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GROK: A SARCASTIC AI CHATBOT LINKED WITH X NETWORK

PALACE LIFTS SUSPENSION OF LTFRB’S GUADIZ

NEWS / A2

NEWS / A3 VOL. XXXVII • NO. 264 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Gaza exit of Pinoys on hold

As Hamas suspends evacuation

Radio anchor shot dead during live broadcast

By Rey E. Requejo

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HE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday said the evacuation of some 20 Filipinos from strifetorn Gaza will be delayed following spate of attacks along the route to the Egyptian border.

The announcement from the DFA came as the Hamas government in Gaza suspended the evacuation of foreign passport holders to Egypt Saturday when Israel refused to allow some wounded Palestinians to be evacuated to Egyptian hospitals.

“No foreign passport holder will be able to leave the Gaza Strip until wounded people who need to be evacuated from hospitals in north Gaza are transported through the Rafah crossing” to Egypt, a border official said on condition of anonymity.

Israel believes Hamas will try to sneak its wounded fighters into Egypt under the cover of the evacuation.

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the 20 Filipinos along with other foreign nationals should have exited through the Rafah crossing border this weekend, but a spate of attacks foiled this plan.

“The evacuation of foreign citizens from Gaza yesterday—Saturday— did not push through, because Hamas launched some attacks, then they blamed each other,” De Vega said in an interview.

He said Israel accused Hamas of

By Vince Lopez, Gabriellea Pariño, Charles Dantes and Rio N. Araja

BRAZEN MURDER. Radio anchor Juan Jumalon, 57, is shot twice in the head while doing his live broadcast in his home-based studio in Calamba, Misamis Occidental on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. Inset photo (right) shows Jumalon seconds before he was murdered and a policeman (left) pointing at a shell casing recovered at the crime scene.

Screengrab from the livestream of 94.7 Calamba Gold FM

A RADIO anchor was shot and killed while doing a live broadcast inside his own residence in Calamba, Misamis Occidental on Sunday.

The 57-year-old victim, Juan Tumpag Jumalon or “Johnny Walker,” was at his home-based radio station in Barangay Don Bernardo A. Neri when an unidentified gunman entered the radio booth and shot him in the face at point blank range.

The video stream showed Jumalon being shot twice by the suspect who also grabbed his gold necklace before fleeing the crime scene.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the shooting occurred at 5:35 a.m. while Jumalon was in the Next page

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Budget, priority bills top Congress agenda as sessions resume today

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta CONGRESS will resume regular sessions today after a five-week break and focus on passing the P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024 and the few remaining priority

bills of the administration.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez underscored the House’s commitment to prioritize the swift ratification of the 2024 spending plan and to deliver the budget bill to President Marcos for signing before Next page

Filipino among top languages in US according to a recent report by a US think tank.

Tagalog is the most spoken language FILIPINO or Tagalog is among the in nine cities, including Anchorage in top languages spoken in the United Next page States besides English and Spanish,

By Gabriellea Pariño

Ramos-Horta visit may hasten Teves’ return

By Rey E. Requejo and Vince Lopez FORMER congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. is believed to still be hiding in Timor Leste, but the state visit of the latter’s President, Jose Ramos-Horta, in Manila on Nov. 10 is raising hopes the ex-lawmaker may be extradited to face charges for the murder of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo last March.

Despite Timor Leste not having an extradition treaty with the Philippines, the Department of Justice said Sunday it will exhaust all legal options to bring Teves to face trial Next page

TIMELY AID. Speaker Martin Romualdez (second from right) distributes cash and rice assistance to thousands of Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) beneficiaries at the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan City, Laguna on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. Ver Noveno

Speaker, DSWD extend cash, rice aid to NCR, Laguna poor families

cash and rice assistance to 335,000 recipients in Metro Manila and Laguna.

Dubbed as the Cash and Rice DistriSPEAKER Martin Romualdez joined lawmakers and the Department of bution (CARD) Program, the groundSocial Welfare and Development breaking project is in response to the Next page (DSWD) on Sunday in handing out

By Rio N. Araja

MEDIA’S ROLE IN THE AGE OF INFORMATION DISORDER. Officers and board members of the Philippine Press Institute led by its chairman and Manila Standard publisher Rolando Estabillo, take their oath of office before Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo at the Supreme Court on Oct. 26, 2023. Gesmundo, a former journalist of the now-defunct Business Day, underscored the important role of media amid the spread of misinformation and disinformation. From left: Marie Antoinette Ruiz (Treasurer), Monica Macasaet (Trustee for NCR), Francis Angelo (Trustee for Visayas), Dexter See and Joenald Rayos (Trustees for Luzon), Ruevivar Reyes (Southern Leyte Times), Alfonso Pedroche (Pilipino Star Ngayon), Mr. Estabillo, Ariel Sebellino (Executive Director), Juliet Javellana (Philippine Daily Inquirer), and Joyce Babe Pañares (Seminar Director and Manila Standard Managing Editor).

NEWS

A2 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Grok: Sarcastic AI chatbot with access to X E

LON MUSK on Saturday unveiled details of his new AI tool called “Grok,” which can access X in real time and will be initially available to the social media platform’s top tier of subscribers.

Musk, the tycoon behind Tesla and SpaceX, said the link-up with X, formerly known as Twitter, is “a massive advantage over other models” of generative AI. Grok “loves sarcasm. I have no idea who could have guided it this way,” Musk quipped, adding a laughing emoji to his post.

“Grok” comes from “Stranger in a Strange Land,” a 1961 science fiction novel by Robert Heinlein, and means to understand something thoroughly and intuitively.

“As soon as it’s out of early beta, xAI’s Grok system will be available to all X Premium+ subscribers,” Musk said.

The social network that Musk bought

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middle of his radio program on 94.7 Calamba Gold FM. The suspect and the motive for the murder have yet to be determined.

President Marcos condemned the killing as he warned that those who threatened press freedom would face the full consequences of their actions.

In a post on his X account the President ordered the PNP to conduct a comprehensive investigation to arrest the suspect.

“Attacks on journalists will not be tolerated in our democracy, and those who threaten the freedom of the press will face the full consequences of their actions,” he added.

An SITG was formed to look into Jumalon’s killing in Misamis Occidental, as condemnation poured in regarding his shocking death while doing his show.

Police Brig. Gen. Ricardo Layug, Jr., acting regional director of Police Regional Office 10, said a thorough and active investigation to identify the killer is underway.

Layug added that the SITG would lead and coordinate efforts in the investigation.

“We extend our full support to the media community and underscore the vital collaboration among law enforcement, the community, and all the stakeholders in ensuring the safety of all the media practitioners in the region,” he said in a statement.

Jumalon was taken to the Calamba District Hospital but later died from the gunshot wound.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned the said murder of a radio broadcaster in his own residence.

“The attack is even more condemnable since it happened at Jumalon’s own home, which also served as the radio station,” the NUJP said.

“Jumalon’s killing is the 199th since 1986 and the fourth under the present administration,” it noted, adding that it also comes in the same week as the International Day to End Impunity For Crimes Against Journalists.

The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to activate a special investigation task group (SITG).

“Even as we extend our sympathy to the victim’s family and friends over this dastardly attack, we also call on the Misamis Occidental Police Office to immediately constitute its SITG to investigate this incident and apprehend the suspect and others possibly involved in the interest of justice,” PTFoMS executive director, Undersecretary Paul Gutierrez said.

attacking the border, while Hamas claimed that Israel was attacking convoys headed to the border.

The 20 Filipinos who were supposed to leave Gaza on Saturday were supposed to be followed by 26 more.

De Vega said 115 Filipinos initially wanted to cross the Rafah border, but some of them backed out upon knowing that they could not bring their Palestinian relatives or spouses with them.

“So far, not many Filipinos want to cross [the border]. There used to be many. Now only a few want to, about 46 Filipinos,” De Vega said, in an interview with radio DzBB. Only two Filipinos who work in Gaza, both volunteers for Doctors Without Borders, have already crossed the border to Egypt.

The Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv is trying to convince the Israeli government to allow some 38 Palestinian spouses to leave with their Filipino spouses.

Nonetheless, De Vega said he hoped that Filipinos would take advantage of the opening of the Egyptian border.

“It is better for them to cross the border now that there is permission,” he said, adding that permission to cross the border is up to the governments of

Ramos-Horta...

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dent Marcos “is pleased to welcome His Excellency José Ramos- Horta, President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, for his upcoming state visit to the Philippines, scheduled on November 10, Friday.”

The Philippines and Timor-Leste have enjoyed two decades of formal diplomatic relations anchored on common history and cultural and peopleto-people ties, the Palace noted.

The statement, however, did not say if Mr. Marcos and Ramos-Horta would discuss Teves, the former representative of Negros Oriental’s third district who was expelled from the House of Representatives for not returning home after Degamo’s death and after his travel authority expired.

A Manila City regional trial court earlier ordered the arrest of the exlawmaker and his co-accused on murder, frustrated murder, and attempted murder cases filed against them for the killings of Degamo and several other persons.

for the killing of Degamo and 11 others last March 4 in his hometown of Pamplona.

DOJ Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Mico Clavano said “it takes time to bring home a fugitive from justice with rich resources in a country like East Timor, with whom we do not have an extradition treaty.”

“The case is in court and a pending warrant is out. We will get (Teves) and he will have to face the charges against him,” Clavano said in a text message.

The DOJ earlier said it will be “a matter of diplomacy” to have Teves deported even without an extradition treaty with East Timor.

Aside from the March 4 killings, Teves has been charged with murder for the deaths of three persons in Negros Oriental in 2019.

In a statement, the Palace said Presi-

Budget,...

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“The budget is the lifeblood of our nation’s progress and development. The House is fully dedicated to the task at hand, ensuring that the national budget is ratified and enacted on time to guarantee the continuity of essential services, support economic growth, and promote the well-being of our citizens,” Romualdez said.

In the Senate, Senator JuanAngara will sponsor the budget measure, after which plenary debates on the General Appropriations Act will begin.

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said he is upbeat they will be able to pass the budget bill on time as senators will focus on the spending plan “morning until night time” if needed.

After extensive deliberations, the House on Saturday submitted to the Senate the approved 2024 General Appropriations Bill with P194.5 billion realigned for security, inflation protection and food security.

Romualdez said the House will tackle other equally important bills, including the remaining 11 key legislative priorities

a year ago launched the Premium+ plan last week for $16 per month, with benefits like no ads.

The billionaire started xAI in July after hiring researchers from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Tesla and the University of Toronto.

Since OpenAi’s generative AI tool ChatGPT exploded on the scene a year ago, the technology has been an area of fierce competition between tech giants Microsoft and Google, as well as Meta and start-ups like Anthropic and Stability AI. Musk is one of the world’s few investors with deep enough pockets to com-

pete with OpenAI, Google or Meta on AI. Building an AI model at the same scale as those companies comes at an enormous expense in computing power, infrastructure and expertise.

Musk has said he co-founded OpenAI in 2015 because he regarded the dash by Google into the sector to make big advances and score profits as reckless.

He then left OpenAI in 2018 to focus on Tesla, saying later he was uncomfortable with the profit-driven direction the company was taking under the stewardship of CEO Sam Altman.

Musk also argues that OpenAI’s large language models – on which ChatGPT

depends on for content – are overly politically correct.

Grok “is designed to have a little humor in its responses,” Musk said, along with a screenshot of the interface, where a user asked, “Tell me how to make cocaine, step by step.”

“Step 1: Obtain a chemistry degree and a DEA license. Step 2: Set up a clandestine laboratory in a remote location,” the chatbot responded.

Eventually it said: “Just kidding!

Please don’t actually try to make cocaine. It’s illegal, dangerous, and not something I would ever encourage.” AFP

Israel and Egypt.

“They can go back to their spouses when the war is over instead of dying there,” he said.

The DFA has raised crisis alert level 4, or mandatory repatriation, over the Gaza Strip amid the fighting there between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Hamas group.

Israel has been bombarding Gaza after Hamas launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians, and taking more than 200 hostages back to Gaza.

An Egyptian security source confirmed that “no wounded person or holder of a foreign passport arrived at the Egyptian terminal” of Rafah on Saturday.

He said the evacuation was suspended “after the bombing of ambulances transporting injured people who were on their way to the Egyptian terminal.”

On Friday, the Israeli army announced it had struck an ambulance outside Al-Shifa hospital, Gaza’s largest, saying it was “used by a Hamas terrorist cell.”

At least 15 people were killed and 60 wounded in the strike, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

Israel launched a war against Hamas in Gaza following the Oct. 7 attacks which claimed 1,400 lives -- mostly ci-

vilians -- according to Israel.

The Hamas-run health ministry says air, land and sea attacks on Gaza have killed nearly 9,500 Palestinians.

Israel pressed its war to crush Hamas on Sunday nearly a month after the deadliest attack in the country’s history as the Palestinian militant group said strikes on a central Gaza refugee camp killed dozens.

Ground battles raged in the north of the densely populated Gaza Strip, despite calls for a ceasefire from Arab countries and from desperate civilians after 30 days of a war that has killed thousands, mostly civilians.

Israeli troops were seen engaged in house-to-house battles as tanks and armored bulldozers churned through the sand in footage released by the army on the campaign to tighten the encirclement of Gaza City, still home to hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Since the shock Hamas attack of Oct. 7, Israel has relentlessly bombarded the besieged Gaza Strip, leveling entire city blocks.

In a video taken from Israel’s Sderot along the border with the Gaza Strip, an Israeli flag was seen raised on top of a destroyed building.

As the war ground into its fifth week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

was on a Middle East tour Sunday and headed to Turkey, voicing support for its ally Israel while also urging “humanitarian pauses” and seeking to prevent a wider regional conflagration.

Since Israel sent ground forces into the north of the narrow Palestinian territory late last month, “over 2,500 terror targets have been struck” by “ground, air and naval forces,” the army said on Sunday.

Soldiers were engaged in “close-quarters combat”, it said, as Israeli jets were striking targets including a “Hamas military compound” overnight in the north of Gaza, vast areas of which have been reduced to a wasteland of rubble.

Leaflets dropped by the army again urged Gaza City residents to evacuate south between 10 a.m. (0800 GMT) and 2 p.m. (1200 GMT), a day after a US official said at least 350,000 civilians remained in and around the city that is now an urban war zone.

In the latest strikes in Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry said, Israeli bombing of Al-Maghazi refugee camp late Saturday killed 45 people, with an eyewitness reporting children dead and homes smashed.

