Manila Standard - 2023 November 3 - Friday

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WPS tensions, development aid grant top Marcos, Kishida meeting

By Charles Dantes, Rey E. Requejo, Maricel V. Cruz, Darwin G. Amojelar and Julito G. Rada WHEN President Marcos meets Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio today, security in the South China Sea and the need to replace Chinese funding for key infrastructure projects that dried up when Manila refused to bow to Beijing’s expansive claims will be high on the agenda.

Kishida, on an official visit from Nov. 3 to 4, will meet with the President on Friday and address a joint session of Congress on Saturday.

In a statement on Thursday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the two leaders would discuss the West Philippine Sea and Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) when Mr. Marcos receives Kishida at the Palace Friday.

The DFA also said there was no legal basis for the Chinese claim that the Philippine Navy warship BRP Conrado Yap (PS39) intruded in the waters off Scarborough Shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal, on Oct. 30.

The remarks of the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army would only raise tensions in the West Philippine Sea, the DFA said.

“The Philippines’ conduct of maritime patrols in the waters around Bajo de Masinloc is a legitimate and routine act of a sovereign country in its territory and territorial sea and is part of the Philippines’ administrative responsibility,” the DFA said in a statement.

“There is no obligation for the Philippines as the sovereign state to seek the approval of another when navigating its own territorial sea,” the agency added.

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VOL. XXXVII • NO. 261 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

115 Pinoys wait to escape Gaza

Egypt to help evacuate 7k foreigners

By Rey Requejo

H

UNDREDS more foreigners and dual nationals fled wartorn Gaza for Egypt on Thursday while thousands more, including 115 Filipinos, waited to cross the Rafah border crossing.

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said only 19 Filipinos, including a nun, remain undecided on whether to leave the Gaza Strip.

Two Filipino doctors – Regidor Esguerra and Darwin dela Cruz – successfully crossed Rafah Crossing Wednesday as part of the first batch of evacuees allowed to flee Gaza.

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the two doctors were among the 22 staff of international humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (DWB) who were able to exit through the Rafah crossing point.

“This occurred following negotiations for foreign passport holders and international aid workers to cross,” DWB said in a separate statement.

DWB director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific Paul McPhun told CNN Philippines the two Filipino doctors play an important role in their organization, overseeing medical activities and making sure their team has essential supplies.

At least 45 Filipinos from Israel are also due to arrive in the country on Nov. 6 while six Filipinos from

EXIT DOCUMENTS. Civilians leaving Gaza display their documents as dual

national Palestinians and foreigners prepare to cross the Rafah border point with Egypt, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Nov. 2, 2023. Egypt will help evacuate ‘about 7,000’ foreigners and dual nationals from the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, the foreign ministry said. Inset photo shows Filipino doctors Regidor Esguerra (left) and Darwin dela Cruz who were part of the first batch of foreigners to cross the Egyptian border on Wednesday. AFP, DFA handout photo

Arroyo, other lawmakers laud Speaker’s high survey ratings

By Maricel V. Cruz LEGISLATORS led by former President and now Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lauded Speaker Martin Romualdez on his high trust and performance ratings.

“I would like to congratulate House Speaker and Lakas President Martin Romualdez on the recent OCTA Re-

search Report reflecting a +6 percent increase in Trust Rating to 60 percent,” Arroyo said in a statement issued on Thursday.

The third quarter survey of OCTA Research showed Romualdez’s satisfaction rating rose by six points from 55 percent in July to 61 percent in September, while his trust ratings Next page

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Comelec defers proclamation of 92 BSKE winners

By Vito Barcelo and Vince Lopez THE Commission on Elections (Comelecc) suspended the proclamation of 92 winning candidates for the barangay and Sangguniaang Kabaataan elections (BSKE) on Thursday due to pending disqualification petitions.

Days before the Oct. 30 elections, the Comelec announced that 256 candidates have pending disqualification cases against them.

Cases leveled against them included premature campaigning, vote buying, illegal campaigning, and violation of the anti-political dynasty prohibition.

Other candidates were found to have been perpetually barred from holding public office.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said that canvassing of votes nationwide is 100 percent complete, with no reports of a failure of election.

Of the 256 candidates facing a stopproclamation order, 92 won and 106 lost, while the rest were still under validation.

Meanwhile, the poll body said there was no failure of elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region

in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) during the 2023 BSKE. Despite reports of violence, the Comelec said the recently concluded BSKE were generally peaceful, honest, orderly, and credible.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Thursday the number of violent incidents suspected to be connected with the elections climbed to 264.

PNP spokesperson, Police Col. Jean Fajardo said only 47 of Next page

FOR DEARLY DEPARTED FUR BABIES, TOO.

Former President and Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

Speaker Martin Romualdez

Efforts to bring down poverty rate to 9% by 2028 on track—NEDA

By Charles Dantes THE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Thursday said President Marcos is determined to reduce the poverty rate to 9 percent by the time he leaves office in 2028.

NEDA Secretary Arsenio Bal-

isacan issued this statement after the Social Weather Stations (SWS) released its latest survey that showed that 48 percent or 13.2 million Filipino families consider themselves to be poor.

“We note that the SWS September survey was conducted after a series Next page

Undas is also for beloved pets who have passed away as their humans visit their graves at the Barangay Fortune Pet Memorial Garden in Marikina City on All Souls’ Day, Nov. 2, 2023.

Manny Palmero

Fight vs. child hunger gets P15.8b shot in the arm THE government will spend P15.8 billion to fight child hunger with school and daycare feeding programs, Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr., vice chairperson of the House committee on appropriations, said on Thursday.

“We are counting on feeding programs to help alleviate child hunger, improve the nutrition of learners from food-insecure households, and prevent pupils-at-risk from dropping out of school,” Campos said.

“Many low-income families are getting distressed by the lack of food on the table, and children are bearing the brunt of the scarcity,” Campos said in a statement at the start of National Children’s Month.

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UN warns vs. health risks caused by climate change C

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ahead deeper inside Gaza, where Hamas is fighting from a tunnel network spanning hundreds of kilometers.

Global concern has risen sharply over Israel’s response, in which the army says it has struck more than 12,000 targets so far.

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 9,000 people have died, mostly women and children.

The United States and several Western countries back Israel in ruling out a ceasefire for now, arguing that it must have the right to defend itself against Hamas.

But President Joe Biden said he would support a humanitarian “pause” to help get the hostages out of Gaza.

The long-blockaded coastal strip has been under a total Israeli siege that has cut off water, food, electricity, fuel and medical supplies.

A total of 227 aid trucks have so far entered under a US-brokered deal, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, an amount aid groups say falls far short of meeting basic needs.

Special concern has focused on repeated heavy strikes on Gaza’s largest refugee camp – densely populated Jabalia, north of Gaza City – where explosions brought down residential buildings.

Gaza’s Hamas-ruled government said 195 were killed in two days of Israeli strikes on Jabalia, a figure AFP could not independently verify.

Hamas said seven of the estimated 242 hostages it is holding, died in Tuesday’s bombings, a claim that was also impossible to verify.

Israel has sought to justify the first Jabalia attack by saying it had targeted a senior Hamas commander in a tunnel complex below the camp.

AFP has witnessed rescuers desperately clawing through the rubble and twisted metal in frantic attempts to bring out survivors and bodies.

Emergency responders say “whole families” have died.

The wounded were rushed away by cart, motorcycle and ambulance as anguished wails and blaring sirens filled the dusty air.

But Gaza’s hospitals have been overwhelmed and run short of medical supplies and even electricity.

More than 20,000 people in Gaza are wounded, according to aid group Doctors Without Borders.

Israel has argued it is trying to avoid civilian casualties and has told residents to evacuate northern Gaza.

It also says Hamas has blocked many civilians from leaving.

While the United States and other Western powers have largely backed Israel, anger has flared across the Arab and Muslim world.

“Climate change threatens to reverse decades of progress towards better health and well-being, particularly in the most vulnerable communities,” the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization said.

The WMO said climate information was not sufficiently integrated into health service planning.

“Scientific know-how and resources can help redress the balance, but are not sufficiently accessible or utilised,” it said.

The WMO’s annual State of Climate Services report said tailored climate

information was needed to support the health sector to tackle more extreme weather and poor air quality, shifting infectious disease patterns and food and water insecurity.

The report weeks ahead of the Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 COP28 climate summit in Dubai.

The WMO said abnormally high heat causes the greatest mortality of all extreme weather but health decision makers in only half of the countries affected can access warning services.

Between 2000 and 2019, the estimated deaths due to heat were approxi-

mately 489,000 per year, it said, adding: “the impacts are underestimated as heat-related mortality could be 30 times higher than what is currently recorded.”

WMO chief Petteri Taalas struck a more somber note.

“Practically the whole planet has experienced heatwaves this year,” he said.

“The onset of El Nino in 2023 will greatly increase the likelihood of breaking temperature records further, triggering more extreme heat in many parts of the world and in the ocean.”

Taalas said closer collaboration would boost the impact of climate science and health services so the health sector gets support “at a time when unprecedented changes to our climate are having an increasing impact.”

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and effective leadership that allowed the House of the People to ensure the swift passage of people-centered and pro-poor legislation,” Dalipe said.

“These ratings are a testament to the dedication and teamwork of the hardworking members of the House with Speaker Romualdez serving as an example to all. The House of Representatives has become the true embodiment of the House of the People under Speaker Romualdez,” he added.

Maguindanao del Norte Rep. Bai Dimple Mastura also commended the Speaker for “successfully building more goodwill

with the Filipino people.”

“The Speaker neither demanded nor was gifted with good will. He worked hard – quietly and consistently – and the people acknowledged him for it. Moving forward, having this dynamic will bode well for the House,” Mastura said.

Earlier, Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales said the high performance rating of the House leadership reflected people’s sentiments on pressing issues, including the need to realign confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) to security agencies.

these incidents have been confirmed to be related to the elections, 114 were still being validated, and 103 were found to be unrelated.

Fajardo added that the confirmed poll-related incidents resulted in the death of 15 people and the injury of 43 others.

Most of the confirmed election-related incidents were reported in the BARMM with 16 cases, followed by Northern Mindanao with 13, and Cordillera

with four cases.

Three cases were reported each in Ilocos and Eastern Visayas; two each in Bicol and Central Visayas; and one each in Metro Manila, Region IV-A (Calabarzon), and Zamboanga.

There were 19 incidents of shooting.

Armed confrontations and encounters, indiscriminate firing, incidents of fire, robbery, and grave threat were also reported, the PNP said.

The PNP said 2,077 people were arrested and 1,569 firearms were confiscated as it enforced an election-period gun ban.

On Election Day, two people were

killed and at least four others were wounded in a shooting in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, shortly before voting was to start.

BAR regional police chief Police Brig. Gen. Allan Cruz Nobleza said there was another shooting incident in Maguindanao del Sur. A candidate for barangay chairperson was also shot in Butig, Lanao del Sur; while six people including a candidate for barangay chairman were wounded in Tuburan, Basilan.

Fajardo said the PNP will continue to provide security on the ground until candidates are proclaimed winners.

Lebanon are returning home today (Friday) amid clashes between Israel and the Hezbollah group.

In a meeting with foreign diplomats, assistant foreign minister Ismail Khairat said Egypt was preparing “to facilitate the reception and evacuation of foreign citizens from Gaza through the Rafah crossing,” a ministry statement said.

Khairat said that involved “about 7,000” people of “more than 60” nationalities, but the statement offered no specific details or a timeline.

Wael Abu Mohsen, spokesman for the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, said about 100 foreign nationals had been able to leave on Thursday.

A total of 400 foreign passport holders as well as 60 severely wounded Palestinians in ambulances were due to cross by the end of the day, he said, and Egyptian officials later reported the first arrivals.

A list of those approved to travel Thursday shows hundreds of US citizens and 50 Belgians along with smaller numbers from various European, Arab, Asian and African countries.

AFP reporters in Rafah saw cars inside the crossing point and trucks being inspected.

The evacuation marks a tiny proportion of the 2.4 million people trapped in Gaza under weeks of bombardment since Hamas launched a bloody crossborder attack into Israel on Oct. 7.

Ground battles flared again overnight in northern Gaza as Israeli troops seek to destroy Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls the territory.

Hamas’ assault on Oct. 7, which Israel says claimed 1,400 lives, was the bloodiest in the country’s 75-year-history.

The Israeli army is also seeking to free around 240 hostages, both civilians and troops, captured by Hamas during the attacks.

On Thursday, the military said it had killed dozens of enemy fighters.

“IDF fighters continue to advance in the Gaza City area and conduct face-toface battles with Hamas terrorists and deepen the fighting,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari told journalists.

“During the night the forces fought against many terrorists who tried to ambush them. At the end of a battle that lasted several hours and included ground fighting and fire support from aircraft and a missile ship, many terrorists were killed.”

Some 332 soldiers have already died in the Oct. 7 attacks and in the Israeli offensive they triggered.

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November of every year is National Children’s Month, which marks the anniversary of the 1989 adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the United Nations General Assembly.

Campos said the allocation for the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) of the Department of Education (DepEd) has been increased to P11.7 billion in the 2024 national budget.

The sum for the SBFP is on top of the P4.1 billion for the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Campos said.

“The combined P15.8 billion provision for the SBFP and the SFP next year is P5 billion (or 46 percent) greater than the P10.8 billion that the two feeding programs are getting this year,” Campos said.

The SBFP is projected to provide nutritionally balanced meals or food products for 220 days, plus milk for 55 days, to “severely wasted and wasted” children from Kinder to Grade 6.

“Wasted” children are those who are underweight for their age.

Meanwhile, the SFP is expected to supply fortified meals to 2 million preschoolers in public day care centers sponsored by local government units, and in supervised neighborhood play groups.

It said that it was China that has been intruding into Philippine waters.

Beijing, which claims the shoal, earlier said a Philippine military ship illegally entered waters near Scarborough Shoal without authorization. It also urged the Philippines to immediately stop its provocations.

China’s statement marked a rare warning from the Chinese military aimed at the Philippines over its moves in disputed waters in the South China Sea. But the DFA asserted that Bajo de Masinloc is an integral part of the Philippine territory over which the country has sovereignty and jurisdiction.

“The 2016 Arbitral Award upheld its status as a high-tide feature that has no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf of its own as opposed to an island as defined under Article 121 (3) of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” the DFA said.

