Manila Standard - 2023 November 27 - Monday

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‘Keep masks on, vaccinate amid China respiratory illness outbreak’ AN EXPERT on infectious diseases said Sunday that people should wear masks and keep their vaccinations up to date amid reports of a surge in respiratory illnesses in China.

“Let’s not panic and conclude that this is another COVID or a novel

pathogen we know nothing about,” said Dr. Rontgene Solante, president of the Philippine College of Physicians and an expert on infectious diseases.

“But it is also important while monitoring the situation that we take Next page

VOL. XXXVII • NO. 285 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023 •

More Pinoys to leave Israel

DFA convincing 26 Filipinos in Gaza to repatriate; more hostages freed

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HE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is expecting more Filipinos to return home from Israel, which is at war with the Palestinian Hamas group, as it is still convincing the remaining 26 Pinoys in Gaza to join 111 who have already fled the Strip and returned to Manila.

Hamas fighters were set Sunday to release a third group of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a day after freeing captives including a young woman snatched from a desert rave.

One of two Filipino hostages held

by Hamas, Gelienor Pacheco, was released earlier with the first batch, but the fate of the second, Noralyn Babadilla, was as yet unclear.

The Israeli government will give “Jimmy” Pacheco and his family lifetime social security benefits and regular stipends like those given to Israelis Next page

More in PH feel no change from last year—SWS MORE Filipinos felt there were no perceptible changes in their lives over the past year, according to the latest Social Weather Station (SWS) survey.

The Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 SWS poll also showed that more respondents asserted that their quality of life got worse and that they were better off a year ago.

According to the survey, SWS found 28 percent of adult Filipinos were “gainers.” These were the people who claimed their quality of life improved over the past year.

On the other hand, 30 percent were “losers” or people who said it got worse for them, and 41 percent claimed nothing changed for them during the past 12 months.

Next page

IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT. President Marcos is

mobbed by children as he and First Lady Liza AranetaMarcos (inset) lead the Christmas gift-giving tradition for children dubbed ‘Balik Sigla, Bigay Saya’ at the Kalayaan Grounds of Malacañan Palace in Manila on Sunday.

Rolando Mailo and Rey Baniquet, NIB

Marcos leads gift-giving to 17,000 kids under ‘Bigay Saya’ tack

By Vince Lopez MORE than 17,000 children from select shelters and orphanages across the country received gifts from President Marcos in Malacañan Palace on Sunday ahead of Christmas.

Bautista: DoTr pushing through with MRT-3 fare hike next year THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) is pushing through with a planned fare hike on the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 by next year, Secretary Jaime Bautista said over the weekend, without saying by how much fares would be increased.

"It will push through. We are reviewing it, maybe next year," Bautista told reporters, after the Transportation department deferred the fare hike due to “infirmities in complying with the re-

quirements and procedure.”

The rail system, which serves over 500,000 passengers daily and runs the length of EDSA from Caloocan in the north of Metro Manila to Paranaque in the south, currently charges fares from P13 to P28 per passenger.

Metro Rail Transit Corporation, the firm that runs the system, earlier filed an additional P2.29 boarding fare and P0.21 distance fare per kilometer to finance its Next page operating expenses.

The nationwide gift-giving event dubbed "Balik Sigla, Bigay Saya" was initiated by the Office of the President through the Social Secretary's Office.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), along

with several private partners including Jollibee and San Miguel Corp., organized the simultaneous event in over 250 locations nationwide.

Among the largest participating centers were the Cebu Technological University with 449 children and

the University of Mindanao, Matina Campus in Davao del Sur with 600 children.