“An Israeli air strike targeted my neighbor’s house in Al-Maghazi camp, my house next door partially collapsed,” said Mohammed Alaloul, 37, a journalist working for the Turkish Anadolu Agency. With AFP

outlined mostly in both the LegislativeExecutive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) and President Marcos’ State of the Nation Address last July.

Under LEDAC, the pending bills are the Department of Water Resources and Services and Creation of Water Regulatory Commission, Tatak-Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act, and the Blue Economy Law, all of which were already approved by the respective mother committees and are waiting for comments of the House committee on appropriations.

Also to be tackled are amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act or Republic Act No. 9136, the Government Procurement Reform Act, and the Cooperative Code, are all under committee/technical working group, and Budget Reforms Modernization, National Defense Act, New Government Auditing Code, and Philippine Defense Industry Development Act, all of which are still under committee deliberations.

From the SONA, seven bills are still pending, but six of these are also listed as LEDAC measures.

The measure that is not listed by the LEDAC is the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge/Road User’s Tax. “Our primary focus continues to be

the legislative agenda outlined by President Marcos, and we are fully committed to working diligently to pass these vital bills for the betterment of our nation,” Romualdez said.

Of the 17 SONA 2023 priority measures, one has been enacted into law, one has been ratified by the bicameral conference committee, and eight have been approved by the House on the third and final reading.

The Automatic Income Classification Act for Local Government Units has already become law, and the Ease of Paying Taxes bill has successfully completed the bicameral conference process. Notable bills like the Excise Tax on Single-Use Plastics and the VAT on Digital Services have passed the third reading.

Romualdez emphasized the importance of cooperation between the legislative and executive branches through the LEDAC, recognizing that unity and collaboration are essential in developing effective policies and reforms.

For his part, Villanueva said other bills to be passed are the Tatak Pinoy Act and other public works measures.

Villanueva said other priority measures are already in the advanced stages of legislation.

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peoples (IPs) – will get at least P2,000: P950 for a 25-kilogram sack of rice bought at P38 per kilo and the remaining in cash to buy other food essentials.

The DSWD is tasked to identify the beneficiaries and may increase the amount of assistance in some areas depending on its evaluation of its prevailing circumstances.

Romualdez said that like the Presidents’ Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) – a program that brings over a hundred government services directly to the people – that would be implemented nationwide, the CARD program will also go beyond Metro Manila to include the rest of the 250 congressional districts in the Philippines.

At 10,000 beneficiaries per district, the total recipients would be 2.5 million indigent and vulnerable Filipinos, the Speaker said.

He noted that the program was conceived in light of escalating rice prices and the subsequent challenges faced by Filipino consumers, empowering them

to gain access to rice at better prices and augment their buying capacity.

It also serves as a countermeasure against hoarders and rice price manipulation, the Speaker added.

Romualdez, one of the principal organizers of BPSF, reiterated that the government is committed to bring more than 60 government services closer to the people by visiting all 82 provinces.

“The Serbisyo Fair truly breathed life into the aspirations of the President to bring so many government programs within the reach of people who may not have the means to avail of these benefits,” he said.

The Grand Launch of the BPSF in the town of Nabua in Camarines Sur was led by the President and was launched simultaneously in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Tolosa town in Leyte in Visayas, and in the Municipality of Monkayo, Davao de Oro in Mindanao.

The BPSF was expected to initially benefit 400,00 plus Filipinos seeking to avail more services offered by various government agencies, with a fund of at least P1 billion.

challenge of President Marcos for Romualdez and the House of Representatives to give rice aid to poor and vulnerable families.

The aid is channeled through legislative districts in Metro Manila and two cities in Laguna in collaboration with the DSWD under Secretary Rex Gatchalian.

“This is an historic day not only for Laguna but for the entire Metro Manila,” Romualdez said.

The CARD Program benefits 10,000 indigent families in each of Metro Manila’s 33 legislative districts with the aid divided into four payouts.

Alongside the launch in the metro was the distribution in Biñan City to 3,000 beneficiaries and in Sta. Rosa City for 2,000 families.

Each beneficiary – including senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), solo parents, and indigenous

Ground battles

Alaska and Las Vegas in Nevada, according to WordFinderX. “The American West is home to 45% of all US Asians, making Asian languages the most spoken in many cities, following English and Spanish,” the report by the think tank states.

Las Vegas is also home to one of the largest Filipino-American communities in the United States.

But a language expert believes that it is still premature to determine if the Filipino language will soon overtake more areas in the States.

“The Filipino language has not attained its prestige like English. It is also unclear, even in the Philippines, if Filipino has already accommodated at least half of our native languages— being Tagalog-centric or Tagalogbased,” Mark Angeles, a Filipino essayist and professor at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), said.

Angeles also emphasized the differences between the use of the Filipino language abroad and back in the archipelago when it comes to diction and intonation.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Over 1,500 join SC’s fun run for judicial innovation MORE than 1,500 participants, including justices and court officials, have joined the Supreme Court’s (SC) fun run for judicial innovation on Sunday.

Among the justices who participated in the fun run dubbed the “SPJI in Motion: Strategic Run for Judicial Innovations 2023” were Associated Justices Mario Lopez, Jhosep Lopez, and Jose Midas Marquez.

Associate Justices Ricardo Rosario and Antonio Kho Jr. as well as SC officials and employees, trial court judges and members of various court organizations were also present.

In his remarks, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said the event was a reminder that the Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 is “now in motion.”

The top magistrate also called for continued support for all of the High Court’s reform initiatives under the SPJI, which serves as the roadmap for judicial reforms.

“As this occasion reminds us, the SPJI is now in motion. And it is up to us to ensure its continued progress towards our vision of a more effective and responsive judiciary, serving not only the people but also the dedicated individuals within it,” Gesmundo told the participants to the fun run which was divided into three race categories namely 5k, 3k and 1k.

“You have fought the good fight; you have run the race; now I hope you keep the faith: that we can all make it to the finish line of these reforms, where our dream of a better judiciary awaits,” Gesmundo added.

He added that much like the fun run, the reforms envisioned under the SPJI are also going to test the judiciary’s determination, endurance, and stamina.

“But seeing you all here today, running for a cause early this cold Sunday morning, I am confident that we as one Supreme Court will make it to the finish line,” he added. Rey E. Requejo

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023

Guadiz back as LTFRB chief

By Darwin G. Amojelar and Rio N. Araja

AND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chief Teofilo Guadiz III is back at work following the lifting of his suspension by Malacanang.

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Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said it is “in the exigency and best interest of service” that Guadiz is reinstated as LTFRB chairman.

Malacanang ordered the reinstatement of Guadiz after Jefferson Tumbado, a former employee of LTFRB withdrew his charges about alleged corruption in the LTFRB. “The Office of the President lifted the suspension order imposed upon LTFRB Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III after Jefferson Gallos Tumbado, who appears to be the sole witness in his case, executed an Affidavit of Recantation withdrawing his statements and allegations against

him,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a separate statement.

“As such there stands no reason to place Chairperson Guadiz under preventive suspension unless a supervening event maintaining the same accusations against him are put forth before the OP,” he added.

Guadiz in a statement thanked President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for his decision to reinstatement as LTFRB chief.

“I am truly honored and humbled by the trust and confidence that President Marcos has placed in me to continue serving our nation in this capacity,” Guadiz said.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chief Teofilo Guadiz III

“I pledge to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and efficiency in leading the LTFRB. We will work tirelessly to address the pressing issues and challenges in the transporta-

tion sector, striving to improve the lives of the Filipino people by providing safe, reliable, and accessible public transportation services,” he added.

Under the leadership of President Marcos, Guadiz said the LTFRB looks forward to contributing to the administration’s vision of progress and prosperity for the Philippines.

“I am committed to working closely with our dedicated team at the LTFRB and other stakeholders to achieve our common goals,” Guadiz said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended Guadiz last October amid accusations of corruption in the approval of franchises, new routes and special permits in exchange for a huge sum of money.

Days after claiming that there is corruption in the LTFRB, Tumbado recanted his accusations, saying these were borne out of “irrational thinking and poor decision-making.”

HOW TO PACIFY A BABY 101. It takes five adults, no less, to pacify this baby who throws a fit as a medical team extracts blood sample from his arm preparatory to a surgical operation on his cleft lip during the Operation Smile mission at the Medical City in Clark, Pampanga.

Revoli Cortez

Nueva Vizcaya bettor wins P102m on 6/42 Lotto draw A LUCKY bettor from Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya is the newest member of the country’s multi-millionaires’ club.

For picking the winning combination 07-34-11-26-05-06 on Saturday’s 6/42 Lotto draw, this bettor pocketed the total jackpot prize of P102,254,379.40, according to a statement released by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Sunday.

The check can be claimed at the PCSO main office in Mandaluyong City upon presentation of the winning ticket and two identification cards. The bettor has one year to claim the prize, the PCSO said.

Lotto winnings of over P10,000 shall be subject to a 20 percent tax under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law.

Meanwhile, 69 other bettors won P24,000 each for guessing five out of the six winning numbers; 3,422 bettors will get P800 each for four correct digits; and 55,633 will settle for PHP20 each for three correct digits.

The 6/42 Lotto is drawn every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

PCSO urges the public to patronize the games as a large portion of the revenues goes to the government’s charity programs.

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Prices of agricultural products seen to go up during holidays

By Othel V. Campos DESPITE assurances from the government that prices of commodities will remain stable, agriculture stakeholders forecast spikes in the cost of basic agricultural products like chicken and rice.

Grains Retailers’ Confederation (GRECON) national spokesperson Orly Manuntag said there is an impending P2 to P3 increase per kilo of local

rice, owing to the increase in the buying price of palay.

“We expect this by mid-November. It might be an increase of P2 to P3 pesos kilo of rice in the market. Usually during the holiday season, our prices are stable and steady, however, we noticed that the increase in the buying price of palay is driving rice prices,” Manuntag said.

According to him, the buying price of palay by the National Food Authority

(NFA) has increase form P18 to P23 per kilogram (kg) plus another P3-incentive from the local government units (LGUs) of rice producing regions.

While the wet cropping season is almost over, the buying price of paddy rice spikes to P27 to P28/kg, rice retailers said.

That’s only for local rice. Imported rice from Vietnam has also exhibited increases of $20 to $30 per metric ton (MT), while rice from India, Pakistan

and Thailand have remained stable.

On the other hand, prices of dressed chicken is likely to remain stable given the huge volume of imports that has arrived in the previous months and the good performance of the local poultry sector.

Prices of chicken at the farmgate level have dropped to P104 to P106 per kilogram last month, said United Broiler Raisers Association (UBRA) president Elias Inciong.

Talks underway for purchase of 7 Gov’t to extend Indian choppers for Coast Guard use e-visas— Marcos

WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN. Devotees venerate various icons

of Catholic saints on display at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros Manila as a parallel celebration of the Solemnity of All Saints unfolds at the Nuestra Senora del Pilar Chapel of the same church. Danny Pata

THE Indian government is offering the Philippines at least seven helicopters seen to bolster the rescue and humanitarian endeavors of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) quoted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as saying India’s offer will “boost efforts to build up the country’s capabilities in terms of rescue and humanitarian efforts.”

“We’re trying to build up our capacity —our capabilities in terms of our coast guard, in terms of our—of course, the search and rescue is always the primary consideration,” the President said.

The Chief Executive made the remarks during last week’s courtesy call

of Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran.

Mr. Marcos and Kumaran talked about continuing efforts to strengthe bilateral relations between the Philippines and India.

Kumaran said there are already ongoing talks between the Indian government, the PCG and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for the supply of the seven helicopters.

“The discussion is going on very well. The Coast Guard is very interested—they’ve flown the helicopter … I would request your consideration because that would be a very positive [program],” Kumaran told President Marcos.

Senator urges gov’t to be vigilant, saying global crises could trigger inflation

By Macon Ramos-Araneta IN light of the escalating Israel-Hamas conflict and its potential impact on global prices especially oil and other commodities, Senator Christopher Go has called on the government to be vigilant in protecting consumer welfare.

Go cited the need to monitor prices and implement necessary interventions to mitigate the impact of inflation especially on the poor and vulnerable sectors.

“Global events have local consequences. We cannot afford to be passive spectators,” said Go. The government, he said, has a moral and social obligation to protect the welfare of its citizens, particularly those who are most vulnerable.

He elaborated on the critical role of price monitoring in safeguarding consumer welfare.

“By keeping a close eye on market prices, we can preemptively identify

and address potential issues before they escalate into full-blown crises,” Go stressed.

The World Bank has sounded the alarm on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, warning that it could lead to significant price shocks on essential commodities like oil and agricultural products.

Coupled with the ongoing war in Russia and Ukraine, these global crises have created a volatile economic landscape that could have severe repercussions locally.

According to the World Bank, the future is uncertain with various scenarios that could unfold depending on global oil prices.

With this, Go emphasized the importance of being vigilant and proactive in navigating these economic uncertainties. He urged the government to lay down necessary measures to alleviate the burden on the poor.

KAINGIN BUKID UNDER FIRE. Firemen have their hands full putting out a structural fire that razes a seedy neighborhood in Kaingin Bukid, Brgy. Apolonio Samson in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

By Vince Lopez PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said his government is fine-tuning some measures aimed at extending the electronic visas (E-visa) issued to foreigners coming to the country.

“We will find a way to do it. But we are doing it (extending the e-visa),” President Marcos said during the courtesy visit of Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran at Malacañang last week.

During the courtesy visit, the Indian envoy asked President Marcos to allow the extension of e-visas for Indian nationals who are staying in the Philippines.

The President replied by saying that provisions for e-visa extensions will be implemented, not only for the Indian nationals, but also for other foreigners who are staying in the Philippines as well.

“It won’t be just India, we are doing it with…several other countries as well to keep it. Again, we will just apply the same principles that we did with others – to India. But that is something that’s easy for us,” Mr. Marcos said.

“That’s going to be a good beginning of a good exchange between our two countries,” the Chief Executive added.

Kumaran called on President Marcos last week to reiterate India’s intentions to strengthen bilateral relations with the Philippines. Next year will mark the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the PhilippinesIndia diplomatic relations.

NEWS

A4 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PM says Japan to finance more patrol vessels for Coast Guard

By Vince Lopez THE Japanese government will finance five more ships for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.

During his address at the joint special session of the Senate and House of Representatives on Saturday, Kishida said 12 ships were already provided to the Philippines.