It also pointed out that China’s claim to historic rights over the region are contrary to UNCLOS. Earlier, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año insisted that the Philippines has the right to patrol Bajo de Masinloc.

The tit-for-tat exchange between Manila and Beijing heightened following a collision between a Chinese coast guard vessel and a boat from the Philippines.

The US Embassy in Manila called out China’s military for shadowing a Philippine Navy vessel near Bajo de Masinloc, saying the act was “detrimental to regional peace.”

In a statement Thursday, the embassy urged the Chinese government to respect the rights and freedom of all states under international law.

“The PLA’s (People’s Liberation Army’s) persistent swarming and shadowing of the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard – as well as of fishing and other vessels – near Scarborough Reef are detrimental to regional peace and stability,” it said.

“We urge the PRC (People’s Republic of China) to respect the navigational rights and freedoms guaranteed to all states under international law,” it added.

The Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command had confirmed it warned off and “restricted” a Filipino warship, the BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39), after it entered the waters “adjacent to China’s Huangyan Dao” on Oct. 30.

Contrary to international law, China claims it has sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal, which it calls Huangyan Dao. In an Oct. 30 statement, the Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command said its troops “remain on high alert at all times to resolutely defend China’s national sovereignty and security and peace and stability in the South China Sea.” A congressional leader, meanwhile, said he sees the Japan International Co-

operation Agency (JICA) as the “logical fallback funding source” for the construction of the massive Mindanao Railways Project (MRP) after the Philippine government backed out from loan negotiations with China.

“Our sense is, Japan is our best recourse, considering that JICA is already helping our Department of Transportation in modeling our 30year railways master plan for Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon,” Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said.

“JICA is already providing us the extremely low-interest official development assistance (ODA) loans for the Metro Manila Subway and other other rail projects in Luzon. We might as well ask them to double down and grant us the concessional loan for the MRP,” Pimentel said.

“We absolutely need the MRP to accelerate the transfer of people and goods, and drive Mindanao’s economic and social development,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel said he expects the MRP to produce tens of thousands of construction-related jobs and livelihood opportunities that would benefit low-income families over several years.

Phase 1 of the MRP is projected to cost P83 billion and will involve the construction of a 100-kilometer train line linking Tagum City, the provincial capital of Davao del Norte, with Digos City, the provincial capital of Davao del Sur, through Davao City.

The train line will cut travel time between Tagum and Digos from the usual three hours to just an hour.

Phase I will accommodate 122,000 commuters every day in its first year of operation.

Six commuter trains (with five cars each) will be deployed every hour and run through eight stations.

The line will also have 15 freight cars and three spare cars.

As originally designed, the entire MRP will eventually consist of a 1,544-kilometer railway stretching out to the cities of General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Cotabato, Zamboanga, Butuan, Surigao, and Malaybalay.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said Manila has no regrets about losing ODA loans from China, saying the country is looking at other sources of loans with lower interest rates.

“There are other [ODA] sources, and personally I’m not saddened. No regrets,” Bautista said.

In a letter to Huang Xilian, Chinese ambassador to the Philippines, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno informed China that the Philippines is no longer inclined to pursue Chinese ODA financing for the Mindanao Railway Project Phase 1-Tagum-Davao-Digos Segment (MRP-TDDS).

“We inherited this project and since there’s not much movement on the financing, we requested the DOF to help us look for other funding sources,” Bautista said.

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tion in September was higher than in June this year due to the supply disruptions,” he added.

The NEDA chief said the government is taking various steps to promptly assist those in need.

These measures include the introduction of the food stamp program, elimination of pass-through fees for goods transportation vehicles, and the provision of cash aid through the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance program.

He added that the administration

is prioritizing policies and programs aimed at generating more and higherquality jobs, as this is the most effective way to reduce poverty.

“This will involve expanding our markets, improving our infrastructure, and attracting more strategic investments, while also preparing the workforce with the necessary skills for the jobs that will be created,” Balisacan said.

The government has taken steps to expedite these endeavors, including endorsing the Regional Com-

prehensive Economic Partnership, creating green lanes for strategic investments, and simplifying project approval procedures.

Moreover, the government is actively working on initiatives to modernize agriculture, boost productivity, and strengthen connections to markets, he said.

“Given these strategies and our whole-of-society approach, we are confident that we can still reduce poverty incidence among Filipinos to 9 percent

by 2028,” Balisacan said.

In the latest SWS survey, nearly half or 48 percent of Filipino families considered themselves poor in September, up from 45 percent in June.

The SWS estimated that the number of self-rated poor families was 13.2 million as of September, an increase of about 700,000 families from June.

The SWS survey, conducted from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, also revealed that 27 percent of Filipinos viewed themselves as “borderline” cases.

LIMATE change poses a health threat through increasing weather disasters and extreme heat, the UN said Thursday, calling for better warning systems that could be weaved into public health policy.

improved from 54 percent to 60 percent during the same period.

House Majority Leader and Zamboanga Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe, for his part, said the consistently high performance ratings of Romualdez are the fruit of his collaborative and unifying leadership focused on uplifting the welfare of all Filipinos.

“The latest result of the OCTA poll survey is proof of Speaker Romualdez’s solid

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of typhoons hit the country, which also affected food prices and directly [affected] families who lacked the means to cope with the increase in prices,” Balisacan said.

“As we noted earlier, poverty measures based on respondents’ perceptions are sensitive to inflation, particularly for essential commodities. Food infla-

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Aussie cruise ship island-hops in the Visayas

FESTIVE WELCOME.

Locals dressed in Ati-Atihan costumes entertain 73 Australian tourists who came aboard the cruise ship cruise Coral Adventure that made a port call in the island town of Biri, Northern Samar, The local government envisions Biri, which is endowed with captivating rock formations that never cease to amaze visitors, as an emerging tourist destination with sustainable economy primarily driven by fishing, agriculture and information technology.

Carl Bordeos

By Ronald Reyes TACLOBAN CITY—The Australian cruise liner Coral Adventure is on an epic island hopping into Philippine history in Eastern Visayas, marked by port calls in the island towns of Biri and Capul in Northern Samar.

Biri boasts of iconic rock formations that never fail to captivate local and foreign tourists, while Capul is famous for its Galleon port that dates back to the preSpanish colonization of the Philippines.

In fact, the name Capul is reputedly a shortened version of Acapulco Capul in eternal commemoration of its importance during the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade in the 1600s.

During their visit to Biri, the 73 Australian tourists who came on board the Coral Adventure had the “opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the Danggitan Village,” the regional tourism office said.

“They were truly captivated by the engaging stories surrounding San Bernardino Strait from World War II, shared with them at the Beach Camp,” it added.

After weighing anchor at Biri and Capul, the cruise liner’s next itinerary covers are Sambawan Island and Maripipi (Biliran), Babatngon and Tacloban City, Himulkilan Island, Inopacan and Canigao Island, Matalom (Leyte).

“Two weeks from now, it’s Limasawa and Padre Burgos (Southern Leyte), and Palompon (Leyte),” said Karen Tiopes, director of the Department of Tourism (DOT)-Eastern Visayas.

“We must be doing something good that cruise tour operators and ship cruise directors trust us to develop and deliver the right kind shore excursion experience,” Tiopes noted.

Meanwhile, the Northern Samar Provincial Tourism Office said the cruise call of the Coral Adventure off Biri’s iconic rock formations on November 1 “has sparked excitement.”

IN BRIEF PCG saves burning ship off Sorsogon TIMELY response by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) responds to a burning vessel off Castilla town in Sorsogon prevented total destruction of the seacraft and injuries to its crew.

According to a PCG report, MV Ken, a cargo vessel owned by the Pherwin Shipping Corp., was anchored off the Castilla poblacion when it caught fire on board at about 11 a.m. on Nov. 2.

The PCG coordinated with the Philippine Navy (PN) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) for joint search and rescue (SAR) and firefighting operations.

Deckhands of the Philippine Navy ship BRP Federico Martir (PC-385) also helped put out the blaze, assisted by crewmen of the MV Ken and the MV Annabelle.

The PCG said all cight crewmembers of MV KEN were safe and and in good physical condition.

The sailors said the fire started in the vessel’s mess hall.

PCG probers were still trying to determine the cause of the fire. Vince Lopez

Poll-related attacks on journos mounting worldwide—UNESCO A

By Gabriellea Parino

TTACKS on journalists and media workers, particularly during election season, have become more prominent around the world, according to a report by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

UNESCO bared the report on attacks against journalists during election day in conjunction with the observance of ‘International Day to Eliminate Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists’.

“Between January 2019 and June 2022, the UNESCO documented 759 individual attacks against journalists,

including five killings, during 89 elections in 70 countries around the world,” The report stated.

Attacks against the Fourth Estate were also recorded by the UN body in at least 101 countries from January 2015 to August 2021. No less than 13 journalists reportedly met violent

deaths in such contexts since 2015.

About 42 percent of the attacks were allegedly committed by police and security forces, with many government authorities having blocked public right to access to information by implementing internet and information blackouts during the periods.

“Police use of non-lethal ammunition ranging from rubber bullets to pepper balls have injured dozens of journalists, and many other journalists have been arrested, beaten and in a few cases humiliated,” the UNESCO reported.

“The abuse is different for female and male journalists. When men are publicly attacked, they are still given ‘serious’ roles. They are spies or for-

SM CITY BUSTLES AND DAZZLES. An innovative Christmas display at the SM City Marikina with a 30-foot Christmas Tree decked with red and gold ornaments as the centrepiece and with fascinating entertainers to boot is without doubt a comeon for shoppers during the holidays.

Norman Cruz

eign agents, whereas for women, there is usually a sexist connotation. We are often called “old bags” or “ugly,” Antonela Riha, a journalist from Serbia, was quoted in the report.

UNESCO’s data also reported that during 89 elections in 70 countries around the world from January 2019 to June 2022, a total of 759 journalists and media professionals were attacked.

It was also noted that 123 media outlets were attacked, ranging from threats, arson, and even suspensions.

Journalists have also been subjected to raids of media offices and the physical destruction of journalistic material in retaliation for coverage of protests, according to UNESCO.

To mark Children’s Month, MRT-3 gives free rides for kids on Nov. 6 CHILDREN and minors are bound to enjoy free train rides on Monday (Nov. 6) as a gift from Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT 3) in celebration of National Children’s Month, GMA News reported.

“We are very happy to announce that for the 2023 National Children’s Month celebration, may libreng sakay po ang mga bata sa MRT-3,” National Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) Executive Director Angelo Tapales told PTV’s Bagong Pilipinas on Thursday.

“Yung mga bata po na covered nito ay mga nasa grade school hanggang senior high school, so below 18 years old (The children covered by the free rides are those in grade school up to senior high school, meaning those below 18 years old),”

Angeles City named child-friendly LGU ANGELES CITY—The city government here under the leadership of Mayor Carmelo Lazatin, Jr. has been conferred the 2022 Seal of ChildFriendly Local Governance, courtesy of the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit.

Angeles City garnered a 92.46 rating in the said audit ranking, placing it 14th among all the local government units in Central Luzon.

This was apparently on account of Mayor Lazatin having a special place in his heart for children, evinced by the city government’s aggressive priority and welfare program for the youngsters.

In 2019, Lazatin initiated the continuous city-wide reach-out operations for homeless children as the city government aims to provide decent shelter tor street kids.

Mayor Lazatin strengthened the program last 2022 as an initiative to curb mendicancy in the city. Butch Gunio

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INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCES. Families and relatives of alleged victims of involuntary disappearances during Martial Law gather at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Shrine in Quezon City with candles and pictures of their missing loved ones on All Souls’ Day. Manny Palmero

Tapales said.

The free ride service will be available from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The CWC clarified that accompanying adults will have to pay their fares.

Last Aug. 1-6, MRT3 also offered free rides to blind and visually-impaired passengers in celebration of the White Cane Safety Day. The late former President Corazon Aquino in 1989 signed Republic Act 6759, which declared August 1 as White Cane Safety Day to raise awareness on the plight of the blind.

Passengers only need to present their persons with disability (PWD) identification card to ride for free.

Each blind or visually impaired passenger is also allowed to bring one companion who also got a free ride.

Agents nab Bolivian with P47-m cocaine on arrival at NAIA ANTI-NARCOTICS agents have arrested a Bolivian national at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country illegal drugs with an estimated street value of P47 million.

In a statement, the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement

Group (PDEG) identified the suspect as Robert Lavadenz Alvarez, 30, of Bolivia. He was intercepted upon arrival at the NAIA on board an Ethiopian Airline flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia..

Alvarez was nabbed during an “interdiction operation” conducted at the Customs International Arrival Area,

NAIA Terminal 3, Pasay City at about 8:40 p.m. on Oct. 31, the statement read.

Seized from the suspect were one luggage containing more or less 8,999.11 grams of cocaine valued at P47,695,283, a Bolivian passport, two boarding passes attached with baggage tag; Customs baggage declaration form; a Bolivian national ID

card; and a cellular phone.

The confiscated luggage will undergo seizure and forfeiture proceedings as authorities investigate the arrested passenger for violation of Republic Act (RA) No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Drug Act of 2002, and RA 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

3 Pinoy movies earn rave reviews at 1st LA film fest

By Joel E. Zurbano THREE Filipino films featured at the Summer Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) reaped praises for their success at the first-ever Manila International Film Festival in Los Angeles, California.

During the pre-launch press conference in LA, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting chairman and MMFF overall chairman Romando Artes said the MIFF is the “first step towards recognition of Philippine movies and talent.”

“We believe in the talent of our filmmakers and we know that our local film industry just needs exposure and more opportunities to showcase them. This is the primary reason why we are expanding MMFF to show these films not just in local cinemas, but also to the international audience,” he said.

“We want the MIFF to be part of the Christmas tradition of Filipinos living abroad,” Artes added.

Artes also expressed hopes that through MIFF, the country can get a film nomination for the Academy

Awards or Oscars which are presented every year in recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements in the United States and across the globe.

The three films set to be screened are: “About Us But Not About Us” starring Romnick Sarmenta and Elijah Canlas, directed by Jun Lana, which won Summer MMFF 2023 Best Picture; “Here Comes The Groom” starring Enchong Dee, Miles Ocampo, and Kaladkaren, directed by Chris Martinez, and “Love You Long Time” starring Carlo Aquino and Eisel Serrano, directed by JP Habac.