The gift-giving at the Palace was held at the Kalayaan grounds where the President and First Lady Liza Next page

APPF CLOSING RITES. Speaker Ferdinand

Martin G. Romualdez, co-chairman of the 31st Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), signs the Joint Communique of APPF31 in the closing rites of the three-day event on Saturday night. Witnessing are (from left) Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Senate President and APPF31 Chairman Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., and Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza. Ver Noveno

PH lawmakers promote Maharlika Fund to visiting Asia-Pacific solons

By Rio N. Araja

DEFENSE TIES. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Japan State Minister for Defense Hiroyuki Miyazawa (right) begin formal negotiations for the proposed Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), as ships of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Australian Defence Force conducta Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) on Sunday (inset). DND, ADD photos

THE Philippine delegation to the 31st Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum has promoted the newly created Maharlika Investment Corp., which will manage the Maharlika Investment Fund, to their fellow legislators during the three-day regional conference that ended Saturday, Speaker Martin Romualdez said.

“On the sidelines, we have mentioned that we have passed and enacted the law regarding the Maharlika Investment

Corp.,” Romualdez told reporters Saturday night after delivering the closing remarks at the forum.

The Speaker co-chaired the annual meeting, which the Philippine Congress hosted, with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.

The local lawmakers were also hosting their visiting counterparts in a farewell dinner Sunday night, with some of them going to tourist hotspot Tagaytay City along with Senator Francis Tolentino, the city’s former mayor. Next page

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who are victims of terrorist attacks, the Philippine Embassy in Israel said Sunday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen visited Pacheco at a hospital where he is recovering after 49 days in captivity in Gaza.

“I am only alive because of the Lord.

Even on the day they abducted me, I was really thinking about my family. While I was in Gaza, I just wanted to live for my family,” the embassy quoted Pacheco as saying.

In a Facebook post, Pacheco shared a photo of his breakfast, saying he was no longer eating tissue paper.

Pacheco was among those released from war-torn Gaza after Israel and Hamas agreed on a four-day humanitarian truce. He was abducted during the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7.

Meanwhile, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said a ninth batch of almost 300 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Israel – which is also fighting back attacks from militants based in Lebanon in the north and the West Bank aside from Gaza -- who flew back to the Philippines over the weekend.

Pinoys in Lebanon would take longer to repatriate, the department said.

In a sign of the fragility of the exchanges, the latest swap Saturday was delayed for hours after Hamas accused Israel of breaching its side of the deal that led to a four-day ceasefire in the sevenweek-old war.

Despite the dispute, Hamas finally released 13 Israelis and four Thai hostages at night, officials said.

Israel said it in turn freed 39 Palestin-

ian prisoners.

Repatriation The DFA on Sunday said the government continues its repatriation of Filipinos and their families in Israel and Lebanon.

“We continue our repatriation effort in Israel - we had a ninth batch for up to 299 OFWs who flew in with 14 infants or children,” De Vega said.

The DFA said the latest batch of Filipinos who returned home brought the total number of repatriates from Israel to 313.

He said the 10th batch would arrive in Manila this week.

The Philippine government has activated its repatriation program for Filipinos in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon as the Israel-Hamas war rages on, killing thousands in the war-torn Gaza.

In Lebanon, the DFA gave an update about the separate repatriation effort for Filipinos as the Israel-Hamas war persists.

“In Lebanon, we have 37 OFWs. We had arrivals last Wednesday and we’re processing around 200 in Lebanon,” De Vega said.

But he explained the processing of departure of the repatriates may take longer than usual because some of them were undocumented.

Nonetheless, De Vega said they are exhausting all options for those who seek voluntary repatriation in Lebanon.

List of hostages The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it had since received a list of hostages due to be released

by Hamas on Sunday.

The list was being checked by security officials, it said, and families of the hostages had been informed.

Among the hostages freed late Saturday was 21-year-old Maya Regev, who had been kidnapped by Hamas fighters in

pandemic, with social media users fearing "a new virus coming from China," or a From A1 "new COVID." Macon Ramos-Araneta with AFP (See full story online at precautions because we know how manilastandard.net) rapidly illnesses can travel from one country to another because there are no On Wednesday, the World Health restrictions,” he added, speaking in a mix Organization -- which repeatedly of English and Filipino to TeleRadyo. criticized Beijing for a lack of Solante said that vulnerable transparency throughout the COVID populations such as children and the pandemic -- requested more information elderly should take extra precautions from China about children suffering as they could be easily infected with from "undiagnosed pneumonia." respiratory illnesses.