“The last pillar of the New (free and open Indo-Pacific) FOIP Plan is extending efforts for security and safe use of the sea to the air. Japan has hitherto provided 12 ships to the Coast Guard to play a part in improving the Philippines’ maritime security capability,” Kishida said.

The PCG maritime assets under Japan’s financing include 10 units of 44-meter Multi-Role Response Vessels (MRRV) and two units of 97-meter MRRVs. On top of the 12 ships already delivered, five additional units of 97-meter MRRVs are intended to be financed by Japan, bringing the total to 17 ships.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista welcomed the development, adding that the agency will continue initiatives to modernize the PCG. Bautista recently ordered new PCG Commandant Ronnie Gil Gavan to expedite the agency’s modernization to strengthen PCG personnel amid challenges in protecting the Philippine waters.

On the last day of his two-day visit, the Japanese Prime Minister visited the PCG headquarters in Manila.

With Bautista, Kishida boarded the BRP Teresa Magbanua, one of the two 97-meter MRRVs that conduct maritime security and maritime safety operations in the country’s exclusive economic zones (EEZ), as well as search and rescue missions, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response efforts.

ONE OF THE WORLD’S BEST. Foreign and local tourists visit the walled city of Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila on Sunday. Intramuros has been nominated as one of the world’s leading tourist attractions for 2023 by the World Travel Awards (www.worldtravelawards.com/vote). Danny Pata

‘Congress will back security, defense treaties for PH waters’ S

By Rio N. Araja

PEAKER Ferdinand Martin Romualdez again stressed that the House of Representatives intends to support initiatives to protect national interests in the West Philippine Sea.

Romuadez made the statement, buoyed

by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s speech during Saturday’s special joint session of Congress and the Senate, where Kishida bared just how serious a partner Japan was to the Philippines regarding issues of security and defense cooperation.

“Prime Minister Kishida’s remarks prove that Japan is a dependable, eager, and

stable partner of the Philippines in fostering international order. Together with likeminded nations such as the United States, we look forward to solidifying the cooperation blueprint with Japan,” Romualdez said.

Kishida emphasized Japan›s «renewed commitment» to defend a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), saying that an important pillar of FOIP was to “extend efforts for

security and safe use of the sea to the air,” citing the Japanese government’s decision to donate 12 ships to the Philippine Coast Guard as well as the delivery of a warning and control radar to the Philippine Air Force.

The Philippine Navy is waiting on coastal surveillance radars from Japan under the newly established Official Security Assistance amid the promise of the Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement’s version of the Visiting Forces Agreement.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday meanwhile said that the Philippines and Japan have started negotiations for the proposed Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between the two countries anchored on maintaining a rules-based international order.

IN BRIEF

Meddling barangay officials will face charges, Comelec warns

By Gabriellea Pariño THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it will be filing cases against local government officials who “interfered” in the recent Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in October.

Comelec chair George Garcia said that certain local government officials were found to have “meddled and threatened poll workers” during the BSKE. “I have called for a meeting to finalize the list of officials who interfered in our election. We need to take this matter seriously, especially since it may happen again in future elections,” Garcia said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB. Garcia said that the list of names will be finalized in the coming week.

“We will not file cases against our

teachers, but we will do so against those who would inf luence or threaten them.

They must be held accountable,” Garcia said.

The Comelec chief also said the poll regulator will not pursue criminal charges against teachers who backed out of their election duties.

An estimated 2,350 teachers backed out of their voluntary election day service from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

“The interference of an official who has already been elected and is not running for office messes up an election,” Garcia said.

The poll body has already received more than ten complaints against local government officials who interfered in the elections last October 30.

Muntinlupa wins sustainable city award

CARD PROGRAM. Beneficiaries from from Barangay 14, Caloocan City receive cash aid under the Cash Assistance and Rice Distribution (CARD) Program. The CARD program is an initiative of the Office of the House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez and the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Norman Cruz

Dela Rosa says destabilization plot within AFP organization ‘scary’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Ronald dela Rosa said any government destabilization plot from within the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is “scary.”

However, dela Rosa said he has not heard “of any moves to oust President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.” The senator vowed he will be one of those who would block any destabilization attempt, and warned that military coup plotters “will just go to jail.”

Earlier, AFP Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner clarified that there are no current destabilization “plots” against the government.

Brawner also insisted that he was misquoted and his speech in Zamboanga City on Friday was “taken out of context.”

“General Romeo S Brawner Jr, the Chief of Staff, AFP, was simply misquoted,” AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said in a statement.

In Brawner’s message to the troops of the Western Mindanao Command, “he merely mentioned the reported efforts by certain

individuals to upset the peace and stability that the country is enjoying right now under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,” Aguilar added.

In a television interview, Brawner clarified that he never said the word “plot” but admitted saying he was hearing rumors about destabilization “efforts” by retired military officers from Mindanao.

“If we say ‘plot’, that’s a plan that’s about to be executed. What I said during my statement was that we were hearing rumblings

of destabilization efforts—that’s the specific word I used, so I did not use the word ‘plot’,” he explained.

Aguilar also stressed that the AFP sees “no credible threat against national security” as he reminded AFP personnel to remain professional and loyal to their oath to protect the people and the state.

In a separate statement, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, who also served as AFP Chief before, reiterated that Brawner was misquoted or misinterpreted by the media.

Regulators urged to enhance cyberprotection

RUN FOR JUDICIAL INNOVATIONS. Around 1,500 participants, including Supreme Court (SC) justices, officials, and personnel joined the ‘SPJI in Motion: Strategic Run for Judicial Innovations 2023 Judiciary Fun Run’ on Sunday.

The AFP said the RAA is similar to the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) signed by the Philippines with the US. The RAA would finally be underway following President Marcos’ meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister, the AFP further said.

Col. Medel Aguilar, the AFP spokesman, said that the context of the access agreement would still depend on Manila and Tokyo’s discussions and how it would “support the activities that the two countries will hold.”

“It would promote interoperability between the two countries promoting a common agenda, which is a rules-based international order,” Aguilar said on a Teleradyo Serbisyo interview. With Vince Lopez

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian urged regulators to strengthen consumer protection from various online financial frauds during the Christmas season.

Gatchalian’s call echoed the recent warning to the public of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) of rising incidents of online scams in the country.

The CICC warned that scams emerge during this time of the year, including fake online shops selling counterfeit products and fake e-wallet scams on mobile apps.

Gatchalian said that financial institutions like the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Insurance Commission (IC), and the

Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) should bolster their cybersecurity measures.

In the case of banks, Gatchalian cited the importance of know-your-customer (KYC) processes, taking note that most banks now offer online opening of financial accounts.

According to him, the KYC processes of financial organizations serve as a filter to determine whether the account holder is real or not and to establish some form of accountability.

“It’s about time that we put a lot of emphasis on what the regulators are implementing considering we have already enacted the law for the protection of consumers and financial products and services,” Gatchalian said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

MUNTINLUPA City has won the “Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Award” by CityNet, a global network of cities working together for sustainable development.

CityNet recently held its 43rd Executive Committee Meeting in Suwon City, South Korea.

“With great gratitude, the City Government of Muntinlupa humbly accepts this SDG Award. Much needs to be done but we know that we are on the right and perfect direction--to create a smart, resilient city that complements an ecologically-balanced environment gearing towards our transition to a low carbon future,” Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon said.

According to Biazon, who attended the executive meeting, Muntinlupa led the way among counterpart local government units in the country in the institutionalization of Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) by enacting its own Local Energy Code and developing a Local Energy Efficiency Plan.

This approach has, in turn, provided the city with the necessary policy framework for energy-efficient technologies, practice of energy conservation measures, and tapping and investing in renewable energy.

QC offers incentives for supporting LGU QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte has signed an ordinance giving incentives to private entities supporting the priority programs of the city government.

The ordinance aims to further encourage collaboration with businesses in providing services for Quezon City residents, especially the marginalized sectors.

Under City Ordinance SP-3213 of 2023, the city shall issue a tax credit certificate to private donors that they can apply to their business tax dues at the discretion of the city treasurer.

“With this ordinance, we hope to strengthen our partnership with the private sector in uplifting the lives of our residents by providing them quality social services and programs, and at the same time foster a healthy business climate in QC,” Belmonte said.

A tax credit certificate would be issued to businesses donating certain assets or services in following manner: brand new assets or services to be valued at the rate of no more than 90 percent of the prevailing market price; or used assets in good working condition and not more than three years old, to be valued at the rate of no more than 90 percent of its depreciated remaining worth. Rio N. Araja

OPINION

Golden age of arts and culture SOME friends and relatives have been asking me what was happening to Imelda R. Marcos, who has been out of the limelight even after her son Ferdinand E. Marcos Jr. became President.

As far as I know, she is alive and well.

I believe Imelda is intentionally keeping herself out of the limelight because she does not want to compete with BBM. Imelda is advanced in age and would rather leave BBM to do his thing.

But, if there’s one thing about Imelda I cannot forget is that, as First Lady to strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos, she was responsible for the country’s golden age of arts and culture, which could well be her legacy If there’s one thing that Marcos-haters (who would want Marcos Sr. and Imelda to disappear into oblivion), want is for the people to forget what Imelda, as First Lady, did for Filipinos during her time.

For the record, Imelda brought to the nation well-known hotel brands like the Hilton, Peninsula, Mandarin Oriental, Holiday Inn and many other brands, some of which still exist today.

Imelda also inspired the restoration of heritage houses and buildings like those in Vigan, Ilocos Sur and in Cavite where the first flag of the Philippines was displayed Then came the building of the Cultural Center of the Philippines where performances of Filipino creativity in arts and culture were held.

It was also the time when the nation had the Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center, Kidney Center, the Children’s Hospital and parks in Quezon City were built.

Recall that Imleda was responsible for hosting a Miss Universe beauty pageant in 1974.

I cannot forget that time when Imelda brought to the country the famous opera singer Placido Domingo, well-known concert pianist Van Cliburn and the Bolshoi Ballet.

But the most lasting legacy of Imelda was the promotion of arts and culture, especially in visual arts, which made Filipinos appreciate the creativity of their fellow Filipinos.

My gulay, we have Juan Luna with his “Spolarium,” Then came Fernando Amorsolo, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, famous for his painting of historical images during the discovery of the Philippines; Guillermo Tolentino, Napoleon Abueva, Cesar Legaspi, Vicente Manansala, Victorio Edades, Hernando Ocampo, Arturo Luz, Jer-

emías Elizalde Navarro, Ang Kiukok, Jose Joya, Benedicto “Bencab” Cabrera, Abdulmari Imao, Federico Alcuaz; Francisco Coching and Larry Alcala, among others.

Some moneyed art collectors made fortunes.

Most of them were declared national artists during Imelda’s time.

There’s no doubt that those were the golden years of arts and culture, which would well immortalize Imelda’s name and her legacy.

It’s unfortunate that nobody like Imelda has followed her.

But, Imelda will forever be remembered for what she had done for the nation.

Heritage and old churches Imelda also inspired the restoration of heritage houses and buildings like those in Vigan, Ilocos Sur and in Cavite where the first flag of the Philippines was displayed.

In Calamba, Laguna where our national hero Jose Rizal was born, and centuries-old churches, in Ilocos Norte, in Ilocos Sur, in Bohol and Cebu, which have have become tourist destinations.

These all have become tourist destinations which were inspired and restored during Imelda’s time.

Why Feb 25 is not a holiday People have wondered why February 25 is now erased as a holiday, starting next year,

by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Was it because on February 22-25, the four-day breakaway of the RAM or Reform the Armed Forces Movement happened, where the RAM broke away from the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that culminated in the ascension to power by the late Cory Aquino on Feb. 26, which led to what was called “People Power Revolution”?

Was it because BBM did not want the nation to remember that day when the late strongman was exiled to Hawaii?

The truth of the matter is the so-called breakaway of the RAM by then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, now President Marcos Jr. ‘s legal adviser, together with the former Lt. Col.Gringo Honasan, who became a senator, and the late President Fidel V. Ramos, who was then PC/Integrated National Police Chief, broke away not from Marcos Sr., but from then AFP Chief of Staff Fabian Ver, who was then forming a military junta headed by himself, in the event of Marcos Sr’s demise, who was then critically ill with lupus, an auto-immune disease.

Thus, when the late Marcos Sr. called JPE over the telephone to find out what was happening, JPE told him why there was a breakaway by the RAM, which he and Gringo headed.

And the telephone was then being held by no less than BBM, who was aware of everything.

Read full article on manilastandard.net

Netanyahu fights for political survival to beat of war drums JERUSALEM – Israelis, deeply divided since Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power last year, have united against Hamas in war, but experts predict the veteran leader will be fighting for his survival when the conflict ends.

In the shock that gripped Israel after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks, the country has closed ranks behind the military operation that the 74-year-old ordered to “crush” the Palestinian militants.

But according to experts, security lapses exposed by marauding Hamas gunmen could become the biggest — and possibly fatal — blow to Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, already battling legal and political troubles.

“Support for Netanyahu and his coalition was draining even before Oct. 7, and since the outbreak of war it has fallen much further,” said Toby Greene, a politics lecturer at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University and researcher at the London School of Economics.

“If an election were held now he would lose badly.”

Beloved as “King Bibi” and “Mr Security” by his supporters and condemned as the “crime minister” by critics and protesters, Netanyahu has long dominated Israeli politics.

But the latest opinion polls suggest a drop off in support for the tough-talking Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud party.

Many are bitter over the lack of protection, especially Israelis living in communities near the Gaza border that bore the brunt of the attacks that Israeli officials say killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians.

Under Netanyahu, a former commando unit officer who has always projected himself as a resolute defender of Jews, the sense of security shared by most Israelis has been shattered.

‘Every decision’ While military and intelligence agencies have acknowledged security failures, Netanyahu has not accepted any blame for Hamas’s surprise attack.

Netanyahu’s allies have stayed quiet about his role, and some rivals have joined his war cabinet, defending the Israeli bombing campaign that the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed nearly 9,500 people in the besieged Gaza Strip.

When the war ends, the government is likely to order a commission of inquiry — either a governmental one with relatively little power, or a more independent national commission Reuven Hazan, a political science professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, called Netanyahu a “brilliant” politician now playing for time.

“He already knows that he is fighting for his survival and every decision he takes in this war is geared tensuring his survival.”

When asked if he would consider quitting, Netanyahu recently told a news conference: “The only thing I intend to have resigned is Hamas.”

But Netanyahu, whose first term in office dates back to 1996, has been forced onto the defensive.