NEWS

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Police to remain on heightened alert after BSKE, long holiday

IN BRIEF Go tells poll winners: Prioritize welfare of constituents SENATOR Christopher Go urged elected barangay and Sanggunian Kabataan officials to prioritize the welfare of constituents and help the poor.

He emphasized the importance of respecting the democratic processes and the voice of the people after the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on Monday.

Go also said winning candidates and the electorate should embody the values of responsibility and discernment associated with suffrage.

“The outcomes of the BSKE are a direct reflection of the people’s voice. It’s imperative that we, as a nation, respect and uphold the choices made by our fellow Filipinos,” Go said.

He further emphasized the importance of selecting candidates with integrity, competence, and a genuine desire to serve their communities, especially those who are underprivileged and in need of more government attention.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

P

OLICE will remain on heightened alert until Nov. 6 to ensure the safety of returning travelers after a long weekend due to the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) and the observance of “Undas.”

Philippine National Police (PNP) information chief and spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo on Thursday said the last day of the PNP’s highest security alert status should have been Nov. 2 to allow all policemen to rest and be with their families after a long duty that started last week as part of the preparations for the BSKE. Fajardo said the police assistance desks they set up in all seaports and airports, as well as in the bus terminals and other places of convergence, will remain until such time that those who went out of town return.

Fajardo added that “Undas” was generally peaceful on Wednesday despite some people still bringing prohibited items to cemeteries, including lighters, cigarettes, and liquor. Fajardo said around 3 million people visited the tombs of their departed loved ones on All Saints’ Day and many flocked to cemeteries on Thursday, All Souls’ Day. The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) meanwhile said that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport has achieved an 88% on-time performance (OTP) rating, and has efficiently handled a significant volume of passengers,

processing a total of 732,573 during the first six days of the long Undas holiday break.

The MIAA said it remains on track to achieve its goal of accommodating 1.2 million passengers during the 10-day period.

In the first ten days of October, the present volume of travelers has already reached 1,150,671, with daily counts ranging from 110,000 to 121,000 passengers, the MIAA said.

The environmental group EcoWaste Coalition (EWC), on Thursday, said it noticed improvements in waste management across some cemeteries in Luzon.

The group noted a significant decrease in littering during Undas 2023 compared to the past years, which may be attributed to the deployment of more waste and sanitation workers by local government units (LGUs), “no vendors policy,” the provision of garbage bins and the installation of visible anti-littering signages in cemeteries.

Less number of visitors may also have contributed to improved waste management, the group added. Joel E. Zurbano, Othel V. Campos and Vince Lopez

LGUs must comply with bill on disasterresilient buildings

SELFIE WITH ‘THE VICTOR.’ A cyclist takes a ‘selfie’ at ‘The Victor,’ a colossal statue at the Bridgetowne real estate development hub located between Pasig and Quezon City.

Manny Palmero

LOCAL government units (LGUs) must comply with the requirements of House Bill 8500, once the bill is passed into law.

The bill mandates the adoption of disaster-resilient buildings and preserves the powers of LGUs to issue building permits.

However, LGUs must adjust their building ordinances to comply with the requirements of the measure.

House Bill 8500 also replaces the 46-year-old Building Code and names the Secretary of Public Works and Highways as the National Building Official tasked to supervise the implementation of the law at the local level.

HB 8500, or the “New Philippine Building Act” mandates the adoption of new construction rules meant to make all structures more resilient against natural calamities and disasters, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, one of the bill’s authors, said. Maricel V. Cruz

‘Gov’t agencies required to seek DSWD approval on solicitations’

PAROL FOR CHRISTMAS.

By Rey E. Requejo

A vendor constructs Christmas lanterns using bamboo and colored plastic sheets at Plaza Quezon in Las Piñas on Thursday with 54 days to go before Christmas.

Norman Cruz

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) said government agencies are still required to secure permits for public solicitations from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

In a legal opinion dated Oct. 19, 2023, and addressed to DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, the DOJ stressed that as a rule, national government agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations, state colleges and universities, and other government agencies must secure the solicitation permits.

Gatchalian said in his view, Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1564 of 1978—or the Solicitation Permit Law--exempts government agencies from securing permits and only mentions duly organized private and semi-private entities.

Gatchalian said this is the reason why he

sought the DOJ’s legal opinion on the matter.

DOJ Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez said the requirement for permits is provided for in Section 6.1.2 of the DSWD’s 2014 Revised Omnibus Rules and Regulations on Public Solicitation.

The requirement states: “Any applicant person, corporation, organization or association or any other juridical entity, including but not limited to National Government Agencies (NGAs), Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCC’s), state colleges/universities (SUCs) and other government agencies, non-government organizations, civic society organizations (CSOs) operating in the Philippines that are desiring to solicit or receive contributions from the public for charitable public welfare purposes shall first secure an authority to solicit and submit all requirements to the concerned DSWD Office.”

Legislator backs House leader welcomes price cut on onions, vows to fight hoarders DOE’s simplified fuel subsidy plan

By Maricel V. Cruz

By Maricel V. Cruz A CONGRESSMAN has expressed support for the Department of Energy (DOE) proposal to ease the grant of fuel subsidies when there are sharp spikes in oil prices.

The DOE earlier proposed the simplification of requirements as well as the shortening of the trigger period from three months to one month for the release of fuel subsidies.

Rep. Elizaldy Co of Ako-Bicol, chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriations, said he is finding ways to include the DOE proposal in the 2024 national government budget.

The 2024 national budget bill has been passed by the House, and Co is still determining the mechanics on inserting the DOE proposal.

“Congress has no reason not to support the desire of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on changing the language of the 2024 national budget provision on fuel subsidies for the transport sector. As the father of the nation, the President knows what is good, best for his people. And Congress is always behind the President, who is after the good of the Filipino people,” Co said.

DEPUTY Majority Leader Rep. David Suarez said the recent P10 per kilo price reduction of onions is welcome news, but stressed that lawmakers will not stop the fight against hoarders and price manipulators.

“We commend the efforts of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in stabilizing the retail prices of essential com-

modities, and we welcome as good news its report that the retail price of onions has decreased by P10 per kilo, with the cost of the red bulbs going down to P130 per kilo from the previous P140 per kilo,” Suarez said.

The lawmaker also said: “Buoyed by this development, and upon the instruction of Speaker Martin Romualdez, the House Committee on Agriculture and Food will intensify its investigation on

hoarders and price manipulators not only of onions but of other staple food items like rice.”

Suarez said Romualdez made it clear that the House of Representatives would extend all-out support to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for an all-out war against those involved in smuggling, hoarding, and price manipulation.

“Our mission order is clear: there is

no room for smugglers, hoarders, and price manipulators under this administration,” he stressed.

Suarez noted that the recent price reduction of onions and the filing of criminal charges against those involved in artificial shortage of onion have proven the efficacy of the collaboration between the executive department and the House of Representatives in the war against profiteering.

Angara renews call on seniors, PWD voting

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

LIGHTS AND TOMBS. Visitors light candles at the Jaro Cemetery in Iloilo City on All Souls’ Day.

SEN. Sonny Angara has renewed his call for the approval of his bill on an early voting scheme for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

As the author of Senate Bill Number 777 or the measure seeking to enhance the accessibility in voting and implementation of early voting for seniors and PWDs, Angara said the approval of this bill is long overdue and should already be implemented in the next elections.

“It is encouraging to hear from our Comelec Chairman about the positive reception of our senior citizens and PWDs to the early voting scheme in the two pilot cities. It clearly shows that in spite of difficulties they experience, they always make it a point to exercise their right to suffrage,” Angara said.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia cited a “blockbuster” turnout in the pilot implementation of the early voting for seniors and PWDs during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in Naga and Muntinlupa City.

OPINION

Why Abra remains a flash point THE Commission on Elections had made the province of Abra a test case for the recent Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.

If the Comelec can succeed in making Abra a peaceful province, Comelec would be able to do the same in provinces where elections had made them traditionally “hot spots” and “flash points.”

We recall that Abra is traditionally, Santa Banana, always tagged as a “hot spot” in recent elections, whether local and national!

There is good reason to make the province a test case by the Comelec.

But the Comelec must remember the reason why people of Abra take elections so seriously and that candidates for local elections are often killed.

The reason is the people of Abra do not have the livelihood that many Filipinos have in other areas.

I know this, having been born there in a small town then called Dolores, ruled by the Barberos, and I spent my youth there until I had the chance to come to Manila for high school until World War II erupted.

With Abra’s mountains where they cannot grow any means of livelihood, the people of Abra will always be ruled by political clans and they will have to depend on politicians for their means of livelihood The province is basically a mountainous area, that traders from Ilocos controlled the rice trade from Cagayan Valley.

I’d say the rice Ilocanos take as staple in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and la Union comes from Cagayan.

The only means of livelihood of Abra in some towns is where they grow virginia tobacco.

Thus, I would say the reason why the people of Abra take their politics so intensely and fiercely – a matter of life and death – is because politics is their main income.

This is why people there have to belong one way or another to politicians who have the money to spread around during election.

We must not forget that Abra used to be a sub-province of Ilocos Sur, until the political strongman Don Quintin Paredes, made it a province.

He was governor, then congressman and then senator.

After him the ruling political clans were the Valeras and Bersamins.

Their rivalry was so intense that a Bersamin, if I’m not mistaken, a brother of now Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin who was Chief Justice, was killed in the parking lot of the Mount Carmel Church in New Manila.

(Editor’s Note: The slain politician was

Rep. Luis Bersamin Jr., who was shot in the head after standing as one of the principal sponsors at his niece’s wedding at the Mount Carmel Church in New Manila on Dec. 16, 2006.

(Former Abra governor Vicente Isidro Valera was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty by a Quezon City court of masterminding the assassination of Bersamin outside the church.

(A Quezon City judge convicted Valera and two others of two counts of murder and one count of frustrated murder and ordered them transferred to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. Valera’s co-accused are Rufino Panday and Sgt. Leo Bello.)

After the Valera-Bersamin rule came their successors. still carrying on their old grudges.

It was always like that because the politicians of the province carry a lot of influence.

As an Abreno, I can rightly say elections in Abra will always be a flash point and no amount of police or military surveillance can stop the killings and stop it from becoming a flash point, not with the people of Abra making themselves subservient to political clans.

With Abra’s mountains where they cannot grow any means of livelihood, the people of Abra will always be ruled by political clans and they will have to depend on politicians for their means of livelihood.

Santa Banana, that’s how it is in Abra, elections or no elections.

Crisologo, Singson feud It was not only in Abra where political clans had to kill their rivals.

I also recall the fight between the Crisologos and the Singsons – both blood relatives – over control of Ilocos Sur politics.

The Crisologo clan was then controlled by the late Floro “Floring” Crisologo, while the Singson clan had Luis “Chavit” Singson, making Ilocos Sur notorious for political feud.

The political feud between the two clans were unlike those in Abra, a mountainous province.

In Ilocos Sur, it was a fight for control over virginia tobacco, the lifeblood of Ilocanos in Ilocos Sur. Whoever was in power, as it is now, controls the tobacco industry.

During the well-known feud between Floring and Chavit, there was even the burning of one village in Bantay town.

The Singsons, sadly enough, are still in control of the tobacco industry.

With the passing of Crisologo, Chavit now controls the province.

Chavit is the patriarch of the ruling clan with his son as governor and with Chavit now as mayor of Narvacan. Chavit is now the chairman of the League of Mayors nationwide. Read full article on manilastandard.net

The modern-day Padre Damasos are meddling in politics again

SECTION 6, Article II of the Constitution explicitly mandates the inviolability of the separation of Church and State in the Philippines.

This means the Catholic Church, among others, should not meddle in politics.

No purported holy purpose can be an excuse for any of its Padre Damasos to interfere in the political concerns of the government.

Jesus Christ declared, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.” The Good Book itself preaches separation of Church and State.

Citizens of the Philippines have the right to criticize the way the government operates.

Since the government is financed by taxpayers’ money, taxpayers have the right to criticize the way the government is managed.

Section 28 (3), Article VI of the Constitution exempts the Church (and other religious denominations) from taxation.

Because of that exemption, the Church is expected to lay off politics.

That arrangement is just and equitable.

Citizens are allowed to criticize the government because they pay the taxes which finance the operations of the State.

Padre Damaso is prohibited from criticizing the government because he does not pay taxes.

Accordingly, when Church leaders breach the inviolability of the separation of Church and State by making political statements in public, what they say is subject to press commentary and criticism.

Last month, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas made a public announcement where he insisted the government should allow representatives of the International Criminal Court to enter the Philippines to investigate former President Rodrigo Duterte and his anti-narcotics campaign during his administration.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, however, has repeatedly announced that in 2019, the Philippines had already withdrawn from the Rome Statute, the treaty creating the ICC. Remulla adds the justice system in the Philippines is functioning, and there is no need for any foreign entity to investigate the internal issues of the country.

In sum, Remulla maintains the ICC has no legal authority to conduct its own investigation of local issues inside Philippine territory. To allow otherwise, Remulla stressed, will be repugnant to Philippine sovereignty.

For his part, Villegas claims “a thorough inquiry by persons without vested interests or prior alliances should be welcomed.”

Villegas added, “if we have faith in ourselves and in our institutions, then we should not hesitate allowing officials of (the ICC) to see for themselves that we are able to bring the culpable before the bar of justice.”

As expected, groups known for their biased opposition to former President Duterte praised Villegas’ political statements.

What Villegas said, however, is pure hogwash.

Just because the Philippines has faith in its own justice system is not a valid reason to invite representatives of the ICC to the country to verify the justice situation for themselves.

Villegas sweepingly concludes the Philippines needs a foreign agency to conduct a separate investigation of the Philippine situation, before the statements of our own Secretary of Justice can be considered credible.

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EDITORIAL

W

Closer PH-Japan ties

E WELCOME the two-day visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the Philippines that starts today.

This is another important milestone in our longstanding bilateral relations.

In October last year, Kazuhiko Koshikawa, ambassador of Japan to the Philippines, described our bilateral ties as “bright and dynamic.”

In fact, he said, “defined by diverse and grounded ties,” relations between our two countries now stand at a ‘Golden Age.’ Both our countries have “worked hand in hand and through close cooperation and friendship to reach this remarkable state of relations, and it continues to show promise for the future.”

It is true, as Ambassador Koshikawa has pointed out, our two countries, “sharing universal values and principles of freedom, democracy and the rule of law,” are striving to “open new avenues for our linkages to grow even stronger.”