Beijing responded on Thursday, Aside from COVID-19 vaccines, saying "there has been no detection Solante also urged the public to get of any unusual or novel pathogens," flu shots, saying it is ideal to receive according to a WHO statement. flu vaccination from March to May to The WHO has requested more have protection against the illness until information, noting that China closely December to January the following year. monitors trends in viruses such as the flu, Cases of respiratory illnesses RSV, and SARS-CoV-2. have been surging in northern China, China also started monitoring particularly among children, sparking mycoplasma pneumonia for the first time speculation online of a new pandemic in mid-October, the WHO added. threat four years after COVID-19 first The WHO said that "there is limited emerged in the country. detailed information available to fully However, Chinese health authorities characterize the overall risk of these have said the rising infections are a mix reported cases of respiratory illness in of already known viruses and are linked children." to the country's first full cold season after However an increase in such illnesses strict COVID restrictions were lifted last was to be expected with the arrival of December. winter, it added.

And while emphasizing that the full Several experts pointed to winter's situation remains unclear, experts say arrival, the end of COVID restrictions, there is little to suggest the cases were and a lack of prior immunity in children caused by a new virus. as likely being behind the surging What and where? infections.

On Nov. 13, China's National "Since China experienced a far longer Health Commission reported a surge in and harsher lockdown than essentially respiratory illnesses, mostly in children. any other country on Earth, it was Chinese authorities have attributed anticipated that those 'lockdown exit' the rising cases to the end of COVID waves could be substantial in China," restrictions, the arrival of the cold season, said Francois Balloux of University and the circulation of known pathogens College London. including influenza, mycoplasma Unless there is new evidence pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus suggesting otherwise, "there is no reason (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2 —the virus to suspect the emergence of a novel that causes COVID. pathogen," he added.

On Monday, the public disease Paul Hunter of the UK's University of surveillance system ProMED—which once East Anglia emphasized that "at present issued an early warning about mysterious there is too little information to make a pneumonia cases that turned out to be COVID definitive diagnosis."

-- reported that some Chinese hospitals were However "overall, this does not "overwhelmed with sick children" due to a sound to me like an epidemic due to a pneumonia outbreak. novel virus," he added.

This outbreak was said to be mainly "If it was, I would expect to see in the capital Beijing, but also in the many more infections in adults. The northeastern Liaoning province and few infections reported in adults other areas in China. suggest existing immunity from a prior Symptoms included fever, lung exposure." inflammation without a cough, and The WHO recommended that people pulmonary nodules—lumps on lungs in the affected areas follow the normal that are usually the result of a past rules to avoid respiratory illnesses. infection. No deaths have been reported.

These include getting vaccinated, At a children's hospital in Beijing on isolating if symptoms emerge, and Thursday, several parents said their children getting tested or wearing masks if had mycoplasma pneumonia, which is a necessary. common cause of pneumonia in children that Based on the current information, is readily treated with antibiotics. the WHO advised against any travel Memories triggered restrictions involving China.

The report triggered memories of the Macon Ramos-Araneta with AFP

their deadly assault on the Supernova music festival, a brutal episode in the broader Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

She was the first of the music festival hostages to be released since armed Hamas fighters swooped on the event, killing hundreds, taking captives, and sending others fleeing for their lives.

Maya Regev and her 18-year-old brother Itay, who was also abducted from the festival, were shown tied up in the back of a pick-up truck in a video posted on social media after the attack.

"I am so excited and happy that Maya is on her way to us now. Nonetheless, my heart is split because my son Itay is still in Hamas captivity in Gaza," her mother Mirit said in a statement released by the hostage families' forum.