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Honor Blanco Cabie, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

W

Free college education

HEN Republic Act 10931, known as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, was signed into law in August 2017, it gave Filipino youth, particularly those from poor and underprivileged families, the opportunity to pursue college degrees through free tuition and exemption from other fees in state colleges and universities (SUCs).

This law also created a Tertiary Education Subsidy that sponsors the enrolment of disadvantaged students in private institutions in locations where there are no available state or local universities and colleges.

With the implementation of free higher education in the country starting in 2018, an estimated 1.6 million Filipino students benefited from it.

Of this number, 1.3 million were ben-

We urge the Marcos administration to give priority to higher education in the country through sustained increases in the budgets of SUCs eficiaries from 112 state universities and colleges while at least 300,000 were from local SUCs. For school year 2020-2021, around 500,000 slots were also opened for the tertiary education subsidy, much higher than the 200,000 slots when the law was passed.

If scholarships for agriculture and other courses were factored in, then close to 2.5 million students stood to benefit from free higher education.

But the Department of Finance recently declared that government subsidy for free college education was “untenable,” resulting in a reduced budget for SUCs for next year.

This is unfortunate.

The House of Representatives has approved a P100.882-billion appropriation for SUCs in the 2024 budget. This is low-

er by P6.155 billion, or 5.75 percent, than this year’s P107.0297-billion allocation.

The sharp cut in the budget for SUCs has understandably raised the hackles of these educational institutions, with students, faculty and non-academics personnel of the SUCs, among them the University of the Philippines, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and Philippine Normal University signing a joint statement calling on lawmakers to restore the budget cut and even increase the higher education spending for next year.

By diverting what were supposed to be a total P650 million for intelligence and confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education, they said, lawmakers can significantly improve the capability of SUCs to allow more Filipino students to avail themselves of college education they need to significantly improve their chances of improving their quality of life in the future.

We urge the Marcos administration to give priority to higher education in the country through sustained increases in the budgets of SUCs. This is an investment in the future that conforms to what the 1987 Constitution mandates as the responsibility of the state to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and to make such education accessible to all.

Leverage cloud technologies for cybersecurity EVERY time you log on to the internet to access your social media and other apps on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or personal computer, you are experiencing the benefits of all the available innovations of cloud technologies.

Being connected to the internet has become an indispensable utility just like electricity and water supply needs to be available 24 by 7.

According to the latest Pulse Asia Survey conducted June–September 2023, threefourths of Filipino adults use the internet, with 74 percent accessing it multiple times daily and saw a 7 percent increase in daily usage.

Everyone in the Philippines uses the internet to check their social media (100 percent).

Most also go online to consume political news (90 percent) and other topics they like (77 percent).

Other online activities include emailing (40 percent), e-commerce (35 percent), and online learning (8 percent).

This clearly illustrates how dependent – some experts would even say, how “addicted” – people are to scrolling and clicking away at their devices which has become a societal phenomenon that if used productively creates new opportunities to becoming a thriving digital economy which the government is aggressively pursuing in its digital transformation initiatives.

Government policies are being updated to be responsive to the bureaucracy-disruptive digital technologies such as the E-Governance Act recently passed by the House of Representatives that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. highlighted as a priority and the aligned priority projects of the Department of Information and Communications Technology such as the eGov PH, eLGU, eTravel, eGovPay, eGovCloud, and eReport apps with the objective of providing more convenient, efficient and transparent government transaction.

The DICT’s EGovCloud is said to be the “Cloud First Policy” of government wherein it will use a hybrid cloud strategy that integrates private and off-premise public clouds services for government agencies.

It is good to also be reminded that the DICT prescribed its Cloud First Policy for all government agencies in 2017 and amended it in 2020 to provide clear guidelines on data classification and security in the cloud.

This policy aims to enhance cybersecurity by leveraging global solutions, innovations, and services, as well as ensuring compliance with Philippine laws.

It also offers benefits such as flexibility, security, and cost-efficiency for cloud users.

The fast evolving cloud technologies have democratized access to information, online services, and communication.

But with all its great potential, the ease of accessing the internet has also created a dark side wherein cybercrime actors and syndicates are using the internet to harm or exploit others.

The leader of Israel’s most right-wing government in history admitted he would have to give “answers” about the attacks, but only after the war is over.

And he has apologized for a since deleted social media comment accusing the intelligence services of failing to warn him of the Hamas threat.

To get the wily Netanyahu out of office, he will have to resign or lose the parliamentary majority held by the coalition of his party with far-right and ultra-orthodox Jewish parties.

Leading tech tycoon Amnon Shashua has said the Netanyahu administration must be “immediately” ousted over its “failures, dissonance and incompetence.”

‘Damaged’ leader Pressure on Netanyahu had been building before the attacks, and experts say a showdown is just a question of time.

The premier, who has led Israel for nearly 16 of the past 27 years, is still fighting three corruption cases in court.

The nine months leading up to Oct. 7 saw mass protests over his hardline government’s divisive judicial overhaul that opponents called a threat to Israeli democracy.

Israel had been “ripping itself apart” before Hamas’s attacks, said Hazan.

But “there is no politics now because of the war,” he added.

“At some point politics will come back.

Then there will be questions, and then the protests will come back.”

When the war ends, the government is likely to order a commission of inquiry -- either a governmental one with relatively little power, or a more independent national commission.

If Netanyahu is found to be at fault over the attacks, his political problem could be-

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

The Philippine government and private enterprise should leverage cloud technologies to improve their cybersecurity and resilience They pose a serious threat to governments, enterprises, and individuals, as they can steal sensitive information, disrupt critical infrastructure, or cause financial losses.

Cybercrime actors can be motivated by various factors, such as money, ideology, or espionage.

Some of them are sponsored by nationstates, while others operate independently or in networks. Cybercrime actors use various techniques and tools to carry out their attacks, such as phishing, hacking, malware, ransomware, or denial-of-service.

According to a recent Microsoft Security report, they are blocking 4,000 identity attacks per second and identified over 300 threat actors, 160 nation-state actors, 50 ransomware groups and hundreds more.

Over 100,000 domains have been removed, 600 of these are state sponsored.

More than 750 billion signals per second are being processed to protect its system and global subscribers against digital threats and cybercrime.

For Microsoft to deliver this level of cybersecurity, it employs a global network of

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

well over 10,000 engineers, researchers, data scientists, cybersecurity experts, threat hunters, geopolitical analysts, investigators, and frontline responders that use sophisticated data analytics and Artificial intelligence algorithms to understand and address harmful cyberactivity.

These are compelling insights from just one of the major cybersecurity that has guided several countries with the biggest and highly digitized economies.

To mention a few, the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Germany are leveraging cloud technologies to bolster their cybersecurity resilience and are incorporating them into their cybersecurity strategies.

Cloud technologies offer many benefits for the Philippine government and private enterprises in terms of cybersecurity and resilience.

Unlike in premise solutions, which require costly and complex infrastructure, maintenance, and updates, cloud solutions provide scalable, flexible, and cost-effective services that can be accessed from anywhere and anytime.

Cloud solutions also enable faster and more efficient recovery from cyberattacks, natural disasters, or other disruptions, as they can leverage multiple backup servers and data centers across different locations across the globe.

Moreover, cloud providers have more advanced and updated security measures and protocols than in premise solutions, as they invest heavily in research and development, employ experts, and comply with global standards and regulations.

This points out a financial and human resource limitation that government and all private enterprises will not need to worry about because the highest level of cybersecurity can be engaged on a subscription basis.

Therefore, the Philippine government and private enterprise should leverage cloud technologies to improve their cybersecurity and resilience, as well as to enhance their productivity, innovation, and competitiveness in the global digital arena. come critical.

The government has warned the war will take months and Netanyahu is not obliged to call an election for three years, but observers struggle to see him lasting that long.

“Everybody knows that he is damaged,” according to Hazan, who said there were “signs” that coalition members “know that the game is up.”

Polls indicate Israelis’ preferred candidate was now centrist leader Benny Gantz, a minister without portfolio in the war cabinet who was in the opposition before the war erupted.

“Netanyahu’s legacy has been shattered by both the division he has sown through the judicial overhaul and the multiple failures that enabled the October 7 attack,” said Greene.

“Many Israelis consider these two issues to be linked.” AFP

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Chin Wong Joyce Pangco Pañares Jimbo Owen Gulle

Associate Editor Managing Editor News Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Honor Blanco Cabie Opinion Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

WORLD

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Israel, Hezbollah in cross-border clashes J

ERUSALEM—The Israeli military and powerful Lebanese movement Hezbollah engaged in cross-border clashes during the weekend, with each claiming to have hit the other’s positions along the frontier.

HEZBOLLAH ‘READY.’

Supporters of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah watch a televised speech by its leader Hassan Nasrallah in the Lebanese capital Beirut’s southern suburbs where Nasrallah told the United States his Iranbacked group was ready to face its warships and the way to prevent a regional war was to halt the attacks in Gaza. AFP

Donald Trump set 157 dead in 5.6 magnitude Nepal earthquake to take the stand in civil fraud trial JAJARKOT, Nepal—At least 157 people were killed in an overnight earthquake that struck a remote pocket of Nepal, officials said, as security forces rushed to assist with rescue efforts.

The force of the 5.6-magnitude tremor jolted households awake and flattened mud houses in communities across isolated western districts of the Himalayan republic late Friday.

“There was a very big noise when the houses came down.

It felt like a big explosion,” Shiva Prasad Sharma, 65, told AFP from outside the destroyed remnants of his home in Jajarkot, the district hit worst by the quake.

“I thought we were going to die,” he added. “No one has anything left. There are no houses left to stay in”.

Locals frantically dug through rubble in the dark to pull survivors from the wreckage of collapsed homes and buildings, as others crouched outside for safety.

The quake was felt as far away as India’s capital New Delhi, nearly 500 kilometers from the epicenter.

NEW YORK—Donald Trump rose to political power touting the business acumen he says made him a fortune.

On Monday, the 77-year-old once and potentially future president is expected to take the stand at a civil trial in which he stands accused of fraudulently inflating those famous assets to advance his real estate empire.

Trump’s son Eric says he is “very fired up” ahead of his testimony—due to begin at 10:00 am (1500 GMT)—before New York judge Arthur Engoron, with whom the Republican has had a fractious relationship since the trial opened last month.

Just as he has insulted the judges overseeing his four criminal trials, Trump has TESTIMONIES called Engoron “unhinged” and a “TrumpCONTINUE. hating, radical left, Democrat operative.”

Eric Trump, son Engoron has responded by slapping of former US Trump with two fines—one for $5,000, President Donald another for $10,000—when he ruled the Trump, leaves onetime reality television star had violated court during a a partial gag order imposed after he bashed break in the Trump the judge’s Organization civil Manila clerk on social media.

Standard fraud trial, in New Trump has been heard twice in connecTODAY tion with this case—on August 10, 2022 York State Supreme Court. Eric Trump and again on April is expected to 13 of this year.

NOTICE testify one day In excerpts from after his brother Notice is hereby the first deposiDonald Trump Jr., given that the estate tion, he called the of the late NELIE proceedings “the testified he had not RODRIGUEZ GARCIA been involved in greatest witch hunt was extrajudicially settled the organization’s in the history of among heirs as per financial Doc. No. 57; Page No. our country,” and documents at 13; Book No. III; Series called New York the center of the of 2023, before Notary state attorney genprosecution. AFP Public Atty. Katherine eral Letitia James Pia Magsajo Cabatbat of an “out of control Pasig City. prosecutor.” AFP

“The toll from the quake has reached 157 -- 105 in Jajarkot and 52 in Rukum,” national police spokesman Kuber Kathayat told AFP. Another 199 were injured in the quake, he added.

Home ministry spokesman Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said the toll was unlikely to significantly increase.

“We are now in touch with all areas,” he told AFP. “It is possible some bodies might still be found under the rubble.”

Security forces were deployed on foot and in helicopters to assist with search and rescue operations.

“The remoteness of the districts makes it difficult for information to get through,” Karnali Province police spokesman Gopal Chandra Bhattarai told AFP. “Some roads had been blocked by damage, but we are trying to reach the area through alternate routes.”

Dozens of survivors with fractures and head injuries were raced for treatment to a hospital in Nepalgunj, a small city near the Indian border. AFP

Zelensky denies stalemate, Kyiv hits shipyard

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

(MS-OCT. 30/ NOV. 6 & 13, 2023)

Republic of the Philippines National Capital Judicial Region METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT Mandaluyong City BRANCH 101 metc1mdl101@judiciary.gov.ph / 0961 566 3226 / 7379-0235 PHILIPPINE SAVINGS BANK, Plaintiff/s, -versus-

Civil Case No. M-MND-22-01677-CV For: Recovery of Possession with Application for Preliminary Writ of Replevin with Alternative Prayer for Sum of Money

SPS. GARVIN PER G. PALAD AND LIEZA DIANNE G. PALAD JOHN DOE, Defendant/s x---------------------------------------------------x

SUMMONS TO: SPS. GARVIN PER G. PALAD AND LIEZA DIANNE G. PALAD AND JOHN DOE 123 Chateau Verde Condominium E. Rodriguez Jr Ave., Ugong Pasig City and to GP2 Water Station Del Pilar Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija GREETINGS: You are hereby required to file with this Court your Answer to the Complaint, copy of which is attached, together with the annexes and the Case Information Statement within ten (10) days after the service of this Summons and to serve a copy thereof upon the plaintiff/s within the same period.

The Rules of Summary Procedure shall apply in this case and you are prohibited from filing Motion to Dismiss, for the Bill of Particulars or for Extension of Time to File Pleadings.

Should you fail to file your Answer within the reglementary period, this Court motu proprio or on motion of the plaintiff/s, shall render judgment as may be warranted by the facts alleged in the Complaint and limited to what is prayed for therein, except as to the amount of damages, which this Court may reduced in its discretion.

WITNESS THE HONORABLE EARL WARREN B. CASTILLO, Presiding Judge of this Court, this 6th day of June, 2022 at Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

(Sgd.) MARIA NENITA P. SYJUCO-MEDINA Branch Clerk of Court (MStandard - Nov. 6, 13 & 20, 2023)

AFP calls for probe over strike on Gaza bureau PARIS, France— Agence FrancePresse, the French news agency, has called on Israel for “an indepth and transparent investigation” into the exact involvement of its army after a strike severely damaged its office in Gaza City, which has been shelled for weeks.

