getting involved competitively in the sport.

PARAMOUNT’S new kids’ movie Paw Patrol 2: The Mighty Movie bounded to the top of the North American box office this weekend, with a tail-wagging take estimated at $23 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

The film has the hard-working Paw Patrol pups – now endowed with superpowers –fighting again to save Adventure City. Voice actors include Taraji P. Henson, Chris Rock, Serena Williams, and McKenna Grace

In second place for the Friday-throughSunday period was another new release, Lionsgate horror film Saw X . It sold an estimated $18 million in tickets, not a bad weekend for a film made for just $13 million.

The film is the first in the violencefilled Saw series to score overwhelmingly positive reviews, according to Variety Tobin Bell, as the infamous Jigsaw, this time kidnaps doctors as he takes on greedy medical con artists.

New 20th Century sci-fi thriller The Creator came in third, at $14 million. Its of-the-moment setting: a world where humans are at war with artificial intelligence.

John David Washington plays a special agent sent to kill the titular Creator. G emma Chan, Ken Watanabe, and Allison Janney also star.

In fourth was the box office leader of the past three weekends, The Nun II from Warner Bros., at $4.7 million. This Conjuring series spinoff stars Taissa Farmiga in a tale of Gothic horror.

And in fifth was another new release, Fathom Events’ faith-based The Blind , at $4.1 million. Set in the Louisiana swamps in the 1960s, it portrays the real-life struggles of Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson with addiction and romance. AFP

Why Korean star Lee Seung-Gi keeps on coming back to the Philippines

By Nickie Wang

LAST month, South Korean actor-singer Lee Seung-gi graced the shores of the Philippines once again. This time, it was for a charity event organized by the LCS Group at Robinsons Magnolia.

The event, aptly dubbed #LoveYouBack, brought together Lee Seung-gi’s Filo Airens and celebrated his unwavering commitment to making a difference.

The main highlight of the event was the charming presence of Lee Seung-gi and the genuine goodwill he exuded. He rolled up his sleeves and joined the efforts to distribute packed meals from bb.q Chicken and other goodies to 200 underprivileged

children from Quezon City.

“It wasn’t merely a celebrity appearance; it was an embodiment of love in action,” the event host noted. For Lee Seung-gi, this visit marked a return to a place that has become somewhat of a second home. His last trip to the Philippines was in May 2023 when he graced fans with a one-night show as part of the 2023 Lee Seung-gi Tour [Boy Walks the Road-Chapter 2] Asia Tour

“It was about a deeper connection with a country and its people,” the host said alluding to the purpose of the event.

During a brief moment when he sat down to answer a few selected questions from the media, the topic naturally gravitated toward his future projects. In his native Korean, he revealed, “As of now, there’s no drama. But there’s a lot of things coming in.”

What really intrigued everyone was the question of why he keeps coming back to the Philippines. In response, the 36-year-old superstar, with a sincere smile, said, “It’s the love I get from people every time I come here. So every time I get busy and I get reminded by the people’s warm reception, it makes me want to come back to the Philippines.” Lee Seung-gi’s recurring visits aren’t merely about professional commitments; they are about nourishing a profound connection with a nation known for its hospitality and passionate fanbase.

Carla Abellana embraces new life changes

By Angelica Villanueva

ACTRESS Carla

Abellana revealed that she has already forgiven her ex-husband Tom Rodriguez, stating that she is now happy and at peace. The 37-year-old actress shared during the press conference of her contract signing with All Access to Artists Inc. on Tuesday, September 26, that she has also moved on from that chapter of her life.

“It’s been a while.

Definitely, I’ve moved on.

I’ve closed that chapter in my life, and I am happy where I am now,” said Carla.

“I’m more at peace, and you cannot attain that peace without being able to forgive. I’ve also moved to my new house and I’m happy with my pet dogs,” she added.

Carla also admitted that she is ready and prepared if she ever runs into her ex-reel and real partner.

“Since we’re in the same industry, as artists, especially since we’re both in GMA, it’s inevitable. Of course, I’ve already thought about it. I’ve also prepared myself for it,” Carla stated.