'Sigh of relief' The family of Emily Hand, a nineyear-old Israeli-Irish freed hostage, said they were "overjoyed" to embrace her again.

"We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days," the family said in a statement via the forum.

"We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember... all the hundreds of hostages who have yet to return."

The girl ran into the tight embrace of her father upon her release, a video by the Israeli Defense Forces showed.

"An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief," said Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said the four hostages from his country released Saturday were healthy.

"Everyone is glad to be released. Overall mental health is still good," he said in a

social media post.

Israeli prison authorities said the latest group of released Palestinian detainees included 38-year-old Israa Jaabis, sentenced to 11 years in jail for detonating a gas cylinder at a checkpoint in 2015.

The ceasefire and hostage-for-prisoner swap have brought the first significant relief to both sides since Oct. 7, when Hamas fighters broke through Gaza's militarized border with Israel, snatched around 240 people and killed about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel launched an air, artillery and naval bombardment alongside a ground offensive to destroy Hamas, killing nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians and including thousands of children, according to the Hamas government in Gaza.

Ceasefire extension?

Egypt has said that it received positive feedback from both sides about the idea of extending the truce for a day or two and releasing more hostages and prisoners.

"It's only a start, but so far it's gone well," US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday, adding "the chances are real" for extending the truce.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for "a permanent ceasefire and a complete end to this aggression."

But Israeli armed forces chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Saturday that the war to eliminate Hamas would continue.

"We will return immediately at the end of the ceasefire to attack Gaza," Halevi said.

"We will also do this in order to dismantle Hamas, also to create a great deal of pressure to return as quickly as possible and as many abductees as possible, every last one of them."

The latest hostage handover was de-

layed when Hamas said Israel was interfering in the selection of prisoners for release and not allowing aid to reach civilians in Gaza.

Hamas later said it relented when Egyptian and Qatari mediators relayed a promise by Israel to uphold the accord.

Israeli officials denied any breach of the ceasefire's terms, describing Hamas' actions as "psychological warfare."

West Bank celebrations Despite the row, Sunday's release would be the third since the four-day truce entered into force Friday.

Hamas has released 26 Israeli hostages in exchange for 78 Palestinian prisoners in the two releases already completed.

The militants have also freed a total of 14 Thais and one Filipino. Iran's foreign ministry said it had joined with key mediator Qatar to help negotiate the release of the Thai nationals.

Israeli hostages who were let go in the initial swap Friday have since reunited with their families in touching scenes.

Nine-year-old boy Ohad rounded the corner of a corridor in a hospital near Tel Aviv, breaking into a run when he caught sight of his father and hurling himself into his arms, video images showed.

The boy, his mother, and grandmother were among those released in the first exchange Friday.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, fireworks exploded and crowds filled the streets to welcome the first release of Palestinian prisoners on Friday.

"I was just waiting for the day I would be released from prison so I could hug my mother like this," said Rawan Abu Matar, who served eight years for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier. AFP with Rey E. Requejo (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

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The September score was 13 points below the very high plus-11 in a similar survey last June, the SWS said, adding that the lowest since the minus-2 last posted in June 2022.

Inflation in September rose to 6.1 percent despite a government price cap on

rice, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.

Food prices that month were up 9.7 percent year-on-year while transport costs also rose, it said.

Inflation — how quickly prices rise in a given period — is felt more drastically by the poor, with the PSA saying inflation for the bottom 30 percent of households reached 6.9 percent in September.

The pollster subtracts the percentage

BEAUTY QUEEN IS HOME.

In this screen grab, Miss Universe Philippines 2023 bet Michelle Dee talks to her mother — former Miss International Melanie Marquez — as she arrives in Manila from representing the country in the annual pageant in El Salvador. Dee finished in the top 10 of the event.