At present, Japan is one of our major trade and investment partners.

Earlier this year, Kishida oversaw the signing of several defense pacts and investment deals between the two countries during the visit of President Marcos It is also the Philippines’ biggest source of bilateral Official Development Assistance since 2001, with its ODA loans to the Philippines accounting for 72 percent of the Philippines’ total bilateral loan portfolio as of 2021.

Japan disburses ODA to the Philippines through the Japan International Cooperation Agency. We also have strong people-to-people ties.

Earlier this year, Kishida oversaw the signing of several defense pacts and investment deals between the two countries during the visit of President Marcos.

The two leaders are scheduled to hold a meeting to discuss security issues in the face of growing tensions between Manila and Beijing in the

South China Sea. They are likely to discuss the outcome of negotiations for a Reciprocal Access Agreement, a bilateral defense and security pact between Japan and other countries that provides shared military training and operations. Japan has an existing RAA with the United Kingdom, Australia and France.

The two leaders are also expected to touch on areas of mutual concern, such as expanded economic and development cooperation, and to reaffirm the close ties between the Philippines and Japan, which was elevated into a strategic partnership in 2011.

The importance that we attach to our bilateral ties with our close neighbor to the north is that the government has even invited Kishida to address a joint session of Congress tomorrow.

This, according to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, is an “honor only accorded to a foreign head of state only five times in Philippine history…We look forward to the address of a leader of a nation that is a robust trading partner, a strong security ally, a lending hand during calamities, and an investor in Philippine progress.”

Affordable socialized housing HOW serious is the housing shortage in the country?

As of June this year, the housing backlog was pegged at 6.658 million units.

Of this number, 3.753 million are intended for informal settler families.

The rest, presumably, are for those who rent their dwellings on a monthly basis but would like to have homes they can call their own.

In July, President Marcos issued Executive Order 34 declaring the mass housing project of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development as a flagship program of his administration.

The ambitious goal of the program is to provide as many as 30 million Filipinos across the country with a roof over their heads by the time the Marcos administration leaves office in 2028.

This means the construction of at least one million low-cost or affordable housing units a year for a combined 6.15 million units in the next five years.

But would this be a purely government initiative?

Apparently not, as it would rely as well on the private sector to deliver the needed housing units.

The DHSUD and the National Economic and Development Authority recently agreed to raise the “outdated” price ceilings for the government’s urgently needed socialized housing and condominium projects.

By increasing the price cap to more accurately reflect escalating construction and development costs since 2018, the government agencies hope to entice the private sector to participate more actively in the “Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino” or 4PH program.

According to Housing Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar and NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, they were well aware

If the Church wants transparency, they should set the example by conducting an investigation of the pedophiles and similar other misfits within their ranks, and pay taxes, before they meddle in politics From the way he sounded, Villegas’ views are jaundiced by his apparent preference for anything foreign as against anything Filipino.

In addition, it is well-nigh impossible for an investigation panel based abroad to conduct a credible, thorough and impartial probe over a contentious Philippine issue, and within a very limited period.

For one thing, there will be a language barrier considering that some local witnesses

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

that current price limits for socialized housing “no longer respond adequately to prevailing market conditions, including rising development and construction costs, thereby discouraging the private sector from building affordable houses for low-income and underprivileged families.”

Hence, considering such factors as affordability for buyers and the impact on the property development sector, socialized housing projects will now cost a maximum of P850,000 from the current P580,000 for units with a minimum floor area of 28 square meters to as much as P1.145 million for bigger units.

We think the proposed solution to the housing backlog is not really a solution, but a clear signal to policy makers to go back to the drawing boards and think of a better way to raise capital for low-cost mass housing The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) has noted that private sector investments in the mass housing sector have steadily declined, since developers could no longer recover their costs or make a decent profit at previous price caps.

Even with the adjusted price ceilings, however, private developers are unlikely to rush in big numbers to help the government to reduce the gargantuan may not be well-versed in English.

Moreover, anti-Duterte elements will surely submit a mountain of allegations against the ex-president, and ascertaining whether a narrative of a witness is credible or otherwise will take a very long, tedious process.

For the record, the individual who first sought the intervention of the ICC against Duterte already admitted he was paid by antiDuterte elements to do so.

If the Philippines invites the ICC over as Villegas wants to, Filipino taxpayers will have to shoulder the enormous cost of the ICC’s stay in the country. It’s easy for Villegas to spend money that isn’t his.

Besides, what does Villegas know about Public International Law that gives him enough credibility to make public statements on the matter?

Doesn’t Villegas know that the Supreme Court upheld the authority of then President Duterte to withdraw from the Rome Statute in 2019?

Friars should not pretend to be skilled in law when they are not.

As a priest, Villegas has a credibility problem.

The public sees the Church as staunchly anti-Duterte, and this was apparent during the Duterte administration.

Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager Head—Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

housing backlog. Why? Raising the price ceiling means that the cost of the finished housing projects will now go even further beyond the reach of the target market: the minimum wage earners with incomes of less than P25,000 per month.

In other words, the suggested price ceilings, while designed to attract private developers to go into construction of low-cost housing for the masses, will also jack up the prices of finished units to levels that will not be affordable by minimum wage workers who have no means to pay the monthly amortizations.

All things considered, we think the proposed solution to the housing backlog is not really a solution, but a clear signal to policy makers to go back to the drawing boards and think of a better way to raise capital for low-cost mass housing.

BARMM gears up for self-rule The good news is that the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is up and running, fueled by a proposed P98-billion operational budget for next year.

Education gets the biggest chunk of its budget in keeping with the regional government’s promise to make quality education accessible to all.

According to BARMM Interim Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, the proposed budget for 2024 submitted for approval by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, the BARMM’s interim governing body or parliament, showed their commitment to address the region’s needs, propel economic growth, and improve the overall quality of life for the Bangsamoro. Read full article on manilastandard.net (Email: ernhil@yahoo.com) It is also an open secret that the Church supported the failed presidential run of Leni Robredo in 2022, the superficial political opportunist who was always at odds with Duterte.

If the Church wants transparency, they should set the example by conducting an investigation of the pedophiles and similar other misfits within their ranks, and pay taxes, before they meddle in politics.

MORE OPINION ONLINE (www.manilastandard.net)

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WORLD

China on ‘alert’ after US ships cross Taiwan Strait BEIJING—China said Thursday its troops were “on constant high alert” after US and Canadian warships passed through the Taiwan Strait, their second joint passage in two months.

The USS Rafael Peralta, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa conducted a “routine” transit through the strait on Wednesday, the US Navy said.

“Troops in the theater remain on constant high alert, and will resolutely protect national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability,” Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesman for China’s Eastern Theater Command, said in a statement.

Shi slammed the latest transit as a “public hype” and said its naval and air forces had “trailed their entire course.”

The ships’ passage comes after two warships belonging to the US and Canada sailed through the narrow waterway separating the island and mainland China on September 9.

The United States and its Western allies have increased “freedom of navigation” crossings by naval vessels both

of the Taiwan Strait and the disputed South China Sea, to reinforce that both are international waterways, angering Beijing.

The Seventh Fleet said in a statement the transit had been made in accordance with international law and “through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal State.”

“Cooperation like this represents the centrepiece of our approach to a secure and prosperous region where aircraft and ships of all nations may fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows.”

Taiwan’s defense ministry said Thursday it was monitoring the passage on Wednesday night, but added that “the situation was normal”.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory to be seized one day, has stepped up military and political pressure on the self-ruled island as relations have plunged in recent years.

In September, China sent in 103 planes around Taiwan within a 24-hour period, which Taipei described as “a recent high.” AFP

MASS EXODUS. Afghan refugees climb a truck as they prepare to depart for Afghanistan, at a holding center in Landi Kotal on Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans living in Pakistan faced the threat of detention and deportation as a government deadline for them to leave sparked a mass exodus. AFP

Over 165,000 Afghans beat deadline to leave Pakistan

T

dard TODAY

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AUCTION SALE TODAY ACME PAWNSHOPS INC.

Auction sale on October 05, 2023 A l a b a n g Town Center Stall 2074 2:00 pm G/F Majalco dard U/L, Bldg. Benavidez St., TODAY Legaspi Village, Makati and Makati and 4:00 pm Circle C G14, #17 Congressional Ave. Bahay WAGE HIKE. Bangladesh police (foreground) stand guard as garment workers Toro D1, Quezon City the All increase of their salaries, in Dhaka on Thursday. Hundreds protest to demand items Pawned May 1of garment factories in Bangladesh have shuttered as thousands of workers staged 31,2023. violent protests to27, a near-tripling of their wages, police said. AFP MS-(OCT. 2023) MS-(OCT. 27,demand 2023) ERRATUM RE: NOTICE OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF THE ESTATE OF THE LATE JESUS M. CONSUNJ and MINA C. CONSUNJI Notice is hereby given that the Notice of Extrajudicial Settlement of the Estate of Jesus M. Consunji and Mina C. Consunji has been extrajudicially settled among their heirs as per Extrajudicial Settlement dated; April 12, 2022, April 7, 2022, May 2, 2022 and April 29, 2022 which was published on June 24 July 1 & 8, 2022 in the Manila Standard for (3) consecutive weeks, contained an erratum as the name of JESUS ISIDRO M. CONSUNJI should be JESUS M. CONSUNJI. (MS-OCT. (MS-OCT. 20/27/NOV. 20/27/NOV. 3, 3, 2023) 2023)

ORKHAM , Pakistan —More than 165,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan in the month since Islamabad issued an ultimatum to 1.7 million people to leave or face arrest and deportation, officials said Thursday.

The majority rushed to the border in the past several days as the November 1 deadline approached and police began to open up dozens of holding centers to detain arrested Afghans.

Officials at the country’s busiest border point at Torkham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province worked into the early hours of Thursday morning to clear a

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK queue of 28,000 people that stretched the scale of the exodus as they attempt for seven kilometers. to process those returning -- some of The border traffic has since eased, whom are setting foot in Afghanistan with officials encouraging undocument- for the first time in their lives. ed Afghans to continue leaving volunMillions of Afghans have poured into tarily as police launched search opera- Pakistan in recent decades, fleeing a setions. ries of violent conflicts, including an es“Illegal Afghans arrived at Torkham 600,000 since the Taliban govCYAN timated MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK in heavy numbers because of the dead- ernment seized power in August 2021 line... People can still return voluntarily and imposed its harsh interpretation of but today only 1,000 are present at the Islamic law. border,” Abdul Nasir Khan, deputy Pakistan has said the deportations commissioner of the border district, told are to protect its “welfare and security” CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW AFP. after a BLACK sharp rise in attacks, which the Just over 129,000 have fled from government blames on militants operatKhyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the pro- ing from Afghanistan. vincial home department said, while a Analysts say its likely a pressure tactotal of 38,100 have crossed through tic to force the Taliban government to Chaman in Balochistan, border officials cooperate on security issues. there told AFP. The Afghan embassy in Islamabad has Authorities on the Afghan side of said the move will further damage relathe border have been overwhelmed by tions between the two neighbours. AFP

Trump 2024: Impeached, indicted, popular as ever WASHINGTON, DC—He was impeached twice. He has been found liable in fraud and sexual abuse lawsuits. He is charged with 91 felonies, accused of recklessly endangering national security, and of conspiring to defraud the United States.

If that sounds like the kind of resume unbecoming of a leader of the free world, millions of Americans disagree -- and want nothing more than to see Donald Trump back at the helm.

The 77-year-old populist, property magnate, grandfather, golfer, media star, actor, best-selling author and criminal suspect is trouncing

the competition in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

His numbers in a rematch with President Joe Biden, too, have been causing White House officials to break out in hives, with just one year to go until the country goes to the polls.

“Donald Trump’s election in 2016 was a tectonic shift in American politics that cannot be quickly be forgotten by his admirers or detractors,” said political historian Mike Cullinane, of Dickinson State University in North Dakota.

“He has given a contemporary voice to an enduring racism, sexism, xenophobia and antimigrant sentiment that has been a part of the

United States since its inception.”

Trump critics hoped the fever might break in the aftermath of the 2021 insurrection, when he was impeached for inciting a deadly riot by a mob that ransacked the Capitol building in Washington.

But his average favorability rating is three points higher now than it was on the eve of the violence.

His influence in the recent contest for House of Representatives speaker—deploying his acolytes to bury a leading candidate deemed insufficiently loyal—demonstrated that elected Republicans still fear him. AFP

WEATHERING THE AUTUMN RAIN. Ukrainian servicemen look at their smartphones as they wait for instructions while sheltering from the autumn rain as they stand near the frescos in St. Michael’s Cathedral in Kyiv on Wednesday amid Russian invasion in Ukraine. AFP

Ukraine: Attacks easing around embattled town

(MS-NOV. (MS-NOV. 3 3& & 10, 10, 2023) 2023)

KYIV—Ukraine said Thursday Russian assaults on the nearly encircled eastern town of Avdiivka had eased after a push by Moscow’s forces to capture the industrial hub.

Avdiivka, at the center of fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces since 2014, came under a renewed Russian effort last month to besiege the war-battered town.

“The number of assaults there has slightly decreased,” Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun said.

“The enemy continues to try to surround Avdiivka, but not so actively at the moment,” he added.

This developed as Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a law revoking

Russia’s ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

The 1996 treaty outlaws all nuclear explosions, including live tests of nuclear weapons, though it never came into force because some key countries—including the United States and China—never ratified it.

At the same time, the Kremlin denied a claim from Kyiv’s most senior military official that the nearly two-year conflict in Ukraine had reached a stalemate.

“No, it has not reached a deadlock,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding: “Russia is steadily carrying out the special military operation. All the goals that were set should be fulfilled.” AFP

Woman charged with murder over mushroom meal SYDNEY, Australia—An Australian woman was charged with murder on Thursday, police said, after serving a mushroom meal that left three people dead and a local preacher fighting for his life.

“A 49-year-old woman was arrested this morning and interviewed by police,” said Natalie Webster of Victoria Police.

The woman was identified as Erin Patterson in the latest twist in a saga that has gripped the nation and thrust the spotlight on the small rural town of Leongatha, 110 kilometers southeast of Melbourne.

“The Leongatha woman has subsequently been charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder.”

Police said they arrested Patterson in the morning and began a search of her home with the help of “technology detector dogs”, which can sniff out electronic devices such as USB keys.