“But I think I won’t feel anything if ever that happens. If that day comes, I believe it’s already in the past,” she continued.

Carla also mentioned that she’s now

confident seeing the Kapuso actor without experiencing panic, fear, or sadness.

“I’m professional when it comes to work. So, if we’re in the same studio or show, and he’s there, I don’t see any problem with that. It’s all just part of our work,” Carla explained. She added that she doesn’t see the need to greet Tom first.

“I don’t see the need to greet him first. I don’t think it’s necessary to take that initiative or attempt to reach out,” she continued.

However, despite being fine with seeing Tom again at work, the actress admitted that she’s not ready to welcome the idea of working with him soon.

“At this point, let’s hold off on that. I won’t be comfortable. We’ve been paired several times before, so I hope it’s with someone else this time. There are many artists I’d love to work with,” she reiterated.

Now that she’s under new management with Triple A, Carla expressed her optimism about working with heartthrob actor Piolo Pascual and other artists.

“I’d like to work with Piolo Pascual; it’s been my long-time dream, whether it’s a movie or a teleserye. I’m now also braver and more adventurous to try new roles, like being a kontrabida this time and exploring other genres, like suspense-thriller,” shared Carla.

“I’m also excited to work with other artists, whether they’re on the same network or a different network. That’s my wish and part of my bucket list – to have the chance or opportunity to star in a movie with other leading men,” the actress stated.

As the agency added Carla to its A-list of artists, the actress couldn’t help but feel

emotional about their warm welcome.

“This is the warmest welcome I’ve received since I joined showbiz 14 years ago. I didn’t expect it to be this big,” she said.

Triple A also manages her fellow Kapuso actress Marian Rivera and E.A.T. host Maine Mendoza

actress

With all the positive developments in Carla’s life, the actress expressed her happiness with the changes.

actress expressed her happiness with I’m

“Definitely, I’m very happy with my life now. I’m happy with where I am and who I am today,” she continued.

possible to happen are happening. Those things we wanted to be

“Those things I didn’t think were possible to happen are happening. Those things we wanted to be didn’t go as planned,” Carla explained.

Carla said, “In our lives, there So, I don’t want to put an end

When asked about being friends with her ex-husband, Carla said, “In our lives, there are a lot of unpredictable things. So, I don’t want to put an end to or make anything definite. Anything can happen.”

Dennis Trillo openly acknowledges the significance of being paired with Bea Alonzo in the GMA prime-time soap, Love before Sunrise

“The feeling is simply magical. Everyone knows that we both started with ABS-CBN before. We attended workshops together and were in the same batch of new stars that was launched. We also rehearsed and did production numbers together way back then,” Dennis says. “We really have good memories of our younger days. Then, fast forward: after twenty years, we’re collaborating on a grand soap. As I’ve mentioned earlier, it’s just magical,” the 42-yearold actor adds.

Dennis considers himself lucky to be part of the series. Their first taping day was a bit uneasy; he felt starstruck by her and checked their scene breakdowns. The pressure came from her remarkable acting skills.

“I felt so nervous, and every time I was doing a scene with Bea, I couldn’t help but get star-struck by her,” he admits.

“But once we established our rhythm and camaraderie on the set, things fell into their proper places.

I’m also grateful that our co-stars in the program are highly competent and respected thespians like Sid Lucero, Andrea Torres, Ricky Davao, Jackie Lou Blanco, Tetchie Agbayani, Nadia Montenegro, Isay Alvarez, Sef Cadayona, Rodjun

Cruz, and Matet De Leon.”

Before Love Before Sunrise, Dennis was seen in two other straight drama offerings, The Legal Wives and Maria Clara at Ibarra, as well as the fantasy series Voltes V: Legacy. Has he found it challenging to adjust to the various genres of the shows he does?

“Well, of course, there are adjustments since my role in MCI is that of a person from the past, and in Voltes V: Legacy , that of a scientist. Now, with Love Before Sunrise , I’m back to the romance and drama genre. You see, the roles I do are diverse, and that’s where the challenge and artistic fulfillment lie,” he concludes.