AFP “has taken note of the recent statements from the Israeli army spokesman concerning ‘an army strike nearby (the AFP office) that might have caused debris’,” it said in a statement.

However, “this statement on its own does not explain the extent of the damage caused to the AFP bureau”, located on the top floors of an 11-story building, it said of Thursday’s incident.

“A strike on the offices of an international news agency sends a deeply troubling message to all the journalists working in such difficult conditions in Gaza,” said AFP Chairman and CEO Fabrice Fries.

“It is essential that all efforts are made to protect media in Gaza,” he added.

According to media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders, more than 30 journalists have been killed since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas.

The latest skirmishes came a day after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah warned that the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip could turn into a regional conflict if Israel pushed on with its offensive in the Palestinian territory.

On Saturday, the Israeli military said it had struck “two terrorist cells” and a Hezbollah post after an attempted attack from Lebanon.

“In response to two terrorist cells attempting to fire from Lebanon toward Israeli territory, the IDF (military) struck the cells and a Hezbollah observation post,” a military statement said.

It said it had also responded to mortar fire from Lebanon into northern Israel, where no casualties were reported.

Hezbollah said it had simultaneously attacked five Israeli positions along the border.

Hours later it announced a new attack on the Al-Abbad Israeli position, without specifying what kind of weapon was used.

Israel’s military said in a separate statement that its fighter jets struck “terror targets” of Hezbollah, accompanied by tank and artillery fire.

“The Hezbollah targets struck include terror infrastructure, rocket storage sites and military compounds,” it said.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited troops on the northern border on Saturday and reiterated that Israel had no interest in engaging in a war there.

“But we are prepared for every mission,” Gallant said in a statement.

AFP

RSF has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court alleging war crimes committed against Palestinian journalists in Gaza.

AFP is one of the few international media organizations to have an office in the Gaza Strip.

It employs a total of nine people there and is “redoubling its efforts to allow employees and their families to evacuate if they wish to leave”.

AFP’s live video feed broadcasting 24/7 from Gaza City has been temporarily suspended since Saturday, for reasons outside AFP’s control.

An AFP employee who visited the office on Friday said an explosive projectile appeared to have entered the technician’s office in the bureau horizontally from east to west.

The strike destroyed the wall opposite the window and caused significant damage to the adjacent room and other doors.

It also punctured water tanks on the roof.

“According to the current information we hold, it seems that there was a IDF (Israel Defense Forces) strike near the building to eliminate an immediate threat,” a spokesperson said in a statement Friday. AFP

GAPING HOLE. This picture taken on Friday shows a gaping hole following a

strike on the Hajji building, which houses several offices including those of Agence France Presse in Gaza City amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. AFP

KYIV, Ukraine—President Volodymyr Zelensky denied Ukraine’s counter-offensive against Russian forces had hit a stalemate, as hours later Kyiv said it had struck a shipyard in the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

The sprawling frontline between the two warring sides has barely moved in almost a year, with one senior Ukrainian official warning this week that the conflict was deadlocked.

“Time has passed, people are tired...

But this is not a stalemate,” Zelensky told a press conference in Kyiv with EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.

The Ukrainian leader also denied that Western countries were putting pressure on Kyiv to enter negotiations with Russia, amid reports US and EU officials had discussed what such talks might entail.

“No one among our partners is pressuring us to sit down with Russia, talk to it, and give it something,” he said.

At the same time, Ukraine said Saturday its forces struck a shipyard in the port city of Kerch, on the east coast of the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

Since launching its counteroffensive against Moscow’s forces this summer, Kyiv has ramped up attacks on the Black Sea peninsula that Russia seized in 2014.

“On the evening of November 4, the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out successful strikes on the maritime and port infrastructure of the Zaliv shipyard in the temporarily occupied Kerch,” Kyiv’s army said.

It did not provide further detail, and AFP was not able to immediately verify Ukraine’s account.

Crimea’s Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov said Ukraine had fired missiles at a shipyard in Kerch earlier, but that they had been shot down.

“Some of the debris from the downed missiles fell on the territory of one of the dry docks. There are no casualties,” he said on social media.

The nearby Crimean bridge to the Russian mainland, which has been targeted by Ukrainian forces before, was briefly shut on Saturday for undisclosed reasons. AFP

BUSINESS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023

B3

Roderick T. dela Cruz, Editor Alena Mae S. Flores, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

Analysts see PH stocks rising above 6,000 level this week

By Jenniffer B. Austria

BSP STAKEHOLDERS. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli Remolona Jr. (center) leads the recognition ceremony for the outstanding partners of the BSP on Oct. 27, 2023. With them are (front row, from left) BSP Deputy Governors Eduardo Bobier, Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and Chuchi Fonacier. The BSP named 29 outstanding institutional partners of its head office and its South Luzon regional offices during the 2023 outstanding BSP stakeholders appreciation ceremony on Oct. 27, 2023.

PHILIPPINE stocks may return past the 6,000 level this week on easing inflation and positive third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) report.

China Bank Capital managing director Juan Paolo Colet said investors would have their eyes on important economic data this week to determine if the market could go back above the 6,000 level.

“After a good trading week in US spurred by views that Federal Reserve is potentially done with its rate hike campaign, we may see a bullish spillover to domestic stocks if the October inflation print on Tuesday shows easing of consumer price pressure and the third-quarter GDP release on Thursday paints a better growth for the economy,” Colet said.

Online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia. com said the major earnings releases this week, coupled withn macroeco-

nomic reports, should help the index get some momentum to break past the 6,000 level.

The index is expected to trade within the 5,900 to 6,150 level this week.

The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange index eked out gains on last week’s shortened trading as the market rose 27 points, or 0.46 percent, weekon-week to close at 5,989.

Stocks rose Friday after data showed US job growth cooled in October, easing concerns about further interest rate hikes. Oil prices fell on profit-taking despite a softer dollar, which usually boosts demand for crude. Gold prices climbed.

Data showed that while the 150,000 jobs added to the US economy was partly impacted by the US auto strike, it was still less than what analysts had forecast and down from a revised 297,000 in September. With AFP

P336-b projects endorsed for fast approval

By Othel V. Campos

HE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) endorsed P336.25 billion worth of investments for fast approval under the “green lane” system in the first 10 months of 2023.

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Data from the Board of Investments showed that these involved 16 bigticket projects, including 11 renewable energy facilities.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 18 on Feb. 23, 2023 to facilitate the entry of bigticket projects and make investing in the Philippines easier. EO 18 or the Green

Lane for Strategic Investments aims to expedite, streamline and automate government approval and registration processes for priority investments aligned with the Philippine Development Plan 2023 to 2028.

BOI Investments Assistance Service (IAS) Director Bobby Fondevilla said the projects under the green lane

would be fast-tracked through the BOI One-Stop-Action-Center for Strategic Investments (OSAC-SI).

“Under the green lane, the period of processing of permits should not go beyond what is provided under the agency’s Citizen’s Charter provided that complete documentary requirements are submitted and permits can be filed simultaneously,” he said.

Among the RE projects being processed through green lane are the P66-billion floating solar project of SunAsia Energy Inc. in. Laguna de Bay, followed by NKS Solar One Inc.’s 250-megawatt solar floating power project in Caliraya, Laguna with a project cost of P14.9 billion.

Other RE projects are the Ayala-led AC Subic Solar Inc.’s project worth P12.49 billion; AC Laguna Solar Inc.’s P10.94-billion project; SolarAce4 Energy Corp.’s P6.25 billion floating solar power project; Ngrid2 Power Corp.’s P6.25-billion floating solar power project; and GigaWind1 Inc.’s P12-billion project in Laguna Lake.

Also included are Ubay Solar Corp.’

P5.29-billion solar power plant in Bohol; the P6.94-billion Barotac Viejo Power project of Magallanes Solar Energy Corp.; and the P2.59-billion Gamu solar power plant of Intramuros Solar Energy Corp.

The P10.85-billion Kalayaan 2 wind

power project of Laguna Wind Energy Corp. is the sole wind power project endorsed for green lane approval.

Meanwhile, the non-energy projects endorsed for fast approval are the P52.15-billion built-to-suit common towers of Phil-Tower Consortium Inc.; the P50-billion Project Charlie Hyperscale Data Center in New Clark City spearheaded by Narra Technology Development Park; SteelAsia Lemery Works Inc.’s P19.3-billion section mill project; EdgePoint Towers Inc.’s P50billion common passive telecommunications tower infrastructure; and the P10.3-billion reinforcing steel bar project of Real Steel Corp.

Asialink raises P2b from local capital market

Globe’s 9-month income dropped 27% to P19.36b

By Julito G. Rada

By Darwin G. Amojelar

ASIANLINK Finance Corp., one of the top online financing companies in the Philippines, said over the weekend it issued P2 billion worth of fixed-rate three-year corporate notes as it diversifies its funding sources to raise more funds for relending to small and medium companies that have little or no access to bank loans.

The issuance of corporate notes was its initial foray in the capital market, and Asialink chief executive Roberto Jordan said in a statement that small businesses needed funds to grow.

“They are the backbone of our economy, and their growth is everybody’s growth. Asialink is their link, and we will continue to raise the funds they need. That is our mission,” Jordan said.

SB Capital Investment Corp. and RCBC Capital, acting as joint lead arrangers and managers, committed P1 billion each for offering to their clients.

Asialinks’ notes facility agreement was signed with representatives from the participating noteholder banks which include Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., Security Bank Corp., EastWest Bank, Philippine Bank of Communications and Union Bank of the Philippines.

“This demonstrates the industrywide recognition and support for Asialink’s growth initiatives,” said Jordan. Asialink raises funds for relending largely from banks.

Jordan said the three-year notes “offer investors a unique opportunity with fixed interest rates, providing stability and predictability in their investment returns”.

Asialink serves micro-, small and medium-scale companies that banks, partly because of existing tight lending rules, could not serve. These companies make up 99 percent of total businesses in the Philippines.

Asialink has more than 45,000 of these borrowers, but Jordan said there are still so many that need to have access to funds.

He said Asialink should raise more funds to cover these unbanked companies.

Asialink earlier raised P1 billion from Yuanta Saving Bank and Small Business Corp. also for relending.

It lends about P1.3 billion a month to its clients and has a repayment rate that is much better than that of banks.

The company reported a 44-percent growth in revenues of P3.096 billion in 2022 from P2.152 billion in 2021. Its asset value went up by 39 percent to P11.369 billion.

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said over the weekend net income fell 27 percent in the first nine months of 2023 from a year ago on increased depreciation expenses and higher non-operating charges.

The telecom unit of the Ayala Group said net income amounted to P19.36 billion from January to September, down from P26.5 billion it earned in the same period last year.

The company blamed lower profit to the “ increased depreciation expense as well as this period’s non-operating charges versus last year’s non-operating income which included the partial sale of Globe’s data center business.”

It said excluding the one-time gain, normalized net income would have been P14.8 billion, or down by 11 percent from the previous year.

Globe said third-quarter profit also went down by 12 percent to P4.98 billion from P5.7 billion a year earlier.

Core net income, which excludes the impact of non-recurring charges and foreign exchange and mark-tomarket charges, closed at P14.8 billion in the first nine months, lower by 8 percent than P16.01 billion in the same period in 2022.

“Our third-quarter results show that our telecom business performance is very much aligned to the guidance we have set. On the other hand, our pivot to a techco [technology company] business is showing signs of momentum. We are happy that more of the non-telco businesses are contributing to the group’s overall business growth and resilience, “ Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu said.

“We will continue to look for opportunities to thrive amidst the macroeconomic challenges and competition. We believe that our renewed focus on innovation, collaboration, sustainability and service, backed by our unwavering commitment to network excellence are the imperatives that will keep us ahead and will pave the way for a digitally inclusive and prosperous Philippines,” he said.

Globe Group closed the first nine months of 2023 with all-time high consolidated service revenues of P121.1 billion, up 3 percent from P117.95 billion a year ago, despite the extended macroeconomic headwinds faced by the industry.

GAMING GROWTH. Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PARCOR) chairman and chief executive Ajejandro Tengco underscores the growth opportunities for the Philippine gaming industry during the recent RGB Connect international gala night at Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort in Pampanga. Tengco says gross gaming revenues are expected to match, in not surpass, the 2019 record. PAGCOR also expects the delivery of 3,000 brand new slot machines by January 2024.

DOE expects 2 new geothermal plants to start operations soon

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Department of Energy (DOE) expects two geothermal power projects to be completed by the end of the year.

It identified the projects as the 17-megawatt Tiwi binary project and the 29-MW Palayan binary power plant.

Data on committed power projects showed that AP Renewables Inc.’s (APRI) Tiwi binary geothermal project in Tiwi, Albay and Bacman Geothermal Inc.’s (BGI) Palayan binary project in Manito, Albay would be completed by December.

APRI is a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corp., while BGI is owned by Energy Development Corp.

The DOE said the Palayan binary project was conducting testing and commissioning of connection assets after the major power plant equipment was installed.

The Tiwi binary project is set to conduct testing and commissioning this month to ensure grid capability and compliance tests.

DOE Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said earlier said the agency wanted to fully develop 145 geothermal areas in the country to unlock their generation capacity and help secure the country’s energy requirements.

“According to the recent geothermal inventory efforts of the department, there are 145 geothermal areas in the country, while only seven fields are in operation.

We want these potential capacities to be

developed,” Guevara said.

Guevara said the Philippines began developing geothermal power since the 1970s and emerged as the second largest producer of geothermal energy in the world until Indonesia outrank the country in 2018.

The Philippines now ranks as the

third largest producer next to Indonesia and United States of America.

Guevara said geothermal development and utilization slowed down since 2007, with only 86 MW added in the total installed despite the enactment of the Republic Act No. 9513 or Renewable Energy Act of 2008.

FOOD SUMMIT. Department of Agriculture (DA) Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban speaks as a panelist during the 51st Plenary Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in Rome to share the Philippines’ efforts on food security and nutrition.

B4 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023 RAY S. EÑANO, Editor

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

rayenano@yahoo.com • extrastory2000@gmail.com

Tougher steps needed to curb plastic pollution

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HE biggest global voluntary effort to tackle plastic pollution and waste shows it is possible to make progress on a pressing environmental issue, yet tougher measures are now needed to curb the crisis, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Since 2018, more than 1,000 organisztions have given their backing to the Global Commitment, led by the foundation in partnership with the UN Environment Program, to stop plastic packaging from becoming waste.

Over the past five years, business signatories—representing 20 percent of the world’s plastic packaging industry— have significantly outperformed their peers when it comes to taking positive action to tackle plastic waste.