Homicide squad investigators will question her once the search of her home is complete, said Detective Inspector Dean Thomas of the Victoria police homicide squad.

“Today’s arrest is just the next step in what has been a complex and thorough investigation by homicide squad detectives and one that is not yet over,” Thomas told reporters, without taking questions.

The probe had been subject to “incredibly intense” media and public interest in Australia and internationally, he said.

“I think it is particularly important that we keep in mind that at the heart of this three people have lost their lives,” Thomas said.

In smaller communities, “a tragedy such as this can reverberate for years to come”, he added.

Patterson, who denies any wrongdoing, has not been charged.

She served the mushrooms as part of a beef Wellington dish on the afternoon of July 29 to her estranged parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson, local Baptist pastor Ian Wilkinson and his wife Heather. AFP

BUSINESS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023

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Japan PM unveils $113-b stimulus package to ease inflation pressure T OKYO—Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a stimulus package worth more than $100 billion on Thursday as he tries to ease the pressure from inflation and rescue his premiership with his poll ratings at a record low.

Voters in the world’s third-largest economy have been reeling from rising prices since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last year, pushing up energy costs and putting pressure on the government.

“We are seeing that the tide is turning from the vicious cycle of deflation —symbolized by low prices, low wages and low growth,” Kishida told a meeting where he revealed the size of the package would be around 17 trillion yen ($113.2 billion).

“For the first time in 30 years, we are facing a great opportunity to move to a new economic stage,” he added.

“On the other hand, in the current situation where the rise in wages is not catching up with the rise in prices, it is necessary to support people’s disposable income temporarily so as to avoid moving back to deflation,” he said.

The government was expected to give more details later, but reports said the program would be worth 37.4 trillion yen when including private sector spending.

The plan involves income and residential tax reductions of 40,000 yen per person, and 70,000 yen cash handouts to lowincome households, according to public broadcaster NHK and other local media.

Fuel subsidies will also be extended and there will be funds to promote investments in high-tech areas including the chip and space industries.

The package will likely add to Japan’s debt mountain, which stood at 261 percent of gross domestic product in 2022, one of the world’s highest.

The government has already injected hundreds of billions of dollars into the economy over the past three years since the Covid-19 pandemic.

GDP has been slowly picking up speed, with growth of 1.2 percent in April-June, but it is expected to have

contracted since.

Japan was for decades beset by deflation but like other economies around the world, prices have risen since the Ukraine war began in February 2022.

A weaker yen, meanwhile, while welcome news to Japanese exporters, makes imports pricier and stokes inflation for households.

Unlike other major central banks, the Bank of Japan refused to tighten monetary policy and instead continues to keep interest rates below zero and bond yields ultralow in a bid to boost economic growth.

That has come even as inflation continues to rise—the core consumer price index is at a three-decade high—with officials insisting the increase is temporary despite ramping up its forecasts for this year and next. AFP

Violent Bangladesh garment protests shut down factories DHAKA—Hundreds of garment factories in Bangladesh have shuttered as thousands of workers staged violent protests to demand a near-tripling of their wages, police said Thursday.

Bangladesh’s 3,500 garment factories account for around 85 percent of the South Asian country’s $55 billion in annual exports, supplying major Western brands including Adidas, Gap, H&M and Levi Strauss.

But conditions are dire for many of the sector’s four million workers, the vast majority of whom are women whose monthly wages start at 8,300 taka ($75).

Police said on Thursday that workers had ransacked dozens of factories across Gazipur and other industrial neighborhoods on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka since the protests began over the weekend.

“More than 250 garment factories have been shut in the protests. Up to 50 factories have been ransacked and vandalized, including four or five which were set alight,” Gazipur police chief Sarwar Alam told AFP. “When one factory is ransacked, neighbors don’t want to keep their factories open,” he added.

Further afield, Ashulia deputy police chief Mahmud Naser told AFP that at least 50 “very big factories” employing more than 15,000 workers in his industrial town had been shuttered.

Two workers have been killed and dozens more injured since protests began, according to police figures.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), which represents factory owners, has offered a 25 percent pay raise.

The pledge is significantly short of the 23,000 taka ($209) monthly wage that the protest campaign has called for.

Police officials told AFP that several thousand workers had blocked roads around Dhaka to press their demands.

Officers in Gazipur “fired tear gas and sound grenades at nearly 1,000” workers who blocked a road and staged protests, senior police officer Abu Siddique told AFP. “They were dispersed and left the place peacefully,” he added.

Protests continued for a third day at Mirpur in Dhaka’s west, where police in riot gear fired tear gas and sound grenades at several thousand workers blockading a road, an AFP correspondent at the scene witnessed. AFP

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FED BRIEFING. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference after a Federal Open Market Committee meeting on Nov. 1, 2023 at the Federal Reserve in Washington, DC. The Fed left interest rates unchanged at a range of 5.25 percent to 5.50 percent, keeping rates the highest they have been in 23 years. AFP

Stocks, oil prices rally amid hopes Fed rates peaked HONG KONG, China—Stocks and oil prices rose while the dollar weakened Thursday as a much-needed burst of confidence flows across world markets after the Federal Reserve hinted it has come to the end of its long-running interest rate hiking cycle.

Asian traders picked up the baton from their Wall Street counterparts, who welcomed what was seen as a dovish stance by the central bank and its governor, while data suggesting its tightening measures were taking hold provided extra support.

The bank said it would pause rates— now at a two-decade high—for a second straight meeting as officials wanted to assess the impact of more than a year of hikes, while boss Jerome Powell warned there was still some time before inflation was brought to heel.

However, while he left the door open to more increases down the line, he said that “tighter financial and credit conditions for households and businesses are likely to weigh on economic activity, hiring and inflation”.

Analysts said Powell’s use of “financial” was significant, as it acknowledged that it was not just credit that was tightening, with surging Treasury yields being seen as financial markets helping the Fed do its heavy lifting.

“Some might take this as a sign that the bond market will continue to help them with this tightening cycle, which could support the argument that a peak in rates is in place,” said OANDA’s Edward Moya.

The pause comes after the Fed began hiking rates early last year to combat surging inflation in the wake of the Ukraine invasion, tight supplies and supply chains, and a surge in post-Covid demand for goods.

Since peaking at more than seven percent in June 2022, inflation as measured by the Fed’s favored yardstick has slowed by more than half—although it remains stuck firmly above three percent. AFP

Meralco invites firms to submit bids for 1,800-MW baseload power supply

By Alena Mae S. Flores POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said Thursday it started the competitive selection process (CSP) or bidding for 1,800 megawatts (MW) of supply to meet the growing demand of its customers starting next year.

Meralco said the Department of Energy issued a certificate of conformity on the terms of reference (TOR) for a 15-year contract involving its 1,800MW baseload requirement.

Meralco, through its bids and awards committee for power supply agreements (PSAs), called on interested power gen-

eration companies to participate in the CSP and set the submission of expression of interest on Nov. 13, 2023.

It scheduled the pre-bid conference on Nov. 20, 2023, while the bid submission deadline was set on Dec. 26, 2023.

Meralco said the CSP aims to replace the capacity covered by Meralco’s 2021 PSAs with Excellent Energy Resources Inc. (EERI) and Masinloc Power Partners Co. Ltd. (MPPCL) which were terminated earlier this year.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) approved the termination of contracts last month.

Meralco also plans to conduct a separate CSP for 1,200 MW of baseload capacity.

Meralco’s 1,200-MW baseload CSP will replace the terminated South Premiere Power Corp. deal under ERC Case No. 2019-081RC, San Miguel Energy Corp. (now known as Sual Power Inc.) PSA under ERC Case No. 2019083RC and the failure of negotiations with Solar Philippines Batangas Baseload Corp. for execution of the 200-MW PSA. The 1,200 MW capacity will have a 15-year contract starting Mar. 26, 2024.

ACCELERATOR PROGRAM. IdeaSpace Foundation unveils the six startups selected to join its accelerator program.

Attending the event are (from left) Mikey Tolentino of Kintab; Jaysen Malabanan of Kintab; Antonio Lucero of kazam.ph; IdeaSpace Foundation president Butch Meily; Ron Castro and Cris Azaña of kazam.ph; Dino Panlilio of Kintab; Alwyn Rosel of QBO Innovation Hub; Ben Alderson of IdeaSpace Investments; Paula Garcia of Molinos de la Especia; Therese Sandoval of Kippap Learning; Casey Driscoll of Molinos de la Especia; Ina Flores of Hey Roomie; Jules Veloso of ITOOH Homestyle; Emmanuel Perez of Kippap Learning; Victor Villafuerte of Kippap Learning; Andrew Bercasio of ITOOH Homestyle; and Jay Fajardo of Hey Roomie.

BINALOT BRANCH. Filipino fast-food chain Binalot opens its first branch with

Shell at the Shell Mobility EDSA Balintawak. Leading the ribbon-cutting ceremony are Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte (second from right), branch owner Cres Fernandez and his family.

SEC issues guidelines on purging delinquent, inactive corporations

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued the guidelines on purging delinquent and inactive corporations.

The guidelines under SEC Memorandum Circular No. 19, Series of 2023, involve the placement of non-compliant corporations under delinquent status and the revocation of the certificates of registration of inactive corporations.

Corporations which failed to formally organize and commence their business within five years from the date of their incorporation and those which commenced operations but became inoperative for at least five consecutive years would be placed under the delinquent status.

“In line with our mandate of ensuring the integrity of the corporate sector and championing good corporate governance, we will strictly enforce the reportorial requirements of corporations provided under the Revised Corporation Code and other pertinent laws, rules and regulations,” SEC chairperson Emilio Aquino said.

Aquino said firms are required to submit their annual financial state-

ments, general information sheet (GIS), official contact details to ensure transparency and accountability in a corporation’s dealings for the benefit of stakeholders, particularly investors, consumers and employees.

The SEC earlier reported that about 22,403 firms were in danger of having their certificates of incorporation revoked for failure to submit their GIS within five years from the date of their incorporation.

Another 298,335 ordinary corporations could be placed under delinquent status after they failed to submit their GIS for three times consecutively or intermittently within a five-year period.

Corporations with revoked status may file their petition to lift the order of revocation anytime, subject to existing rules and regulations.

Meanwhile, the SEC said it would issue a show cause order to corporations with continuous inoperation for five years and direct them to explain why they should not be placed under delinquent status.

It said failure to provide a valid justification for continuous inoperation would cause the corporation to be placed under delinquent status.

B4 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023 Roderick T. dela Cruz Cruz, Editor Alena Mae S. Flores, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS

Four companies recognized for environment programs

Ampleon Philippines Inc. senior director for facilities Norman Nuque (second from left) and senior manager Ma. Kristeen Bacila (third from left) receive the 2023 Excellence in Ecology and Ecology (E3) Award from Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin (third from left), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president George Barcelon (left), 49th Philippine Business Conference and Expo chair Felino Palafox Jr. (right) and 2023 E3 Awards chair Jose Leviste Jr. (second from right).

By Othel V. Campos THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) recognized four companies for exemplary environmental performance in the recently-concluded 49th Philippine Business Conference and Expo (PBC&E) at the Manila Hotel.

The Excellence in Ecology and Economy Awards (E3 Awards) recipients included Lomboy Farms for the Environmental Innovation Award (small enterprise category), Holcim Philippines Inc. for the Environmental Stewardship Award (large enterprise category), LTA Foods Manufacturing Corp. (medium enterprise category) and Ampleon Philippines Inc. (large enterprise category).

Lomboy Farms gained recognition for its innovative farming practices particularly its post-harvest processing system which helps reduce waste and increase product recoverability, while Holcim Philippines was recognized for its outstanding commitment and success in environmental protection

New interest rate hike likely to lift peso against US dollar

By Julito G. Rada

A

NOTHER 25-basis-point interest rate hike by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas this month will boost the value of the peso against the US dollar, an economist said Thursday.

The BSP last week decided to raise the overnight borrowing rate by 25 basis points to 6.5 percent in a surprise off-cycle move to rein in inflation.

BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. hinted that the bank’s Monetary Board may further adjust the benchmark rate if inflation would remain elevated.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said higher domestic interest rates would encourage investors to place their bets in the peso.

“Yes, definitely, as higher local interest rates increase, the [higher] interest rate income/returns on the peso, and-

narrower interest rate differential withthe US dollar,” Ricafort said.

Ricafort said the seasonal increase in remittances during the holiday season is another factor that would be favorable to the peso against the greenback.

He predicted that the peso would end the year at a range of 55.50 to 56.50 per dollar. On Oct. 31, the peso closed at 56.73, up from 56.955 on Oct. 27.

Remolona said the Monetary Board might opt for another 25-basis-point increase this year, if needed, but it would depend on the latest economic data such as inflation and the gross domestic prod-

pends on the data,” Remolona said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority will release the October inflation report next week. Inflation was at 6.1 percent in September and 6.6 percent in the first nine months, above the 2023 target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy items, hit 5.9 percent in September and 7.2 percent in the nine-month period.

Remolona said he was hoping the coming data would be “nicer”, or monetary authorities may resort to another rate hike.

He said he was no longer expecting inflation to return to the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent this year.

Inflation peaked at 8.7 percent in Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

January 2023 but eased in the succeedchief economist Michael Ricafort ing six months. It picked up again to uct print for the third quarter.

5.3 percent in August and 6.1 percent “If there is a hike, [it’s] more likely in September on higher food and fuel 25 [basis points] than 50, but [it] de- prices.

DOTr: Bulacan airport to start construction by 2nd quarter of ‘24

BUSINESS TOOLS. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual underscores the significance of digital transformation to advance the development of Philippine enterprises and the vital role of the franchising sector as a tool to advance the country’s economic growth during the Franchise Asia Philippines (FAPHL) at SMX Convention Center on Oct. 27, 2023.

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it expects the construction of the P735-billion New Manila International Airport in Bulacan province to start by the second quarter of 2024.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the land development of the Bulacan airport was more than threefourths finished.

San Miguel Corp. earlier awarded a $1.73-billion contract to the Philippine unit of Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. to undertake land development for the airport project in Bulakan town.

“We expect structures to rise starting in the second quarter of 2024,” Bautista said.

San Miguel tapped the services of global firms Groupe ADPi, Meinhardt Group and Jacobs Engineering to design and build the project.

All three companies were involved in building world-class airports including Changi Airport in Singapore, Atlanta Airport in the US and Charles de Gaulle Airport in France.