Manila when it started full operations in 2000 under a 25-year concession agreement between its private owners and the DOTr. The department earlier approved a fare adjustment for LRT Line 1 and Line 2, the first train systems in the metropolis, which consists of an additional P2.29 boarding fare and P0.21 distance fare per kilometer, from the existing P11.00 boarding fare and P1.00 distance fare.

Transportation Undersecretary Cesar Chavez had said the LRT-1 and LRT-2 deserve a modest fare increase

after its operators’ petitions were denied for the past eight years.

Chavez said that the actual rates for end-to-end travel on the LRT-2 from Antipolo to Recto costs P178 per passenger, but only P30 is being charged.

“Therefore, P148 is the indicative subsidy by the government for each passenger from end to end,” Chavez said.

The same can be said of the actual cost of end-to-end train rides on the LRT1, Chavez said, stressing that LRT-1’s operator Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) has been asking for a fare increase since 2016. Darwin G. Amojelar

PH...

Araneta-Marcos welcomed more than 1,700 children from select shelters and orphan care centers on Sunday.

“Welcome to Malacañan Palace!

Welcome to our Christmas celebration!

Merry Christmas, mga anak (children),” President Marcos told the children and their guardians shortly before distributing bags of Christmas gifts along with the First Lady.

There were 1,120 children in the National Capital Region (NCR) who received their early Christmas gifts; 449 in Cebu; 600 in Davao; and, over 14,867 children in other satellite centers across the country.

In his speech, President Marcos recalled fond Christmas memories during his childhood.

“We all know that Christmas is really about the children. And we always have a Merry Christmas when the children have a good Christmas,” he said.

On Saturday, the President enjoined Filipinos to take time to reflect and connect with families and loved ones during the Christmas season.

Mr. Marcos made the call, as he led the traditional Christmas tree lighting

ceremony and the awarding of the winners of the “Isang Bituin, Isang Mithiin” (One Star, One Goal) nationwide parol (lantern)-making contest at Malacañan Palace in Manila.

“We have gained a reputation around the world for celebrating Christmas with more fervor than most other countries, and I think that that is a good thing because I think we, all of us Filipinos, take Christmas as a time for reflection and a time to spend with your friends, your family, your loved ones,” he said.

The switch-on ceremony was supposed to start at around 5:30 p.m. but the rain delayed the celebration.

“Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with us. But we're Filipinos and we do not let the little rain dampen our Christmas spirit,” Mr. Marcos said.

The President said children should particularly enjoy the Christmas celebrations.

“As far as I'm concerned, Christmas is really for the children. And as we watch the children, it brings us the innocence that they bring to these festivities.

Really, the expression I'm tempted to use is it blows out the cobwebs in your brain and your heart and gives you a fresh start for the next year,” he said.

of Losers from the percentage of Gainers to come up with the Net Gainers score.

That score in the latest survey was -2, which SWS classifies as "Fair" on a scale that ranges from "Excellent" to "Catastrophic."

The score had been generally negative until 2015 and rose after that before the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a "drastic deterioration," SWS said.

The Net Gainers scores were lowest among those who rated themselves poor — down by 5 points from -4 in June to -9 in the latest survey — and among respondents who were elementary school graduates — down by 9 points to -10 — or who only received elementary education.

Among non-elementary graduates, the Net Gainers score dropped by 16 points to a "mediocre" -15 from a "fair" +1 in June. With Vito Barcelo

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As of November last year, the MRTC claimed the train system's total expenses amounted to P8.96 billion with total revenue at just P1.1 billion, or a deficit of P7.8 billion -- leading to an P88.34 government subsidy for every passenger.

Envisioned in the 1970s as part of various feasibility studies, the 13-station, 16.9-kilometer line was the second rapid transit line to be built in Metro

Marcos...

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“They can see that we can be proud of our beautiful country, and our vibrant economy,” Romualdez said.

“They see this along with our vibrant democracy, the freedom of our press, and the freedom of expression we enjoy, and thus they can see that we are a great investment center and a haven for all the sovereign wealth funds around the world, so the future of our own sovereign wealth fund is bright,” the Speaker said.