They have substantially reduced their use of several problematic and avoidable plastic items, stabilized their use of

virgin plastics, and more than doubled their share of recycled content.

By increasing their use of recycled plastics by 1.5 million tons per annum, signatories are leaving the equivalent of a barrel of oil in the ground every two seconds—as well as avoiding 2.5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

However, with a large part of industry not yet taking action, and business signatories likely to miss key 2025 goals, the world is not on course to eliminating plastic waste and pollution, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s ‘Global Commitment Five Years In’ publication

highlights.

The foundation predicts 20 trillion flexible packaging items, such as wrappers, pouches and sachets, will end up in the ocean by 2040 unless there is more ambitious binding policy and regulatory measures combined with greater business action.

Sander Defruyt, Plastics Initiative Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said: “The learnings from the Global Commitment over the past five years have shown it’s possible to make meaningful progress towards keeping fossil resources in the ground and plastics out of the ocean.

“When we took our first steps on this path, there was limited action on this topic. The efforts over the last five years have allowed us to make a major step forward. We now know that progress to tackling plastic waste at a global scale is possible, and where the key hurdles are that are preventing further change. UNEP News

roundup DENR to upgrade wildlife rescue center THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) plans to transform the National Wildlife Rescue and Research Center (NWRRC) into a world-class facility.

The DENR said the upgrade will boost the center’s capability to protect and rehabilitate the country’s wildlife resources in line with the agency’s thrust to enhance biodiversity conservation.

“We will enhance, upgrade and redesign the [NWRRC] so it can be brought up to global standards,” said DENR Secretary Antonia Loyzaga.

Loyzaga added the DENR would form an advisory group of biodiversity experts for the enhancement of NWRRC as part of an overall program to improve the country’s capacity to conserve and protect wildlife species and their habitats, and to fight illegal wildlife trade and other wildlife crimes. Other plans include mobilizing over 200 Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Units in 36 airports and 131 seaports and training for over 700 Wildlife Enforcement Officers.

Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) “This is very important because the Philippines is Animal Keeper I Edgardo M. Flores holds one of the mega biodiverse countries in the world. a peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) We are a hotspot, and therefore, we must make very while staff of the BMB Wildlife Rescue good use of our protection and enhancement capaCenter (inset) examines the wings of a bilities in order to stop illegal wildlife trade and all other wildlife crimes,” said Loyzaga. crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela) According to the Biodiversity Management after the birds were rescued from Ft. Bureau (BMB), the Philippines is considered an Bonifacio, Taguig City and San Mateo, illegal wildlife trade hub and a source country of Rizal, respectively, following a report wildlife and wildlife byproducts such as pangolins to the DENR Action Center-Hotline by concerned citizens on August 16. DENR and marine turtles, and as destination of trades such as parrots kept as pets.

The NWRRC In 2020 received new ultrasound and X-ray machines that will help the center’s veterinarians and staff diagnose diseases, injuries and conditions of wildlife and exotic animals in their care. The equipment was donated by the United States Agency for International Development, under its Project Wildlife project in the Philippines.

Located within the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, the NWRRC is under the management and administration of the DENR’s BMB. The center has been instrumental in retrieving, rescuing and providing shelter to abandoned wildlife and exotic animals; as well as those illegally trafficked and traded. Its mandate includes the care and rehabilitation of rescued wildlife species that often arrive stressed, traumatized, sick or injured. DENR News

Pueblo de Oro leads tree planting

PUEBLO de Oro Development Corp. (PDO) took part in a tree-planting program last month in Barangay San Gregorio in the municipality of Malvar, Batangas province in keeping with its promise to safeguard Mother Earth.

The tree-planting event was organized by the ICCP Group’s Green Committee in cooperation with ICCP Group Foundation Inc. (IGFI), Science Park of the Philippines Inc. (SPPI), Pueblo de Oro, and Barangay San Gregorio.

The ecological activity was attended by officers and staff from the ICCP Group and employees from Malvar Enerzone Corp., PERSTIMA (Philippines) Inc., Monde Nissin and Officers and staff of the ICCP Group attend the Farmesa Asia Pacific Inc., locator- greening actvity. partners of SPPI from Light Industry & Science Park IV in Malvar, Batangas. PTA members of San Gregorio Elementary School and police personnel in the area also joined the tree planting.

On the recommendation of the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) of Malvar, the volunteer group planted over 300 saplings of fruit-bearing plants, including calamansi, avocado, rambutan and jackfruit (langka).

Pueblo de Oro has consistently integrated environmental programs in each of its developments in Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Pampanga and Batangas. These include regular tree planting activities, solid waste management and support for e-vehicles and shuttles to cut down on emissions and waste—all planned to ultimately promote sustainability.

UNEP photo

World’s ‘rooftops’ caving in because of climate change UN Secretary-General António Guterres last week called on the world to “stop the madness” of climate change as he visited the Everest region in Nepal where melting glaciers are putting entire communities at risk of extinction.

Nepal has lost almost a third of its ice volume in 30 years, with glaciers melting 65 percent faster in the last decade than in the previous one.

“The rooftops of the world are caving in,” the UN chief said, warning that the “disappearance of glaciers altogether” looms even larger.

“Glaciers are icy reservoirs—the ones here in the Himalayas supply fresh water to well over a billion people.

When they shrink, so do river flows,” he added.

Glaciers high in the Himalayas feed large river systems and sustain crops, livestock and local economies in a region that is home to over 1.8 billion people.

However, with rising global temperatures on the back of climate change, glacial snow ice compressed over centuries is melting faster than ever—not only in the Himalayas, but also in crucial areas such as Antarctica and Greenland.

Guterres warned that in the future, major Himalayan rivers like the Indus, the Ganges and Brahmaputra, could have massively reduced flows and in combination with saltwater, decimate delta regions.

“That spells catastrophe: Low-lying countries and communities erased forever,” he said.

Guterres said his mission to the Everest region was to “cry out from the rooftop of the world.”

“Stop the madness,” he said, underscoring the need to end the age of fossil fuel to protect people on the frontlines of climate change induced destruction.

“We must act now to… limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C, to avert the worst of climate chaos. The world can’t wait,” he warned.

The UN chief is on an official visit to Nepal at the invitation of the government. UN News

With time running out, Mexico’s mercury miners seek a fresh start FIRST OF 2 PARTS AS THE sun rises across Mexico’s Sierra Gorda nature reserve, a golden light illuminates its nearly 400,000 hectares of mountains, gorges and valleys.

Set amid this vast wilderness is the Bucareli mercury mine.

Just after dawn, a metal door to the mine opens. The morning’s silence is broken by the dull sound of a generator and workers traipsing to their posts.

Among them is Jose Vigil, one of 800 people in the region who mine mercury, a highly toxic substance.

But for Vigil and the other miners, the clock is ticking.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury, a Multilateral Environmental Agreement, is tackling mercury production. Mining the element will become illegal in Mexico and the rest of the world in 2032. This is leaving many miners worried about how they will support their families even as they grapple with the often-dire health risks posed by their profession.

“We’re running out of time,” says Vigil. “We are looking for other alternatives, other means to be able to survive…[but]…it is the only way to make money.”

Mexico is the world’s second-largest producer of mercury after China, churning out some 200 tons of the toxic material annually. UNEP

With unemployment sitting at over 70 percent, Bucareli and its miners find themselves at a crossroads.

New livelihoods In response, the Mexican government has launched a project to help 19 communities in the Sierra Gorda transition to alternate, mercury-free livelihoods. Led by the United Nations

Environment Program (UNEP) and supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the project is executed

by Mexico’s National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC).

“The message from the governments that ratified the Minamata Convention is clear,” says Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, director of UNEP’s Industry and Econ-

omy Division. “We must protect human health and the environment from the dangers of mercury while supporting miners to find sustainable, safer and economically viable alternatives.”

In Mexico, environmental impact assessments and community consultations supported by UNEP and INECC are unlocking government investment in sustainable livelihood alternatives for miners, while providing a basis for mercury-free local development strategies.

Next week marks the beginning of the fifth Minamata Convention on Mercury Conference of the Parties, the latest edition of an annual gathering.

The event will cast a spotlight on the often-devastating effects of mercury.

The element is a neurotoxin and even at low levels of exposure, can cause nervous, digestive and immune system damage. It is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, sometimes causing miscarriage, and does not break down in the enviroment, instead accumulating in food chains.

From its original use in ancient cosmetics and alchemy to later applications in medical devices, electronics and most gold and silver mining, mercury has been used for centuries due to its versatility. UNEP News

United Nations’ Guterres cites pivotal role of cities in sustainable development

UN Secretary-General António Guterres

THE UN Secretary-General stressed the vital role cities play in sustainable development as catalysts for economic growth and innovation in remarks observing World Cities Day last week.

“World Cities Day is a time to consider the pivotal role cities play in sustainable development,” said António Guterres, setting the stage for a global call to action.

Cities are not only engines of economic growth but are also at the forefront of the world’s most pressing challenges.

From the climate crisis to widening social inequalities and political polarization, cities find themselves grappling with a multitude of complex issues.

Cities, towns and their surrounding areas act as powerful magnets for innovation, culture and opportunities, attracting both talent and investment.

Today, urban living has already been embraced by more than half of the world’s population, and UN Habitat

projections indicate that nearly 70 per cent of people will live in cities by 2050.

While cities generate more than 80 percent of the global gross domestic product, create powerful networks of entrepreneurship and business growth and give ample opportunities for talents development, they can turn into an inequality trap, with overcrowding, pollution, poor infrastructure and social injustice.

Approximately 1.1 billion people live in slums and informal settlements in urban areas, which entrenches poverty and limits opportunities.

The UN chief expressed his concerns about the challenges faced by local authorities. “Local authorities are struggling with limited support and resources,” he said. “The demand for critical infrastructure, affordable housing, efficient transport, and essential social services continues to grow exponentially.”

This year’s theme for World Cities

Day, “Financing Sustainable Urban Development,” serves as a clarion call for collective action. It urges governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society to collaborate and mobilize financial resources to build resilient, sustainable cities.

“I am a strong advocate for equitable financing solutions at the global level,” the UN chief said. Such solutions, together with innovative and diverse funding sources, are essential to strengthen local financing strategies that are climate-friendly, inclusive, and equitable, he added.

To enhance coordination and amplify the voices of cities and regions, Guterres recently established of the Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments. The group will focus on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring that urban areas are heard as the world prepares for the Summit of the Future next year. UNEP News

SPORTS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023

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

Canuto hits game-winner to lift NU past Santo Tomas

PBA ELITE. San Miguel Beer’s Junemar Fajardo (third from left) displays his record-extending 7th MVP trophy in the Philippine Basketball Association. He is joined by fellow Mythical Five Selection members Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo and Christian Standhardinger of Ginebra and SMB’s CJ Perez during the PBA Leo Awards at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.

Veterans back as Pirates use outside sniping to sink Knights

By Peter Atencio

T

HE Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates’ veterans are back in shape and their outside shooting worked wonders for them on Sunday in the 99th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament at the Fil-EcoOil Arena in San Juan.

Five out of a total of 12 triples found their mark in the last period as the Pirates went on to outplay the dethroned champion Letran Knights, 85-79.

Enoch Valdez and Mclaude Guadana showed that they are back in good health, as they led a rally from 12 points down to help the Pirates post their fourth straight victory to up their win-loss record to 10-3 at the top

in a tie with the Mapua Cardinals.

Valdez and Guadana had 18 points for the Pirates.

“Kahapon, sina Gyle Montano ang mga bida, pero ngayon, sina Mclaude, si Enoch, si Bravo. Kaya talagang maganda ang balanse. Maganda na pagpasok mo sa laro, handa na. Minsan, medyo mabagal sila sa simula, pero kapag uminit, okay na sila,”

said Pirates’ coach Gilbert Malabanan.

The Cardinals, behind Warren Bonifacio with 15 points, repulsed the San Sebastian Stags, 70-63, to remain in contention for the no. 1 seeding in the Final Four semifinals.

Marc Cuenco made 12 points, while Jopet Soriano shot 11 points for the Cardinals, who will have a chance to move ahead of the Pirates again with their Tuesday encounter with the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals.

With the Pirates behind, 56-68, at the end of the third period, Guadana strung two treys in the last 7:27, during a 20-4 rally, putting Lyceum in front, 76-72, in the last 3:38.

John Bravo added 17 points, with his three triples in the 26 seconds sending the Pirates to an 85-86 edge.

Lyceum’s Enoch Valdez

Red Spikers bounce back, zap Airmen in 4

San Beda’s Tahiluddin Mohammad soars for a smash.

MKA-San Beda flashed top form coming off a four-set defeat as it upended veteran-laden Philippine Air Force, 25-22, 28-30, 25-23, 2519, to get back on track in Pool B play in the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference at the Paco Arena Sunday.

Reeling from a sorry loss in an extended second set duel, the Red Spikers this time endured another tough challenge in the third then rode on the momentum to control the fourth that saw them lead by as many as six, 20-14, on Kevin Montemayor and Anrei Bakil’s back-to-back hits.

Behind Ranran Abdilla, Air Force countered with a 4-1 run, which included two blocks on Montemayor, to threaten within three, 18-21. But a couple of miscues derailed the Airmen’s rally while enabling the Red Spikers to close out the match with their own 4-1 swing.

“Challenge sa kanila kapag alam nilang malakas ang kalaban. Mas lumalabas yung tu-

Games on Wednesday 1 p.m. – Iloilo vs Perpetual-Kinto 3 p.m. – PCU-Dasmariñas vs VNS 5 p.m. – Coast Guard vs Cignal

nay na galing nila, so ayun, parehas lang naman may skills, nasa kanila na yun kung paano sila gagalaw sa loob,” said San Beda head coach Ariel Dela Cruz.

The Airmen did come into the match brimming with confidence after disposing of PCU Dasmariñas-Saskin last Oct. 22.

“In-advice ko sa kanila na mag-enjoy, dapat nakangiti sa loob ng court kasi doon sila huhugot ng (lakas) at makapag isip sila nang maayos,” added Dela Cruz.

Ralph Cabalsa scored 16 points, all on attacks, and finished with nine excellent digs to pace San Beda while Mohammad Tahiluddin had 14 attack points he laced with 11 excellent receptions.