The initial designs, some of which were released earlier, envision a futureready airport focusing on overall passenger experience and sustainable technologies consistent with the needs of the environment and the local communities of Bulacan and nearby provinces.

San Miguel said it would also engage a world-class airport operator to help manage the country’s future premier gateway.

The company is building the project on a 2,500-hectare property in the coastal town about 30 kilometers northeast of Metro Manila at no cost to the government.

SMC’s Manila International Airport project, dubbed the largest investment in the Philippines, is seen as a “gamechanger” for the Philippine economy.

A long-awaited solution to Manila’s air traffic congestion woes, it is seen to make the country a more viable and competitive tourist and investment destination in the region.

and sustainability by developing and providing sustainable and innovative building solutions.

LTA Foods received the award for its outstanding waste management initiatives such as transforming waste materials into fertilizer and its efforts to promote the cultivation of cardava, commonly known as “saba” banana, among local growers, showcasing its dedication to sustainable agriculture and community empowerment.

Ampleon Philippines excelled for its greenhouse gas emission reduction initiatives and for actively engaging stakeholders in the implementation of its programs, contributing immensely to its business and environmental sustainability.

The E3 Awards is a project of the PCCI environment and climate change committee led by director for environment and infrastructure Felino Palafox Jr., environment and climate change chairman Jose Leviste Jr. and environment and climate change vice-chairman Jesus Reyes.

DOT celebrates Iloilo’s inclusion in UNESCO list THE Department of Tourism (DOT) celebrated the inclusion of Iloilo City in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative Cities Network (UCCN) for Gastronomy.

“The Department of Tourism extends its sincerest congratulations to Iloilo City, under the leadership of Mayor Jerry Treñas, for its remarkable entry into the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Iloilo City is a gastronomic haven for both Filipinos and international visitors and a hallmark of our Filipino culinary heritage,” said DOT Secretary Ma. Esperanza Christina Frasco.

UNESCO director-general Audrey Azoulay announced Iloilo City’s inclusion in Creative Cities Network on World Cities Day on Oct. 31, 2023.

The designation reflects Iloilo’s rich culinary heritage and reinforces its role in preserving and promoting Philippine food culture. The city is renowned for signature dishes such as La Paz Batchoy, Pancit Molo, local favorites like K.B.L. (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka), the charcoalroasted native chicken Darag, as well as its famous giant siopao and fresh seafood.

Iloilo City made history by becoming one of the Philippine cities, alongside Baguio and Cebu City, to join the prestigious UCCN. Baguio City has held the UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art title since 2017, while Cebu City was recognized as the country’s inaugural UNESCO Creative City of Design in 2019.

The UNESCO Network is composed of 350 cities across more than 100 countries, spanning seven creative fields –crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts and music.

Launched in 2004, the UCCN primarily aims to foster collaboration among cities that recognize creativity as a fundamental catalyst for sustainable urban development.

Frasco said the DOT would continue supporting creative cities to further develop, promote and expand the country’s tourism product portfolio towards multi-dimensional tourism that includes a strong focus on the food and creative industries. Othel V. Campos

Gov’t requires over P70-b budget to meet electrification goal by ‘28

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Department of Energy (DOE) said some P70.473 billion is needed to meet the government’s total electrification target by 2028.

The 2023-2032 National Total Electrification Roadmap identifies the budget needed to support the DOE and National Electrification Administration projects to energize 1.402 million households.

It said of the amount, the NEA would require P69.2 billion to cover 1.386 million households. The balance would come from the government through the General Appropriations Act that was allocated for the Total Electrification Program covering 2021-2023.

The DOE said access to electricity opens opportunities for income-generating activities, promoting commercial de-

velopment and inclusive social progress.

“The objective is to promote social equity and reap long-term economic benefits for society,” the department said.

It said electrification involves providing electricity access to remote and rural areas.

The DOE aims to achieve 100-percent total electrification by 2028 through four strategies including household electrification, distribution line extension, stand-alone home system (SAHS) and microgrid system.

It said these strategies are consistent with the National Total Electrification Framework which would be implemented by the NEA, National Power Corp.-Small Power Utilities Group, private distribution utilities, local government units (LGUs) and other program partners.

PAGCOR’S CONTRIBUTION. State gaming regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) allocates P56.2 billion for nation-building initiatives in 2024, including P12.1 billion for socio-civic projects such as the construction of school buildings, e-learning centers and community wellness centers and mandatory dividends to the national government. Shown is the perspective of a PAGCOR community wellness center.

SPORTS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023

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Riera U. Mallari, Editor Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

Fiber Xers all primed up for PBA Commish Cup ORGANIZING and joining pocket tournaments are keeping a young team like the Converge Fiber Xers in shape for the coming 48th season of the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup. Members of the Fiber Xers are getting in prime shape because of their participation in off-season games as they look forward to battle set to begin on Nov. 5 at the Araneta Coliseum.

“We needed games, because we have been practicing for the past two months. So, we organized pocket tournaments to apply what we have been practicing,” said FiberXers coach Aldin Ayo. In the Commissioner’s Cup, Converge is bringing back Tom Vodanovich, who first played for the team in the Governors’ Cup, and in their quarterfinals series with the San Miguel Beermen.

The Fiber Xers will only have four mainstays this time, and they’ll have Alec Stockton, Jeo Ambohot, Justin Arana and Kevin Racal, who were all part of the squad’s original list in the 2022 Philippine Cup. Two marquee players have left, with Maverick Ahanmisi going to Barangay Ginebra and Jeron Teng now with the Beermen.

And with the absence of Ahanmisi and Teng, they won’t have the firepower that they needed.

But the entry of Mike Nieto and Adrian Wong in the off-season will help fill up that void.

The Fiberxers youthfulness will be seen in their recent acquisitions, like ex-La Salle cager Schonny Winston, a ninth overall pick in the recent draft.

Winston came in with Inand Fornilos, Kamron Vigan, Patrick Maagdenberg, Bryan Santos and BJ Andrade.

Recently, the FiberXers organized a four-team pocket event, with their present roster and played games with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Blackwater Bossing and Phoenix Super LPG. Converge went on to sweep their games.

Peter Atencio

Shooter Amparo Acuna gets help from foreign coaches

Foreign coaches helping shape Filipina shooters’ Olympic dream

By Peter Atencio

A

N former Olympic shooter who used to compete for the Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan national teams is helping Amparo “Ampao” Acuna improve her form in the women’s 50-meter 3-position rifle competition.

And the assistance of Igor Pirekeyev, who is now a Kuwait-based instructor, will be vital in her next campaign to earn more Olympic Qualification Ranking points with national teammate Franchette Quiroz.

Pirekeyev, a two-time Asian Games gold medallist, is also a three-time Olympic veteran who saw action for Turkmenistan, and qualified for the final round of

the men’s 50 meter rifle prone event, and finished in seventh place in the 2000 Summer Olympics.

The 52-year old Pirekeyev join Murad Hanov, a Qatari pistol shooting expert, and Acuna’s coach Julius Valdez adjust Acuna’s form during the 15th Asian Shooting Championship 2023, held recently in Changwon, Korea.

“I’m excited for the changes, and hopeful na maging OK ang aking performance,” said the 26-year old Acuna following her return to the Philippines with the rest of the national shooting team.

After her stint together with Quiroz in Changwon, members of the national team will go to another Olympic qualifier to seek more points, and they will be in the 2024 Asian Shooting Championships on Jan. 5 to Jan. 18 in Jakarta, Indonesia, After that, they will compete in the last leg, which is the 2024 ISSF World Olympic Qualification Tournament on April 11 to April 19 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Acuna is thankful for the aid she got from Hanov, who is Quiroz’s current mentor in the air pistol event.

“Marami siyang kilalang coach na Olympian nandun. So pinatulungan niya ako duon. Ang dami kong need na dapat ayusin sa standing position,” added Acuna.

So far, Quiroz and Acuna have met expectations when they surpassed the minimum qualification scores in four of 12 shooting events that will be held in the 2024 Paris Olympics, while they were in Changwon.

Philippine National Shooting Association secretary general Iryne Garcia noted that Quiroz is currently doing better while Acuna’s rankings needs to improve.

“Yes. Franchette did relatively better than everybody , ranking wise. Yes. Ampao is ok lang but ranking not good . MQS is common in rifle,” stated Garcia.

Pampanga, San Juan seek MPBL North Division finals

An exhausted men’s 4x400m relay team rests.

Justine Baltazar will again be Pampanga’s go-to guy.

PAMPANGA and San Juan try to forge a North Division finals tussle when they tackle separate rivals on Friday in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season Playoffs at the Nueva Ecija Coliseum in Palayan City.

While the Pampanga Giant Lanterns are predicted to cruise past the Batang Kankaloo at 6 p.m., the San Juan Knights are expected to have a bumpy ride against the defending champion Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards at 8 p.m.

Flaunting a deeper, taller roster, the Giant Lanterns overpowered the Batang Kankaloo, 74-63, in Game 1 of their best-of-three semifinal series on October 27.

In contrast, the Knights needed to climb out of a 14-point hole in the third quarter and lean on the sterling plays of Orlan Wamar to stun the Rice Vanguards, 86-82, in the opener of a similar series.

In last year’s North finals, San Juan snapped Nueva Ecija’s 25-win run in Game 1 only to drop the next two, allowing the Giant Lanterns to clinch the division title before

proceeding to beat South Division champion Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines in the National Finals.

Powered by Justine Baltazar, Louie Sangalang and Encho Serrano, Pampanga sealed the outcome with a 70-41 spread early in the final quarter, before allowing Caloocan to narrow the gap somewhat behind the 15-point explosion of Paul Sanga in that span.

Baltazar, the MVP race pacesetter, posted 17 points, 14 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists to run away with the best player honors and lift the Giant Lanterns to their 13th win at home.

Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda, also the Giant Lanterns’ head coach, will also bank on Archie Concepcion, Neil Tolentino, Jayson Castro Apolonio and Arwind Santos to sweep the veteran-laden Caloocan.

San Juan sprung to life through the efforts of Wamar, Nikko Panganiban and Marwin Taywan to snatch victory.

Wamar drove in with 32 seconds left and then found an open Taywan for the gameclinching triple 14 seconds later.

Timberwolves maul Nuggets; Celtics stay unbeaten THE defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets crashed to their first defeat of the season in an upset 110-89 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves late early Thursday (PH time), while Boston extended their unbeaten start with a brutal thrashing of Indiana.

Denver began the season in imperious form, building to a 4-0 start, but were stopped in their tracks after a dominant performance from the Timberwolves at Minneapolis’s Target Center.

Anthony Edwards led the Minnesota scoring with 24 points while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 in a wire-towire victory for the Timberwolves, who led by 19 points at half-time.

Rudy Gobert delivered a crucial defensive performance with 12 rebounds and two blocks to help shut down Denver’s free-scoring offense.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic led the Denver scorers with 25 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.

“It just shows what we’re capable of, honestly,” Minnesota’s Mike Conley said after the win. “We know we can be a great team -- we’ve got to put it together for four quarters.

“Tonight we beat a really good team and were able to stick with the easy things and let that just bring us home,” added Conley, who finished with 17 points.

While Denver kissed goodbye to their unbeaten record, there were no such problems for the Celtics, who romped to a 155104 blowout over the Pacers to improve to 4-0 at the top of the Eastern Conference.

The points total was the second-highest ever in Celtics history, behind the 173 scored in a win over Minneapolis in 1959.

Jayson Tatum led Boston with 30

points and 12 rebounds, with Derrick White adding 18 points and Sam Hauser 17 from five three-pointers.

The game was over as a contest well before the finish, allowing Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla to rest his starters for the entirety of the fourth quarter.

Lebron, Lakers Snap Skid In other games, LeBron James produced a vintage 35-point performance as the Los Angeles Lakers staged a secondhalf rally to end their 11-game losing streak to city rivals the Los Angeles Clippers with a 130-125 overtime victory.

The Lakers trailed by 19 points early in the game but roared back in the second half to complete a dramatic win, the team’s first over the Clippers since 2020.

For long periods James appeared to be locked in a toe-to-toe battle with Clippers veteran Paul George, who scored 20

points in a remarkable fourth quarter to force the contest to overtime.

George, who finished with 35 points, fouled out early in overtime and momentum swung back to the Lakers who closed out the win.

James received scoring support from Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell with 27 points each, while Austin Reaves added 15.

In San Francisco, Klay Thompson drained a jump shot with 0.2 seconds remaining to clinch a thrilling 102-101 win for the Golden State Warriors over the Sacramento Kings.

Thompson’s last-gasp bucket settled an engrossing duel between the two northern California teams which saw the lead change hands no fewer than 12 times.

The Warriors improve to 4-1 to move up to second in the Western Conference standings.AFP

Mapua, Lyceum in clash of Intramuros titans THE three veterans of the Mapua Cardinals, Paolo Hernandez, Clint Escamis, and Warren Bonifacio, will once again provide leadership for their team when they clash with the Lyceum Pirates for the top spot in the 99th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.

Their vast experience on the floor will help lift the Cardinals in their 4 p.m. battle with the Pirates at the FilOil-EcoOil Arena.

“Du’n pa rin tayo mag-rely doon sa tatlo. Ginampanan lang ‘yung role nila,” said Cardinals coach Randy Alcantara after their 69-66 triumph over the defending champion Letran Knights that pushed them to the top of the standings with a 9-2 win-loss record.

But, their grip of the solo lead is now touchy, after the Pirates moved in at close second (8-3) after they hurdled the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 81-78.

The Pirates, according to coach Gilbert Malabanan, took on the Generals while in a playful mood, which is good for the team, since this will relieve the squad of any psychological pressures that are building up within them.

The return of skipper Enoch Valdez from sickness is also expected to get the Pirates fired up.

“The team is starting to enjoy the game. And this is good.

Nung wala si Enoch, they responded well. And that’s good,” said Malabanan, who noted the depth of the Pirates’ bench. Peter Atencio

SPORTS

C2 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023

US basketball coaching legend Bob Knight dead at 83

Jayson Castro of Tropang Giga attacks the defense of Chiba’s John Mooney.

S

TA. ROSA—Chiba Jets denied TNT a fitting welcome in the first ever EASL (East Asia Super League) home game in the country, scoring a wire-to-wire 75-66 win on All Saints Day at the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex.

John Mooney was the thorn on the side of the Tropang Giga, who played without Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, as the 6-foot-9 import torched the opposition for 30 points and 16 rebounds on 63 percent shooting from the field.