* * *

With his twin sister, Atasha, making her mark in showbiz as the newest member of TV 5’s top-rating noontime show, E.A.T. , the spotlight inevitably turns to Andres Muhlach, sparking curiosity about his own potential entry into the entertainment industry.

“Well, I’m still thinking about it,” Andres reveals. “I’m weighing the possibilities and options. That’s all I can say.”

It’s a situation many find themselves in, given his famous parents, Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzalez. When asked about Atasha’s foray into showbiz, Andres is nothing but supportive.

“Honestly, I’m very happy for her. I know for a fact that she really wants to pursue the entertainment field. It’s really her dream. As I’ve said, I’m very happy for her and will support her in all her future endeavors!”

As for the attention he’s been receiving, especially on social media, where he’s been tagged as the new “Crush ng Bayan,” Andres responds with gratitude.

“Wow! I appreciate the love. Thank you!”

The Mighty Movie’ features the voices of Taraji P. Henson, Chris Rock, Serena Williams, and McKenna Grace

‘Love Before Sunrise’ star Dennis Trillo

Carla Avellana signs under new management, All Access to Artists

Seun-Gi graces the #LoveYouBack charity event where he distributes packed meals to 200 underprivileged children

flick ‘Paw’ beats blood-soaked ‘Saw’ in box office race Dennis Trillo opens up about magical onscreen chemistry with Bea Alonzo

Korean superstar Lee Seung-Gi

The Korean actor treats his fans singing the theme song of the hit series, ‘My Girlfriend is a Gumiho’

Nickie Wang, Editor

Angelica Villanueva , Writer

Kitchen action A celebration of friendship and authentic Chinese cuisine

By Nickie Wang

FOOD has this amazing knack for breaking boundaries and bringing people together, no matter their background. It’s like this universal language that just clicks with everyone, creating shared experiences, sparking memories, and stirring up all those feels.

In the true spirit of this culinary magic, directors Lester Pimentel Ong and Ace Wang, and actor Richard Yap, extended a warm and hearty welcome to the distinguished guests gathered at the new branch of Wangfu, nestled within the bustling SM City Sucat.

Much like how the entertainment industry connects people through storytelling, these three gentlemen who own the restaurant eloquently underscored how food, in all its delectable glory, fosters camaraderie and togetherness.

At the heart of this new Wangfu branch, guests savored not only the delightful flavors of Chinese cuisine but also the beautiful connections that food has the power to forge among diverse

individuals.

Much like the beloved Wangfu brand, which has flourished for 11 splendid years, the friendship between these three stalwarts has also weathered the tests of time. From their early days as entrepreneurs, navigating the tumultuous waters of a pandemic, to their triumphant journeys in the world of showbiz, these three have stood together.

“We’ve been working together to build this brand, and it’s just so interesting that we haven’t had any showbiz projects together yet,” Yap, who currently stars in GMA’s Unbreak My Heart, told Manila Standard Life in an interview.

“We haven’t got the time yet, I guess

Condo development solidifies industry status after Lamudi Awards win

we are busy building the brand,” Ong said in turn.

Ong is a TV director, while Wang is an action director. They are both known for the series The Iron Heart on ABSCBN.

Established in 2012 under Binondo Food Group, Wangfu has gained renown for its unwavering commitment to delivering the authentic flavors of Singaporean and Chinese cuisine, making it a beloved haven for food enthusiasts in search of an unforgettable dining journey.

“For eleven years, we’ve been ensuring that we maintain the quality of food and that it satisfies the market we serve. We keep the branches in Luzon for specific reasons; our commissary serves all the branches, ensuring that

wherever you go, you get to experience the same food,” Yap said.

Christmas not too early at Paskong Kultura market

CHRISTMAS is all about sharing. And as we look forward to the holidays with a happy heart, let’s cherish the power of giving back – not just to loved ones, but also to our small business partners and artisans, and to the future of our home, Mother Earth.

The popular local brand is kicking off Paskong Kultura, its muchawaited Christmas Market, highlighting sustainable decor and handmade presents by talented local craftsmen. It’s Kultura’s version of popular Christmas Markets abroad with a uniquely Filipino touch.