Dutchman returns to IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa hunt FIVE months after ruling the full IRONMAN Philippines in exacting conditions in Subic, Dutchman Eric van der Linden is back in pursuit of another triathlon glory – half the distance but full in challenges in the IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa blasting off on Nov. 12 in Palawan.

Van der Linden will lead the crack roster of foreign bidders from 38 countries all armed and ready for a test of power, speed and stamina against the local top guns in the 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21.1k run distance event marking its return to the city of forest following a successful hosting of the premier endurance race last year.

The Schagen, North Holland native, 49, actually placed sixth in the inaugurals, crowding the likes of Fer Casares, Satar Salem, John Alcala, Mervin Santiago and Jailani Lamama for early control in the swim leg but losing momentum in the bike and run stages, enabling the strong-finishing

Alcala to claim the victory and earn the bragging rights as the first IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa champion.

But Van der Linden’s triumph in Subic, where he battled through rough waters and windy, wet conditions in the 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42km run race that ran through near-midnight, should boost the Sydney Olympics veteran’s confidence heading to the upcoming race also serving as first-time host to the Asia TriClub and Relay Championship.

Making up the early roster in the Asia TriClub and Relay Championship, offering a top purse of P500,000 put up by Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron, are Tri SND Barracuda, Fit PH, Baguio Benguet Triathlon, Gas Coaching, Las Vegas Tri Club, Heroes Hotel Adventure, Army Navy Southtri, Loolaba Tri Club, Les Sables Vendee, La Rochelle Tri and KOA Sports.

For details and listup, log on to ironman.com/im703-puerto-princesa-register, according to the organizing The

IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc. Meanwhile, Japan is fielding in the most number of entries among the foreign teams in the individual competitions with 21 while 15 triathletes will each anchor Great Britain and Singapore’s drive while the United States and China have 12 each and France has 11 runners.

Other foreign triathletes in the fold are Emmanuel Bordeau, Paul-Henri Guyon and Frederic LeBlanc, all from France, Singapore’s Chun Ann Neo, Kento Niimi from Japan, Americans Colton Morgan and Jason McKinney, Swiss Valery Franscella, and young Long Kit Chiu and Ka Nok Cheng from Hong Kong.

Spicing up the IM 70.3 Puerto Princesa, backed by Vinfast, Active, Gatorade, HOKA, ROKA, Breitling 1884, Athletic Brewing Co., Fulgaz, Hyperice, Qatar Airways, Red Bull,

Eric van der Linden

Santini and Wahoo, are the Princesa Run, a 5K fun run on Nov. 10, and the IRONKIDS Philippines, featuring youngsters aged 6 to 15, on Nov. 11.

MAYMAY Canuto saved National University from the hands of defeat at the hands of archrival University of Santo Tomas.

Canuto, a fourth-year guard, nailed the game-winner with little time to spare, lifting defending champions Lady Bulldogs to a thrilling 77-76 victory over the Growling Tigresses to punch their ticket to the UAAP Season 86 Women’s Basketball Final Four on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

With her team down 75-76, the 24-year-old from Morong, Rizal made her only field goal of the game with 1.2 seconds left to win the game for the defending champions after desperate misses from her teammates.

Off a UST timeout, the Growling Tigresses failed to inbound the ball. UST waved the white flag afterward.

“That shot of Maymay Canuto doesn’t just happen today,” said coach Aris Dimaunahan. “She really works hard every single day. I’ve been seeing her really locked in. Nag-e-extra yan, getting shots out after practices. Yung tinanim niya as seeds in the last few months, napakinabangan namin ngayon.”

With the win, the Lady Bulldogs advanced to the Final Four for the ninth straight season while extending their streak to seven, with an average winning margin of 19.14 points, to raise their slate to 9-1.

“The endgame was a grind-out win for us,” said Dimaunahan. “I have to give credit to our players for really, really playing together and for each other out there until the final buzzer.”

The Lady Bulldogs, who were up by as much as 57-40 off an Aloja Betanio basket with 3:33 to go in the third quarter, let the Growling Tigresses threaten them with a comeback win in the payoff period.

Eka Soriano, Apple Maglupay, Tacky Tacatac, Rocel Dionisio, and Kent Pastrana’s five unanswered points gave UST a 72-69 edge with 12.5 seconds left.

Just when the Growling Tigresses looked like they were going to pull off the stunner, Tin Cayabyab stepped up for the Lady Bulldogs with a huge buzzer-beating three to send the game into extra time.

Banner field answers PAL Mabuhay Miles shotgun start A MERRY mix of players belonging to the fields of business here and abroad make up the full 300-strong field of the revival of the Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay Miles Elite Invitational Golf Tournament at the world-class layout of The Orchard Golf and Country Club in Cavite.

PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Capt. Stanley K. Ng will be among the prominent executives hitting the ceremonial drive before the 7:30 a.m. shotgun start at the Player and Palmer courses.

“It’s our way of giving back to our most valued clients,” said Ng, who has taken up the sport recently.

“Golf is also a way for us to get in touch, spend time with them and for all of the players to have the chance to get to know each other.”

Carrying the theme “Reviving Legends,” the 18-hole tournament has, since its inception in 1992, been graced by the veritable bigwigs in business and several other fields, all of them members of the upper echelon of PAL’s frequent flier program.

The event was forced into a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic and its return this year will be its 27th staging overall as the Philippines’ top airline dangles attractive prizes while fostering friendly competition and camaraderie.

Movie actor and now Ormoc representative Richard Gomez will also take part, while the Class A race will be bannered by former national pool member Brixton Aw and Interclub standouts RJ Rizada and Edmund Yee.

SPORTS

C2 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023

Forest Hills’ Palmer course ready to host Chairman’s Cup A SPRUCED-UP Palmer course will be in the spotlight when it plays host next week to close to 500 members and guests in the 19th Hyundai Chairman’s Cup, the last major club tournament for the year of Forest Hills Golf and Country Club in Antipolo.

Touted as a tough layout because of its challenging design, improvement of tee boxes and other detailed works were done in time for the Chairman’s Cup and Club Chairman Robert Sobrepeña feels this is the right time to showcase them.

“These were achieved despite the difficulties encountered especially with heavy and continuous rains in the middle part of the year. But plans were fast-tracked through sound management and guidance of the grounds committee,” said Sobrepeña.

“As the course ages, repairs and continuous maintenance works must be done to be sure it is always in championship condition. I am sure the participants will have four enjoyable rounds during the Chairman’s Cup,” added Sobrepeña of Palmer.

Hyundi Motors Philippines is presenting this year’s edition alongside platinum sponsors Cherrylume/ Mileage Asia Corporation, Escala Tagaytay, Golforce Inc., KLIO and Megaforce Security Services Corporation.

Gold sponsors include Metro Rail Transit Development Corporation, Microtel Inn and Suites Pilipinas, Concepts Golf Management and JTen Sports. Hole in one prizes will come from Get Go Cart, The Turf Company and SJK Guahan.

Edgepro Trading, The Manor and The Forest Lodge at Camp John Hay, Source Telecoms, GV Cosmetics, Grand Boracay Resort and Hoher are silver sponsors while Business Mirror, Inquirer Golf and The Perfect Drive PH are media partners.

Bronze sponsors are Timberpro, Agrexplore, Aqua Haus, Arcadia Realty, Eastland Heights, Eurotel, Hydro-Tech Irrigation, Interconnect Systems, Kuysen, Pascual Consumer Healthcare, Primepower Manpower Services, Waterworld, Andelein Land, Eatwell Supermarket, M Décor Carpet and Interior, Asia Cargo Container Line, Winston Co, 808 Trading, Universalis Consulting, 717 Deli, Lumina/Aptos Nose Thread Lift, Systin, Camp John Hay Golf Club, G&W Clubshares, Human’s Fit, Luisita Golf Club, Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club, Pradera Verde Golf, Sherwood Hills, Splendido Taal Golf, Transview PH, Handog Gas, Oscar Malinis & Co., Nestor Sales and Arnel Agustin.

Ateneo to host BEST Center cage clinics THE Ateneo College covered courts in Katipunan, Quezon City will once again host the November-December sports clinics of the multi-awarded Basketball Efficiency and Scientific Training Center (BEST Center).

Sessions are set for students in basketball and volleyball on November 18, 25, and 26; and on December 2,3,9, and 16.

The BEST Center’s basketball program is open to students in the Preparatory Level (5-8 yrs old) and for the more advanced Levels 1 to 4.

The morning sessions are from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon Levels 1 and 2 are also offered to students who wish to attend the 1 to 4:30 p.m. sessions.

Volleyball classes for Levels 1 to 3 are open from 8:30 a.m. - 12 noon, while Levels 1, 2 and Mastery are set from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on the same dates.

BEST Center, the pioneer sports clinic in the country sponsored by Milo in cooperation with SKLZ and Chris Sports, is a Hall of Fame awardee of the Philippine Sportswriters Association and is a recipient of the Olympism Award of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates his win in his men’s singles semifinal match against Andrey Rublev on Day 6 of the Paris ATP Masters 1000 tennis tournament at the Accor Arena - Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy - in Paris. AFP

Djokovic rallies to beat foe, earns shot at record-extending 7th title P ARIS—Novak Djokovic rallied to defeat Andrey Rublev 5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 in a gripping Paris Masters semifinal on Saturday, earning a shot at a record-extending seventh title in the final against Grigor Dimitrov.

The world number one relied on his unf linching powers of recovery to work his way back from a set down before sealing victory when fifth seed Rublev doubled-faulted on match point.

“Rublev was suffocating me like a snake suffocates a frog for most of the match,” said Djokovic.

“He was playing an extremely high level that he possesses, but today he was off the charts, honestly. I don’t think I’ve ever faced Rublev this good.”

Djokovic remains undefeated in nine semi-final appearances at Bercy

and stretched his winning run to 17 matches—a streak which includes his record-tying 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open.

His only defeat in his last 31 matches was a five-set loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, which ruined his bid for a calendar Grand Slam.

Djokovic broke to start the match only for Rublev to hit back the next game, drawing a loose backhand from the Serbian at the end of a lengthy rally.

The top seed produced some clutch serving to escape a 0-40 hole to hold

for 4-4, but Rublev took his next opportunity with Djokovic trying to stay in the set.

Rublev punished a weak second serve to bring up set point, and he soon surged ahead as Djokovic botched a drop shot attempt.

Djokovic fought off a break point early in the second set but failed to convert any of his four opportunities against a resilient Rublev.

The 36-year-old clung on to win a gruelling point dictated by Rublev to move 4-2 up in the tie-break, then ripped a return winner off his rival’s serve to produce three set points.

He only needed one, belting an ace out wide to send the match to a third set.

Djokovic received treatment on his back between sets but did not appear to be hindered as he carved out two break points in the fourth game. Rublev re-

sisted until Djokovic cranked up the pressure with the Russian serving to stay in the match.

Djokovic cracked a sensational backhand winner to start the final game and imposed his will against a faltering Rublev, who hurled his racquet in disgust after a double fault sealed his fate.

The Serbian, who has admitted to feeling under the weather this week, will look to add to his record haul of 39 Masters titles Sunday against an opponent who is appearing in just his second such final.

“I was struggling with my fitness again a little bit at the beginning, but I kind of went through it,” said Djokovic.

“An unfortunate ending for him (Rublev), but I think I deserved it considering the amount of effort and fight I put in, especially in the third (set).” AFP

Lady Bulldogs book return trip to Shakey’s finals REIGNING champion National University drubbed Adamson, 25-13, 26-24, 25-20, and booked a finals return trip in the Shakey’ Super League Collegiate PreSeason Championship Season 2 Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.

The Lady Bulldogs erased a 22-24 deficit in the second set before banking on a hot start in the clincher to score yet another straight-sets victory and shore up their back-to-back championship bid.

It’s the seventh sweep in a row for the mighty NU squad that needed only 83 minutes to capture the win in the knockout semifinals with skipper Erin May Pangilinan and reigning MVP Alyssa Solomon spearheading the way.

NU will face off against either Far Eastern U or University of Santo Tomas – which were still playing as of press time – in the best-of-three finale of the SSL Season 2 backed by Mikasa, Eurotel, Victory Liner, Summit Bottle Water, Peri-

Peri Charcoal Chicken, R and B Milk Tea, Potato Corner, Rebel Sports, Converge ICT Solutions, Genius Sports and United Auctioneers, Inc. Pangilinan fired 11 points on seven hits, two blocks and two aces, including a bevy of clutch hits in the pivotal second set while Solomon cashed in 10 points on seven attacks, two blocks and an ace.

Former UAAP Rookie-MVP Mhicaela Belen, Evangeline Alinsug and rookie Arah Ella Panique contributed nine, eight and seven points, respectively, for the wards of returning mentor Norman Miguel.

“We have to check first kung sino makakalaban namin. From there, doon na manggagaling lahat ng adjustments namin. But again, ganoon pa rin naman sa finals kung ano yung tinatrabaho namin,” said Miguel, mentioning passing, blocking and floor defense as areas of improvement for his wards moving forward.

“Going into the finals, dapat sabay-sabay ang kundisyon nila. Yun ang kailan-

Shaira Jardo of NU keeps the ball in play. Roman Prospero

gan naming trabahuhin.”

NU, which wiped out Pool A in the prelims and Pool E in the playoffs before making short work of the University of

the East in the quarterfinals, 25-19, 25-21, 25-23, picked up where it left off by pouring it down on Adamson with a dominant 25-13 first-set win.

Strikers stun Blue Hawks, secure 1st home win

A Bacoor City Striker pour all her might in this smash attempt agains two Negros Blue Hawks. Roman Prospero

THE Bacoor City Strikers secured their first home court victory in a stunning comeback against the resilient Negros Blue Hawks.

Hosting MPVA matches for the third time, the Bacoor City Strikers finally rewarded their home crowd with a thrilling win over the Negros Blue Hawks in five sets, with scores of 17-25, 23-25, 25-16, 25-20, and 16-14.

After losing the first two sets to the Negros Blue Hawks, the Bacoor City Strikers capitalized on their opponents’ weaknesses to claim the next three sets, ultimately earning their first home victory at the Bacoor Strike Gymnasium.

Reigning NCAA MVP Mary Rhose Dapol led her team with 18 points, supported by Charmaine Ocado, who made a significant impact with 18 points while filling in for the absence of the ace spiker, Shaila Omipon.

On the other side, Angel Habacon and Gelah Lopez were the standout performers for the Negros Blue Hawks, contributing 21 and 11 points, respectively.

Next, the City Strikers will face Biñan Tatak Gel on November 5 at the Bacoor Strike Gymnasium in their quest for a second victory.