The Jets, the B. League runner-up team last season, got off to a 9-2 start, led by as many as 20 points late in the second quarter, before surviving a huge TNT fightback in the second half to notch the win.

“We never led the game. I think we lost the game in the beginning. I think it’s kind of surprising to see that for us being here, as the home team, sleeping in our own beds and not have that kind

Jets score back-to-back win over Tropang Giga of energy in the beginning. So I think that was the difference,” said TNT coach Jojo Lastimosa.

Chiba have won back-to-back away from home and stands on top of Group A with a 3-0 record. TNT lost to the Jets for the second straight time and fell to 0-2 in the tournament that has Spalding and Hyperice as official partners and Arena Plus, Seda Nuvali, and Summit as local partners.

Hollis-Jefferson watched the game on the sidelines as he has yet to fully recover after being hospitalized from a case of gastroenteritis.

“It was something that we did not expect because Rondae attended our camp a couple of weeks back and he seemed OK,” said Lastimosa. “And all of a sudden, everything turned for the worst.”

In the absence of the PBA Governors’ Cup Best Import, Quincy Miller carried the fight for TNT with 22 points and 13 rebounds. He had 14 in the third quarter when the Tropang Giga closed in and trimmed the deficit to 61-56.

But TNT couldn’t complete the job as Chiba found a way to keep the rallying Tropang Giga at bay despite fatigue finally setting in as the Jets were playing their 12th game in less than a month.

“Really proud of our team of the really tough schedule that we have. We found a way to win,” said Chiba coach John Patrick. “We played a really good first half, and we knew they weren’t gonna be quiet in the second half. They came back, made it a close game, and I’m just really proud that we kept fighting and found a way to win.”

Jaydee Tungcab was the lone local to finish in double figures for TNT, with 10 points which he all scored in the first half and kept the team afloat.

DJ Stephens, the other Chiba import, also chipped in double-double numbers of 15 points and 10 rebounds, while crowd favorite and Japan national team captain Yuki Togashi hit four threepointers for 14 points.

The scores Chiba (75) - Mooney 30, Stephens 15, Togashi 14, Ogawa 7, Hara 5, Okura 4, Brown 0, Kanechika 0, Kaishu 0, Arao 0.

TNT (66) - Miller 22, Tungcab 10, Castro 8, Oftana 8, K Williams 7, Ponferada 3, Cruz 3, Khobuntin 3, Reyes 2, Montalbo 0, Ganuelas-Rosser 0.

Quarterscores: 23-14; 50-32; 64-56; 75-66.

AMERICAN college basketball coaching legend Bob Knight, an outspoken and controversial figure who guided the United States to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic gold, died Wednesday (Thursday PH time). He was 83.

In addition to directing a US squad with future NBA superstars Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing to Olympic gold, Knight coached Indiana University to US college basketball crowns in 1976, 1981, and 1987.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington (Indiana) surrounded by his family,” the Knight family said in a statement.

“We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored. We will continue to celebrate his life and remember him, today and forever as a beloved Husband, Father, Coach, and Friend.”

Knight once hurled a chair across the court during a game to earn an ejection and was fired from Indiana in 2000 after a confrontation with a student.

Over his 42-year college head coaching career, Knight went a combined 902-371 during stops at Army (1966-71), Indiana (1972-2000) and Texas Tech (2001-2008).

At the time of his retirement, Knight was the winningest coach in US college history. He currently ranks sixth on the list.

Knight, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991, coached the Hoosiers to an undefeated championship campaign in 1976.

He also coached a US squad to a title at the 1979 Pan American Games in Puerto Rico. AFP

Saudi Arabia only bidder for 2034 World Cup SAUDI Arabia is in line to host the 2034 World Cup after FIFA announced that the kingdom had submitted the only “expression of interest” in hosting the tournament.

The decision will be ratified officially at the end of next year, providing all of the technical criteria are met.

Saudi Arabia, which has invested heavily in football as well as Formula One and golf, is set to take over from an unprecedented tri-continental line-up for the 2030 event, which will be shared between Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with three matches in South America.

The bid comes one year after neighboring Qatar hosted the first World Cup in the Middle East, where the Saudi national team scored a stunning group stage victory over eventual winners Argentina.

At this point, only “expressions of interest” have been submitted.

After the full bids for 2030 and 2034 are handed over, they will be evaluated

by FIFA and put to a vote at two separate congress meetings at the end of 2024.

But the absence of any competition leaves little room for suspense, while also raising numerous questions about the environmental impact of the 2030 event and the compatibility of the 2034 tournament with FIFA’s human rights commitments.

Saudi Arabia was initially interested in bidding for the 2030 World Cup alongside Egypt and Greece but that idea was abandoned in June, leav ing the path open for the tri-continental bid.

Saudi Arabia announced its intention to bid for the 2034 event on October 4, as soon as the procedure had been launched.

As a result of the continental rotation, FIFA had only “invited” member countries of the Asian and Oceanian confederations to apply—thus ruling out the traditional footballing heartlands. ıAt one stage, Indonesia had considered a joint bid with Australia, or even other countries such as New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore, but on Oct.19 it agreed to support Saudi Arabia’s bid.

Australia, which successfully hosted

Heartbreaker for Filipinas

THE Philippine Women’s National Football Team beat the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1-0 last Wednesday to cap its campaign in the second round of the 2024 Paris Olympic Qualifiers in Perth, Australia.

Tahnai Annis slotted the winning goal in the 19th minute to give the country some hope of advancing to the next round. The football gods, however, had a different plan.

The Filipinas eventually finished second in group A, with six points behind the perfect nine points of host Australia. The Matildas beat Chinese Taipei, 3-0 in their last group fixtures to book their passage to the next phase of the qualifiers.

Despite finishing second in their group, the Filipinas’ lopsided 8-0 loss to the Matildas proved to be costly as it prevented them from getting the best second place mark in the tournament due to goal difference.

The Philippines had a -4 in goal difference after three games. Uzbekistan

took that spot after demolishing India, 3-0 in their Group C matchup to finish with six points but with a +2 in goal difference.

China and South Korea played to a 1-1 draw thus ending their own respective quest while Japan beat Vietnam, 2-0 to advance to Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

A draw or a win by India could have extended the Philippines’ campaign for a spot in Paris.

North Korea topped Group B in Xiamen, China to complete the four teams advancing to the third round where the top two teams will eventually go to Paris.

The failure to advance due to goal difference is a bitter pill to swallow for the Filipinas.

They almost qualified. But then again, there are many takeaways and positives for the team to build on.

A strong and sustainable program for the team, hopefully, will be in place as the Filipinas set their sights on the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Speaking of thinking forward, the Philippine Football Federation released all football related activities for November the other day.

From the 2024 Olympic Qualifiers to the AFC Cup, AFC Champions League, the PFF U19 Boys National

the Women’s World Cup this year, was also a contender but withdrew its interest on Monday following the Asian Football Confederation’s decision to back the Saudi bid.

48 Teams Acquiring the rights to host the World Cup, a policy which emanates directly from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, would be the latest step by Saudi Arabia to plant itself firmly in the center of the sports world and, according to its detractors, divert international attention from its human rights violations.

The country is already preparing to host the next Club World Cup at the end of December and the 2027 Asian Cup. It is also behind the breakaway LIV golf, hosts major boxing matches and horse races and its football clubs have started signing up some of the biggest names in world football, including Ballon d’Or winners Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

More surprisingly and widely criticized, the kingdom will host the 2029

Championship, Copa Paulino Alcantara Semifinal Leg and to the PFF Women’s League, the play dates are all included.

The Azkals’ games, too, are mentioned. Even the much anticipated PFF elections to determine who will succeed Nonong Araneta as football chief in the country has been calendared and set on Nov. 25.

To say that whoever wins the presidency will have the task of setting the direction for football in the country will be too simplistic and an understatement.

For the bare minimum, the new president will have to play a crucial role on what will happen to football in the country for the next few years.

On the upside, the move to release the full fixtures this month is praiseworthy for it will give fans the time to prepare for which games they will watch out for, whether in the domestic or foreign fronts.

It also opened the door for more positive possibilities for local football like sponsors to come in and support the local tournaments. Just hoping that the national team and the local clubs competing in the AFC tournaments will fare well and register strong results this month.

Azkals In an Azkals’ related news, two more names were added in the list for the training pool that is set to start on the 12th.

This is Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Sports City stadium in the port city of Jeddah.

Saudi Arabia is prepared to host the 2034 World Cup in summer or winter after the oil giant became the sole bidder for the tournament. The kingdom’s apparently successful bid, just 27 days after announcing it, comes less than a year after neighboring Qatar held the first Winter World Cup. This decision forced a pause in league competitions in Europe. AFP

Asian Winter Games in a futuristic complex under construction in Neom.

By securing the world’s most popular tournament, however, the kingdom faces an even bigger job than its neighbor and

sometime rival Qatar, the surprise host of the 2022 World Cup. The tournament will no longer be a 32team event. From 2026, 48 teams will be present at the finals. AFP

The PFF is expected to announce by next week the names of the players who were called up to possibly play against Vietnam and Indonesia in the World and Asian Cup qualifiers.

Just the same, several die-hard Azkals players who doubled as de-facto scouts for the national team have been busy of late.

They have been updating a list of possible prospects who can join the team by next year or in time for the squad’s next games in the qualifiers in March 2024.

These scouts, which include Rafael Pagaura, Ken Altar, Hans Roque and several more, have identified players coming from different leagues all over the world that have secured, if reports are true, Philippine passports already.

Meaning they can play for the flag and country once they are invited and accept the invitation to suit up for the sun and three stars.

These prospects are Kristofer Reyes, a center back for Throttur Vogum; Adrian Ugelvik, another center back who plays for Levanger FK; Dominic Vegaalban, a striker for Sacramento State Hornets; Daniel Lucas Larsson, a center back for Saint Peter’s Peacocks; Eddie Hudson lll, who plays as a center back for Flint City Bucks; and Pedro Ferndadez, a left winger/striker for FC Barcelona’s U16 team.

Several players too are on their radar who hold dual citizenships and are eli-

gible to play for the Philippines if they choose to do so.

These include Rhino Goutier, Isaiah Chisolm, Daniel Mahiya, Sean Leadley, Julius Lucena (son of Azakls’ great Jerry), Rocket Ritarita, Kruz and Kamden Held, Ethan Curtis, Joey de Ruijter, Will Mendoza, Enrique Elias Katsaros, Zachary Gabriel Cabiling, Mateo Colmenares, Justin von der Hitz, Stavros Charalampous and Cole Mrowka.

Most of these players are in their late teens and early 20s so there is enough time for them to get their papers in order.

Hoping that Azkals Coach Michael Weiss, team advisor and recruitment manager Stephan Schrock and the rest of the management team will check on these players soon and assess if they can play for th e team or at least deserve a face to face to assess the level of their skills and desire to play for the country.

Please tune in this Sunday, November 5 from 2-3:30pm at DZME 1530 Khz for another exciting episode of Larong Pilipino with The Designated Kit Man, veteran sports journalist Chino Trinidad and the walking history book himself, Cong. Butch Pichay.

Stay safe. Stay happy peeps!

For comments or questions, you can reach The Designated Kit Man at erel_cabatbat@yahoo.com or follow his account at Twitter: @erelcabatbat

ENTERTAINMENT Darren Espanto (left) and Cassy Legaspi work together for the first time in ‘When I Met You in Tokyo’

When Vilma Santos meets with Christopher de Leon in Tokyo

T

HEY make a movie that celebrates the timeless power of love.

Vilma Santos and Christopher De Leon, two of the most iconic stars in Philippine cinema, reunite in the movie When I Met You in Tokyo, an official entry to the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

The film, which Santos describes as a “simple but beautiful love story,” promises to appeal to audiences of all ages. It tells the tale of two people who find love in the most unexpected of places, and the lessons they learn along the way about love, forgiveness, and moving forward.

Santos is thrilled to be back in the MMFF after a long hiatus. She says that working on the film was a “teamwork effort” and that she is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with De Leon once again.

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

“Love knows no boundaries, and people of all ages can still fall in love,” Santos says of the film’s central message.

“That’s something that I think everyone can relate to.”

Santos is also looking forward to reconnecting with fans at the Parade of Stars on Christmas Day. “It reminds me of all the times I participated in the MMFF in the past,” she says. “It’s such a fun and festive event.”

Meanwhile, during the media conference for the film, the cast and crew of JG Productions’ When I Met You in Tokyo were overjoyed after the movie was selected as an official entry to this year’s MMFF. The long-awaited big screen reunion of the King of Philippine Drama and his ‘70s love team partner was made even more special by the good news.

Producer Rajan Gidwani expressed his gratitude to everyone who helped make the project possible, including directors Rado Peru and Rommel Penesa, and writer Suzette Doctolero.

He also shared that the movie was almost 95 percent shot in Japan.

The JG producers were also excited about the movie’s inclusion in the Manila

International Film Festival happening from January 30 to February 2, 2024.

Actress Lynn Cruz, who is also part of the supporting cast, thanked the committee for giving their movie a chance. She shared that the movie tackles a story of love between two people, a story of love among friends and family, and a story of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

Sparkle artist and Eat Bulaga! mainstay Cassy Legaspi,, who is introduced in the movie alongside Darren Espanto,, also shared her joy. She expressed gratitude to the MMFF committee and invited viewers to support this year’s entries. Darren also expressed his appreciation in his message on social media to the MMFF Committee for selecting When I Met You in Tokyo to join the other nine titles on December 25.

Singer-actress Kakai Bautista expressed her appreciation to those who found merit in When I Met You in Tokyo to be an official entry. She jokingly warned moviegoers to bring a lot of tissues and stomach space because they would be laughing and crying a lot.

A FILIPINA has finally won the Mrs. Universe crown. Meranie Gadiana Rahman, a native of Cagayan de Oro who migrated to Hawaii, USA, emerged victorious among 90 candidates from around the world during the grand coronation night of the 46th Mrs. Universe pageant, recently held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Newport World Resorts in Pasay City.

“I am thrilled to be the first Filipina to wear the Mrs. Universe crown,” said Rahman, a mother who survived and recovered from postpartum depression.

The model and beauty queen founded the ‘You Are Loved Foundation for Postpartum Depression,’ a non-profit organization that raises awareness about postpartum depression, a medical condition experienced by new mothers after childbirth. Common symptoms include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping.