The event invites patrons to make every purchase an opportunity to give back, as we continue to spread the holiday cheer while valuing sustainability and supporting those who craft with care.

Christmas Market which begins on October 5 at SM Makati Kultura is the ultimate holiday pop-up shop. Kultura curated a diverse selection of eco-friendly decor, artisanal gifts, locally-made homeware, festive fashion, and more to make this your most memorable season yet.

For extra-special gifts, Kultura offers a wrapping station with native packaging and personalization services on weekends, where shoppers get to laser engrave wood or glass items and customize totes.

Bring a Filipino Christmas to your home with handmade ornaments made from indigenous materials, beautiful capiz decor, Pinoy-themed dinnerware, and, of course, our signature parols. Be sure to bring out native delicacies and local liquors to complete your Noche Buena tablescapes.

THE Spectrum, a prolific condominium development under Villar-owned, Vista Land and Landscapes, Inc., once again gained recognition for its top-tier housing options when its premier property The Spectrum was named “MixedUse Development of the Year—Luzon” at the prestigious Lamudi Outlook Awards 2023.

The Spectrum’s win not only solidifies its status in the real estate industry but also highlights the Ortigas Central Business District as a prime site for mixed-use developments. Located on Julia Vargas Avenue corner Garnet Road, The Spectrum places its residents right at the heart of the Ortigas CBD, and close to the best lifestyle destinations that urbanites seek.

Teresa Tumbaga , Division Head, asserts that the recognition given by the Lamudi’s Outlook Award 2023 sets the stage for even greater prospects for The Spectrum and

its role in Luzon’s urban development. “We are immensely proud of this achievement, which will spur us to craft even more exceptional living spaces for Filipino urban professionals in the metropolis and beyond.”

Indeed, with The Spectrum’s proximity to multiple leisure dining, shopping, and entertainment options, residents are spoiled for choice. The development is within striking distance of multi-national companies’ corporate headquarters, upscale hotels and restaurants, sprawling shopping malls, hospitals like Medical City, and some of the country’s renowned learning institutions like Saint Pedro Poveda College, La Salle Greenhills, and the University of Asia and the Pacific.

The Ortigas CBD is likewise strategically close to the Makati CBD and BGC towards the south and the Araneta City towards the north.

Still, while The Spectrum provides its homeowners with a prestigious address, equally important is how the condo features trademark amenities that include enhanced security measures; walkable swathes of greenery and landscaped spaces; swimming pools; fitness centers, and children’s play areas.

“If you covet the ultimate condo lifestyle, look no further than The Spectrum, which lies at the crossroads of luxury and convenience,” Tumbaga enthuses. “On this note, we are gratified to know that Lamudi Philippines, a leading digital real estate marketplace, has found The Spectrum deserving of its Outlook Awards this year.”

Bring a homespun style to your holiday parties with our collection, featuring everything from modern Filipiniana terno tops to classic formalwear like barongs for men and women.

Add lustrous pearls as an elegant finishing touch. Get ready to flaunt your proudly Pinoy OOTDs. Share the joy of handmade native crafts, colorful accessories, home fragrances inspired by iconic locales, and natural wellness essentials at Kultura’s Christmas Market. Remember to have your items gift-wrapped and choose from a variety of packaging that’s kind to the Earth, such as pandan boxes and sinamay bags. For an extra thoughtful present, opt for a customized tote.

From left: Lester Pimentel-Ong, Richard Yap, and Ace Wang open the newest branch of their co-owned Chinese restaurant, Wangfu

The Spectrum brings residents close to the best lifestyle destinations that urbanites seek

If you’re seeking the ultimate condo lifestyle, look no further than The Spectrum Christmas is not too early at Paskong Kultura market

Locally crafted acacia wood salad tosser and bowls Pinoy Santas are coming to town with Pinoy jeepney and lechon Kultura’s foldable

with

with

Wangfu’s other branches are in Ayala Malls Cloverleaf, Ayala Malls Vertis

North, Il Terrazzo (Tomas Morato), Marquee Mall Pampanga, Serendra (BGC), SM Fairview, SM Marikina, and UP Town Center. a