MPVA is presented by Xtreme appliances with the support from Mikasa, the official ball, ASICS, the official shoes and XIV the official uniform of the MPVA. MPVA is broadcasting nationwide through PLUS Network and MPTV on Cignal Channel 98 and the Pilipinas Live app.

ENTERTAINMENT Yassi Pressman gratefully returns to GMA as leading lady in ‘Black Rider’

Yassi Pressman is Vanessa ‘Bane’ Bartolome in the action series ‘Black Rider’

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023

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

Ruru Madrid is Elias in the GMA Primetime series

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CTRESS Yassi Pressman is back on GMA Network with an action-packed role in the series Black Rider. This is her first Kapuso project in eight years since Princess in the Palace in 2015.

Yassi is thrilled to play the role of Vanessa “Bane” Bartolome, a fighter with a complex and dark past. She is different from the usual sweetheart and sunshine characters that she has played before.

“I’ve always wanted to be a part of an action series, na lumalaban din ako.

And I’m so grateful that GMA allowed me to do so with Black Rider,” Yassi told Manila Standard Entertainment.

“Bane is a badass character, and I’m excited to show the audience this new side of me.”

Pressman is also grateful for the opportunity to work with the Kapuso Network again. She noted the warm and kind atmosphere on set, and she is particularly excited to reveal “her other side.”

“When I was 14, I remember coming to GMA, aspiring only to be a dancer. I never thought I would become an actress, let alone a leading lady. So, I’m both grateful and excited for this opportunity to work with GMA again because I’ve learned that you never forget where you came from,” Yassi shared.

Ruru Madrid as Black Rider GMA homegrown star Ruru Madrid plays the titular role of Elias Guerrero in Black Rider. He’s a motorcycle driver who becomes a vigilante. Ruru has undergone intensive training in hand-to-hand

combat, motocross, and martial arts for the fight choreography in the series.

“Black Rider is a dream project come true for me,” Ruru said. “I’m so excited to share this with the audience because it’s a massive project that features artists from different generations. I’m honored to work with

the actors I look up to,” he said.

Speaking to Manila Standard Entertainment, Ruru said that Black

From left: Matteo Guidicelli, Yassi Pressman, Ruru Madrid, Katrina Halili, and Jon Lucas

Richard Gutierrez renews ABS-CBN contract amid rumors of marital trouble with Sarah Lahbati CELEBRITY couple Richard Gutierrez and Sarah Lahbati sparked rumors of marital trouble after being absent from each other’s social media posts and attending events separately in recent weeks.

Netizens have also noticed that the couple has only shared photos of themselves bonding individually with their sons, a departure from their previous behavior of openly sharing their affection on social media.

Despite the swirling rumors, Richard has remained focused on his career and recently renewed his contract with ABS-CBN. He signed a new contract during the “Solid Kapamilya: Network Contract Signing” event held at the ABS-CBN Dolphy Theater on October 26.

Richard expressed his excitement for the next phase of his career with ABS-CBN, sharing that he and the network have a couple of projects lined up, including a new teleserye in the first quarter of next year. He also revealed that he is already working on conceptualizing ‘The Iron Heart’ star Richard Gutierrez his new project, which he hopes to surpass the success of his recent hit brainstorming ideas. However, he is series, The Iron Heart. committed to delivering a show that will In terms of the genre and setting of his be even more action-packed, well-written, new project, Richard and visually stunning than The Iron Heart. said that he and Richard also expressed his ABS-CBN openness to working with new and are still established Kapamilya stars, such as Jodi Sta. Maria, Kim Chiu, Belle Mariano, Donny Pangilinan, Kathryn Bernardo, and Daniel Padilla. He said that he is always eager to collaborate with talented actors and actresses, and he believes that these partnerships can lead to even more exciting and groundbreaking projects.

Richard joined ABSCBN in 2017 and has since starred in several successful Sarah Lahbati (right) shows and movies, including together with her La Luna Sangre, FPJ’s Ang children, Kai (left) and Probinsyano, Unbreakable, and Zion Gutierrez (middle) Fantastica.

Rider is more than what he had hoped for as an actor.

“I always dreamed of becoming an actor, but when I finally became one, I realized that there was more to achieve,” Madrid said. “With Black Rider, I’m fulfilling my dream of becoming an action star and working with industry professionals I look up to. I promise to give my best in every project entrusted to me, hoping that my journey can serve as an inspiration to young people who feel like no one believes in them. Dream big, just like I did,” the 25-year-old actor added.

Black Rider promises thrilling action sequences that aim to elevate Filipino action while highlighting themes of family love and heroism in the face of adversity. Elias’s transformation from an ordinary motorcycle driver into a symbol of justice and hope for the people of Manila is sure to resonate with Filipinos.

The story also underscores the enduring popularity of motorcycles in the Philippines, a country with approximately 30 million motorcycle

riders among its 100 million population.

The series is directed by Erwin Tagle, alongside master directors Rommel Penesa (Lolong) and Richard Arellano.

The ensemble cast includes Matteo Guidicelli, Kylie Padilla, Katrina Halili, Zoren Legaspi, Raymart Santiago, Gary Estrada, Raymond Bagatsing, Isko Moreno, Monsour del Rosario, Roi Vinzon, Rio Locsin, Gladys Reyes, Maureen Larrazabal, and Almira Muhlach.

The series also features comedians Empoy Marquez and Jayson Gainza, rapper Shanti Dope, social media personalities Pipay and Ashley Rivera, drag queen Turing, Sparkle artists Prince Clemente and Mariel Pamintuan, and the young love team of Ashley Sarmiento and Marco Masa.

Black Rider premieres tonight at 8:00 on GMA Telebabad, with simultaneous airing on Pinoy Hits and live streaming via Kapuso Stream. A delayed telecast will be available on GTV at 9:40.

Road to 100 and beyond

AS A prelude to the major celebration of his 40th year in the industry next year, OPM icon Gary Valenciano marked his career milestone with a series of sold-out shows at the Music Museum, while concluding a successful North American tour and receiving a prestigious award – all of which underscore his talent and cement his legacy as one of the Philippines’ premier musical legends.

The series’ initial sold-out run, which kicked off last August, was a resounding triumph, with audiences dancing in the aisles and every seat occupied. The buzz around these shows was undeniable, with celebrities, fans, and various industries’ bigwigs flocking to experience Mr. Pure Energy setting the stage on fire and receiving multiple standing ovations throughout the shows.

Due to insistent public demand, Gary V: Back at the Museum had a repeat that consisted of four sold-out shows. With his November 3 performance marking his 100th solo concert at the Music Museum, Gary became the first and only artist to accomplish this Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano

Kiana Valenciano (left) performs with her father at the ‘Gary V: Back at the Museum’ concert

feat.

After the success of the Music Museum series, Gary V embarked on the Reenergized 2023 North American Tour, which began in Suquamish, Washington, and passed through renowned venues like Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks, California, and Portland, Oregon.

The Canadian leg kicked off at the Rajveer Banquet Hall in Calgary, Alberta. This was followed by a performance in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and another at the John Bassett Theatre in Toronto, Ontario.

The U.S. leg concluded with two sold-out shows at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.

Despite facing health challenges while on tour, including a bout of pneumonia, Gary’s commitment to his fans and his craft was evident. His performances showcased his four-decade-long dedication to the music industry, a legacy that has earned him over 200 industry awards.

Gary was also recently lauded with the Gawad Sa Sining At Kultura ng Paglilingkod sa Bayan award by the prestigious Gawad Tanglaw Awards.

With the success of the repeat shows, Gary and his Manila Genesis team are adding two more dates to formally close the series on November 30 and December 1.

Gary is also gearing up to cap his 40th year with his biggest concert yet, which is set to happen at the MOA Arena in April 2024.

In this season of triumphs, Gary’s accomplishments are a reflection of his relentless dedication and the unwavering love from his fans. Both he, his family, and the entire Manila Genesis team extend their heartfelt appreciation for everyone’s continued support. The project has generated a significant donation for his family’s advocacy, the Shining Light Foundation.

LIFE

C4 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023 Nickie Wang, Editor Angelica Villanueva , Writer E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

Where El Nido’s natural beauty meets comfort and adventure

Eric Sugui and his team at the Sea Cocoon rooftop

Sea Cocoon Hotel’s spacious standard room Art Cafe offers an extensive menu consisting of seafood, and guest favorites like pizzas and pastas Kayaking amidst the towering limestone cliffs and crystal-clear waters of El Nido

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was easy to romanticize the place.

We booked a special twin room on the fourth floor with a small balcony overlooking El Nido beach. The T Sea Cocoon Hotel, we view from the room was spectacular, with the limestone felt nestled in a cocoon of cliffs seemingly kissing the waters of the bay.

The room was clean and comfortable, with new comfort and relaxation, and efficient air conditioning. The hotel also offers a surrounded by the complimentary daily buffet breakfast and a rooftop breathtaking views of the sea and the café and bar that will open soon. The rooftop also warm hospitality of its owner, Eric offers stunning views of the bay.

El Nido town Sugui, and his friendly staff. The The initial response to visiting a place for the first hotel is also conveniently located time and developing a deep affection for someone, near the restaurants in town. or in this case, a travel destination, is often likened to falling in love. So, let’s embark on a journey of The team welcomed us with figurative open arms, discovery and fall in love with the charming town of and we knew that we were in for a memorable stay. El Nido, as we explore the community, its businesses, As we gazed at the beauty of nature surrounding us, it and the daily activities that tourists and locals enjoy.

By Jenny Fatima Macatiag

28 years of magic BE THE Magic. Be Enchanted.

This is the mantra that greets you as you enter the gates of Enchanted Kingdom, the 25-hectare theme park in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

A few weeks after it opened in October 1995, I visited with my three young children for a day of fun and frolic.

We enjoyed the exciting rides, which rivaled those at Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm in the USA. I haven’t gone back to this theme park since then, which is why I made it a point to visit it again when I received the invitation to its 28th anniversary celebration.

Not only did I want to see the new attractions it now offers but also because I wanted to personally congratulate and celebrate with the owners, Cynthia and Mario Mamon, for finding ways, albeit difficult, for our only worldclass park to survive the devastating effects of the recent pandemic.

The mammoth crowd of parents with their children, excited teens, and even senior citizens I saw that day, all having fun inside the park grounds, was a testimony to the park’s successful overcoming of the most challenging obstacles brought about by the past two years.

Upon entering the park grounds, I was immediately ushered into the Evens Center where I was tagged with the usual bracelet of Admission Ticket which gave me unlimited access to all the rides in the park. While waiting for the program to start, I was escorted to watch the park’s newest attraction, Agila The EKsperience. It is Agila the first flying theater in the EKsperience country and the largest of is the its kind in the whole world. newest The thrilling 10-minute ride addition takes one virtually piggy- to the backing on a Philippine eagle park’s fun as it soars over our country’s attractions magnificent tourist attractions.

I found it quite an emotional experience as, seeing the beautiful scenery made me feel truly blessed to be Filipino, having all these stunning natural marvels that our country offers. The show bannered the many reasons why our foreign guests “Love the Philippines.”

The evening celebration at the park’s Events Center had a list of VIP personalities who were just as happy as I was

to help celebrate Enchanted Kingdom’s significant milestone – DTI Usec.

Blesilda Lantayona, L a g u n a Congresswoman Ruth Hernandez, Laguna Governor Ramil Hernandez, Executive Director and Vice-President of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Jack Chan, and Senior Director of Universal Beijing Resort Bob Dennis, who designed the park and its attractions.

After the speeches, the Anniversary Toast was led

by Head of Organization Development and Corporate Planning Nico Mamon, and Head of Business Development and Digital Transformation Anna MamonYOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE: A 25-year study by Harvard and Cambridge universities’ senior researchers has just concluded that: “The number of lies told by men would decrease significantly by 94 percent if women stopped asking questions.”

El Nido serves as the gateway to the Bacuit Archipelago, a cluster of islands adorned with limestone cliffs that rise majestically from the sea.

Its poblacion offers a sanctuary far removed from the bustle of city life, replete with hotels, restaurants, and activity centers. It’s conveniently located, just a 5-hour drive from Puerto Princesa Airport (PPS) or a mere 15-minute trip from Lio Airport.

Art Cafe El Nido We couldn’t wait to explore more of the town as we headed out for lunch. Highly recommended was Art Cafe which is about a five-minute walk from the hotel.

The restaurant offers an extensive menu consisting of seafood, and guest favorites like pizzas and pastas. They also have a souvenir store on the ground floor and a gallery of paintings down Serena Street.

After walking around town and checking out the sights and sounds of El Nido, we had an early

Eldar, the adorable main mascot of Enchanted Kingdom, warmly greets guests at park entrance

dinner at Cafe Athena which is a Mediterranean-style beachfront restaurant.

Island tour On our second day, we embarked on an islandhopping tour with Isla Malaya Tours. The group that we were with was a happy bunch. We had the time of our lives kayaking the big lagoon of El Nido and enjoying an island seafood buffet lunch right after.

It was already late in the afternoon when we got back to Corong Corong beach. We then decided to have an early dinner at Nanay’s Restaurant located in the Pops District of El Nido.

All these restaurants and activities are near the Sea Cocoon Hotel which makes it easy to move around.

El Nido provides peace and a chance to just let go of everything that weighs you down. Now is the perfect time to go, be inspired and fall in love with nature.

A unique travel experience this holiday season

Sunlight Air allows travelers to personalize their travel experience

Aban, children of the owners.

After a lavish dinner, we were then escorted out into the park’s main street to watch the Grand Storybook Characters Parade, Enchanted Kingdom’s colorful and attractive version of the Electrical Parade we see in Disneyland.

The magical anniversary festivities ended with a concert top-billed by popular Cebuana diva KZ Tandingan and, interspersed between the musical numbers were the entries of the Finalists to the Sky Wizardry Fireworks Competition.

The evening certainly ended with a bang as the dark sky teemed with glittering diamonds of various sizes, comets of different colors, and sparkling stars that seemed to have migrated from different parts of the universe. I have to admit that the whole shebang made me feel like a little boy once again.

It certainly was a beautiful way to spend the weekend.

It’s been a long while since I’ve been to an amusement park and I have to say that each one of us needs a magical moment like this every now and then in our lives. It’s a most enjoyable way to relieve ourselves of stress and prop ourselves up, ready for whatever challenges there may be. We’re lucky we have Enchanted Kingdome nearby… where the magic lives forever!

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

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