Rahman, who won as Mrs. Philippines World 2021 and Mrs. Hawaii 2019, went through postpartum depression and was advised by her husband, a medical doctor, to join in pageants which helped in her healing and recovery.

She studied and received a Postnatal Depression Awareness Diploma, and gave talks on TV and radio about postpartum depression based on her own experiences. She was awarded by the Hawaii House of Representatives for her contribution to promoting postpartum depression awareness.

Rahman’s runners-up were Kalpana Shukia of UK India (1st runner-up), Arlene Cris Damot of the Philippines (2nd runner-up), Emma Melik-Adaman of Black Sea (3rd runner-up), and Anna Pechurina of Moscow (4th runner-up). ***

Mrs. Universe 2023 Meranie Gadiana Rahman

Jessica Soho bags Global Awards for Journalism BROADCAST journalist Jessica Soho has been conferred with the prestigious Global Awards for Journalism at the 13th Annual The Outstanding Filipino Awards (TOFA) 2023. The event was held on October 27, in Downtown Los Angeles, California.

Widely regarded as the Philippines’ most trusted and most awarded broadcast journalist, Soho was recognized for her remarkable contributions to the worldwide Filipino media industry. She is known for her hard-hitting investigative reporting and her commitment to telling the stories of ordinary Filipinos.

C3

Hawaiian-Filipina crowned Mrs. Universe 2023

Veteran actors Christopher De Leon (left) and Vilma Santos banner ‘When I Met You in Tokyo’

By Nickie Wang

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023

In the span of almost four decades, her work has had a significant impact on Filipino society, through her awardwinning show Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho.

As Soho mentioned in her speech: “By honoring me with this award, your organization also recognizes the work we do in the media, in Philippine journalism. Thank you. Maraming, maraming salamat po. I promise that for as long as I can, I will do my best to tell the story of our country and of our people. And never doubt the promise of stories to inspire, give hope, and change lives.”

This year’s awardees included Atty. Leni Robredo, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo,, Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel,, the creative team behind Broadway’s Here Lies Love, and May Parsons,, the first nurse to administer the COVID-19 vaccine in the UK. Together with Soho, these remarkable individuals serve as inspirations to all and reflect the diversity and excellence of the Filipino community. The event was hosted by King of Talk Boy Abunda.

TOFA Awards is one of the most prestigious awards ceremonies for Filipinos living abroad. It recognizes the outstanding contributions of Filipinos in various fields, including business, entertainment, law, and arts.

Throughout its history, TOFAAwards has celebrated over 200 remarkable Filipinos including luminaries such as multiple award-winning actress and singer Lea Salonga, co-founder and CEO of Rappler Maria Ressa, Filipino fashion designer Michael Cinco, the world’s first and only armless pilot Jessica Cox, White House Chef Cris Comerford, and GMA Pinoy TV, among many others.

As part of this year’s FilipinoAmerican History Month celebration, GMA Pinoy TV is the exclusive media sponsor for the 13th Annual TOFA Awards, in partnership with the National Federation of FilipinoAmerican Associations (NaFFAA).

Seasoned journalist Jessica Soho is recognized for her remarkable contributions to the media industry

S N A P S H O T

International pageant redefines relevance of beauty contests Meanwhile, the first Mr. & Ms. Posture International (MMPI) pageant, an unconventional pageant for people who “Think, Eat, Move, and Stand Right,” was launched by the Chiropractic Diplomatic Corps (CDC) during the recent celebration of World Spine Day. The pageant aims to bring awareness to the disparity of available chiropractors in the world.

The very idea of the MMPI reimagines and redefines the relevance of a beauty contest from a commonplace standpoint to something that goes beyond concept and definition. It distinguishes itself as the only pageant that focuses on a natural health lifestyle and chiropractic care as an alternative health care modality.

The contestants will be given lessons on the advantages of a natural healthy lifestyle and chiropractic care and will compete in a live essay competition. The Chiropractic Diplomatic Corps Inc. is looking for winners who will best represent the organization and are passionate about creating a platform that creates a positive impact on people and communities The inaugural MMPI will be held in Bangalore, India in October 2024. *** Riza Oben Dormiendo named Miss IWCPI 2023 Miss Inner Wheel Club of the Philippines International (IWCPI) 2023 crowned Riza Oben Dormiendo during the IWCPI United Nations Day celebration at One Shangri-la Place, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Dormiendo emerged victorious from a pool of more than 150 candidates f r o m various I W C districts after the top five contestants engaged in a final question-andanswer round.

“Thank you so much to my Sisterhood in IWC Muntinlupa Filinvest District 383, to my District Chairman Analie Bolinao and National President Sofie Lee, for making this honor possible, said Dormiendo, Club President of Inner Wheel Club (IWC) Muntinlupa Filinvest District 383.

The International Inner Wheel (IIW) operates in 103 countries with 3,895 clubs. The IWCPI is governed by a National Board and a Board of Trustees, consisting of nine officers (EXECOM) and nine district chairpersons.

MOST DECORATED BEAUTY STEIA Isla Sian,, representing Mrs. North Pacific Asia, achieved a remarkable Top 10 finish at the 46th Mrs. Universe 2023 Pageant.

Competing against more than 90 delegates, she also secured a place in the Top 25 semifinalists during the Coronation Night at Newport Performing Arts Theater.

Sian’s achievements extended beyond the pageant stage as she was named “Darling of the Crowd” at the Mrs. Universe 2023 Queens Ball Charity Gala Night held at The Manila Hotel on October 4. Additionally, she earned several awards, including “Best in Swimwear,” “Mrs. Charming,”“Mrs. Personality,” and “Most Famous.”

LIFE

C4 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023 Nickie Wang, Editor Angelica Villanueva , Writer E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

F

UNERAL service providers often understand that families are going through a difficult and emotional time, and they aim to relieve some of the burdens associated with organizing a funeral. They help with tasks like preparing the deceased, arranging the venue, coordinating with religious or spiritual leaders, and managing paperwork.

Transforming end-of-life service with new approach

The phrase “iiyak ka na lang” is their way of offering support and reassurance that they will take care of the rest, which can be comforting during a very challenging period of loss.

Aeternitas Chapels and Columbarium is revolutionizing this approach by providing funeral services in a welcoming atmosphere, featuring hotellike amenities, and delivering comprehensive support to bereaved families.

Marketing director Hero Francisco said that the company is trying to veer away from the dark and gloomy aesthetic that is common in columbariums and funeral homes.

Instead, they created spaces where families can come to celebrate the lives of their loved ones in a dignified and meaningful way.

Nested in the heart of Quezon City, this nine-story property on Commonwealth Avenue Guest speaker and grief counselor Philson Manuel (second from right) with the Aeternitas team also offers a number of (from left) VP for Operations, Barbie Francisco, Chairman and founder Orly Francisco, and VP for thoughtful amenities, Marketing Hero Francisco such as cozy bedrooms in the chapels and expansive windows with views response to the loss of a loved one. He also discussed Manuel also highlighted the importance of having of the Sierra Madre mountain range.

Francisco underscored that Aeternitas is dedicated the two levels of expressing grief: personal and access to good funeral and burial services.

“When good facilities are properly in place to the wellbeing of the bereaved. The facility provides communal.

Personal self-care involves taking care of one’s and burial services are outstanding, they ease the a variety of services to support families on their journey of grief, including grief counseling, self-care physical, emotional, and mental needs. This includes burden for the bereaved,” he said. “Nakakabawas ng maintaining a regular exercise routine, getting alalahanin (It reduces their worries).” workshops, and private family gatherings.

Aeternitas Chapels and Columbarium is a funeral The chapels and vaults offer a serene environment enough sleep, eating healthy foods, and practicing meditation.

It is also important to be kind to oneself, and burial service provider that offers a wide range with cozy bedrooms and scenic views, fostering a sense of peace. Aeternitas also facilitates connections forgive oneself, and allow oneself to cry and express of services, including chapel rental, cremation, and one’s emotions. columbarium services. The company is committed among bereaved families through support groups.

Communal self-care involves reaching out to providing its clients with the highest quality of Their commitment to self-care is reinforced by to others for support and sympathy.

Grieving services and support during their time of need. thoughtful amenities like a butler service, spacious To learn more about Aeternitas Chapels and family rooms, and a café, creating a welcoming people may find it difficult to function normally, so they need the help of their friends, family, and Columbarium, please visit their Facebook page at atmosphere during a challenging time. https://www.facebook.com/aeternitaschapels/ Recently, Aeternitas invited grief counselor, community. psychologist, and book author Philson Manuel for a wellness talk dubbed Lingap: Self-care in the time of grief and loss.

The talk was part of Aeternitas’ commitment to providing comfort and support to its community members during difficult times.

“We want to assure our community that we are here for them,” said Aerernitas sales head Eddieboy Santos. “The core of our service is to provide comfort.”

In his talk, Manuel emphasized Chapel Manager Joey Guillen (foreground) with an Aeternitas that grief is a normal and healthy Moment of reflection at the Vault Area chapel butler

Cafe O is located on the ground floor of Aeternitas’ building

Aeternitas’ garden-themed main lobby

Ink courage Overcoming fears with the power of pen HALLOWEEN is over but things that scare us are always reaching our full potential. It can stop us from pursuing around the corner. Fear is such a powerful emotion that our dreams, building relationships, and experiencing can hold us back from achieving our full potential. How personal growth.” many times have you thought of breaking up with your The power of writing fears down partner, quitting your job, starting a business, or moving So how can we tackle these emotional fears? One abroad? effective approach is to write them down. Numerous Whether it’s the fear of failure, rejection, or the studies have shown that expressive writing, a form of unknown, these anxieties can be paralyzing. However, journaling where individuals write about their thoughts through my constant search for solutions to handling and emotions, can have significant psychological my own fears, I discovered that there is a simple yet effective tool that can help us confront and To be able to conquer the things that scare us – writing them overcome our down. fears, it's essential Let’s explore the psychology behind facing to recognize our our fears and how putting them on paper can be a fears and how it transformative step toward personal growth.

Understanding fear affect our lives Before we delve into the therapeutic benefits of writing down our fears, it’s essential to understand what fear is and how it affects our lives. Fear is a natural response to perceived threats. It triggers the “fight or flight” response, a survival mechanism designed to protect us from danger. However, in our modern world, many of our fears are not related to physical threats but rather to emotional, social, or psychological challenges.

Psychologist Susan David, in her book Emotional Agility, explains that these emotional fears can be just as debilitating as physical ones.

She writes, “Fear can limit us and keep us from

benefits.

Dr. James W. Pennebaker, a leading researcher in the field, conducted studies that revealed the therapeutic effects of writing about one’s deepest fears and anxieties. According to Dr. Pennebaker, “Writing about emotional experiences can improve mood disorders, enhance immune function, and even speed up healing after surgery.”

Writing down our fears allows us to confront them in a controlled environment. When we put our fears on paper, we bring them into the conscious realm, which makes them less intimidating. By articulating our anxieties, we can gain clarity on what specifically frightens us and begin to develop strategies for addressing them.

Learning the science The act of writing can be a cathartic experience.

It engages the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, problem-solving, and goal-setting. When we write about our fears, this region of the brain becomes activated, helping us process our emotions and fears more effectively.

Additionally, the act of putting our thoughts into words can be a way of self-reflection. It forces us to slow down and analyze our fears from a more rational perspective. This introspection can be incredibly revealing, often leading to the

Avida Land offers a cash prize of P500,000 to the winners of South Park District Mural Competition

Mural competition blends urban living with artistry AVIDA Land is celebrating its 33rd anniversary with the South Park District Mural Competition, offering a substantial cash prize of P500,000 for a team of talented visual artists. The competition’s theme, “Part City, Part Nature, Pure South,” aligns with Avida’s commitment to creating living spaces that blend urban comfort with natural vibrancy.

The winning team will not only receive the cash prize but will also have the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on South Park District, located in Alabang, Muntinlupa. The district encompasses Avida Towers Ardane, Avida Towers Altura, Central Park, South Park Center mall, and South Park Corporate Center, known for its thoughtful design and art installations by Reginald Yuson.

The competition is open to amateur and professional artists, 18 years and older, residing in the Philippines. Each group must consist of one leader and a minimum of nine members.

Participants are required to submit a digital copy of their mural design in PDF format, emphasizing eye-catching, Instagram-worthy features and interactivity.

The mural design must be achievable within fourteen working days and fit within a space of 20.5 meters in height and 40 meters in width.

Submissions must be sent to spdmural@ gmail.com by today, November 3.

Ten groups will be shortlisted as finalists, with the announcement scheduled for November 10. The finalists will present their designs to a panel of judges, including Avida officials, who will select the winning design. Davies Paints will provide materials for the winning team.

Tess Tatco, Marketing Head of Avida Land Corp., expressed their commitment to showcasing Filipino talents and making South Park District a prominent destination.

The winning mural will occupy a highly visible location within the district, attracting visitors to appreciate this Pinoy-made masterpiece firsthand.

This competition offers artists the opportunity to be part of a visionary movement that fuses urban living with creative passion, transforming South Park District into a living canvas of art and inspired living.

For detailed competition guidelines, visit https://www.avidaland.com/newsand-events/south-park-district-muralcompetition/.

Avida Land, a residential brand of Ayala Land, supports local economic growth and nation-building through sustainable estates, offering a diverse mix of properties, including residential, retail, office, hotels, and leisure developments. realization that our fears may be based on irrational beliefs or past traumas.

Overcoming fear Once you’ve written down your fears, the next step is to develop a plan for facing them. This plan could include setting small, manageable goals that gradually expose you to your fears. For example, if you have a fear of public speaking, start by practicing in front of a mirror or a trusted friend. Gradually increase the size of your audience until you feel more confident.

In her book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, Susan Jeffers emphasizes the importance of taking action in the face of fear. She writes, “The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it.” Writing down your fears can serve as a roadmap for this journey.

Facing and conquering our fears is a transformative journey. It requires courage, self-compassion, and a willingness to grow. Writing down your fears is the first step towards this journey.

Fear is a universal human experience, but it doesn’t have to control our lives. By writing down our fears, we can confront and understand them, develop strategies for overcoming them, and ultimately lead a more fulfilling and fearless life. As the saying goes, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

What are you waiting for? Pick up that pen and fear no more.

For your random thoughts, e-mail the author at randomrepublika@gmail.com.