Last week, President Marcos had sworn into office Rafael Consing Jr. as the first president and chief executive officer of Maharlika Investment Corp.

The Palace said that Consing, as MIC president and CEO for three years, “will ensure that MIC continues to make significant contributions to the nation’s long-term economic prosperity.”

“Consing is an accomplished, results-driven, and multi-awarded Clevel executive with a profound depth of experience in corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, global capital markets, stakeholder relations, and business strategy development,” the Palace said in a statement.

In his talks with his regional peers, Romualdez said many of them have expressed the desire to visit the Philippines again.

“They were all pleased, and many of them want to come back. If you want to come back, it means you are happy with what you’ve seen and experienced. That’s why what the President (Marcos) and I have been saying is correct, ‘the Filipino people are the best,” he said.

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DA chief to face Appointments panel on Dec. 5

Strike Towers touted as top housing model

By Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Appointments is set to conduct its confirmation hearing on businessman Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.’s ad interim appointment as Agriculture Secretary, according to Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel.

The CA’s Committee on Agriculture, chaired by Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia, has scheduled Laurel’s confirmation hearing on Dec. 5.

“As far as we’re concerned, the biggest challenge that Secretary Tiu Laurel is facing now is how to swiftly modernize and boost the productivity of our agricultural sector,” Pimentel said.

“Right now, many Filipino families are struggling to put enough food on the table due to high prices,” he added.

Reappointed Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa is also facing a new confirmation hearing after he was bypassed by the CA in September.

Herbosa’s second confirmation hearing has yet to be scheduled by the CA’s Committee on Health chaired by Senator Christopher Go. Laurel ran the family-owned Frabelle Group of Companies before he was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as Agriculture chief last Nov. 5.

The Frabelle Group of Companies holds diversified businesses through Frabelle Fishing Corp., Frabelle Cold Storage Corp., Westpac Meat Processing Corp., Eoana Canning and Food Processing Corp., Frabelle Shipyard Corp. and Frabelle Properties Corp.

“We must increase domestic food production by leaps and bounds in the years ahead. This is the only way we can suppress unwanted upward pressures on food prices,” Pimentel said.

GIFTS AND STORIES. Vice President Sara Duterte (third from left) and Tarlac Heritage Foundation Inc.

cofounder Dr. Isa Suntay Cojuangco (second from left) distribute gifts after telling a group of children the story of ‘The Legend of The Candy Cane’ as they met student-beneficiaries of the Belenismo sa Tarlac and Tarlac Foundation Inc. over the weekend. Lino Santos

Senate starts amendment period for national budget

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

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HE Senate will start Tuesday the period of amendments for the proposed P5.7-trillion 2024 national budget, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said over the weekend.

On the sidelines of the Asian-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), Zubiri said senators hope to approve the amendments to the budget and pass it on second and third reading the next day, Wednesday.

“The latest for these will be Wednesday and then, we will have the bicameral conference committee,” said Zubiri.

The Senate targets to ratify the national budget before Dec. 10 and ex-

pects President Marcos to sign next year’s budget before he leaves for Japan.

Zubiri also disclosed they already had a meeting with House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and the chairpersons of both chambers’ Finance and Appropriation committees to smoothen out all the details in the budget.

“We will have a brand new budget,” guaranteed the Senate leader.

Romualdez said the new budget “will be even more responsive and resources would be equitably allocated.”

“As sure as the sun rises, we always have calamities so we will make sure our budget will address this,” he said at the APPF’s sidelines.

“We are very much supported with all the relief goods, materials, and manpower support. The President is on the ground,” Romualdez said.

Meanwhile, Zubiri said there will be a higher budget for the Social Welfare and Housing departments after senators and congressmen agreed to give them additional budgets.

“We will be increasing all the social welfare budget and programs,” he said.

THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development is touting a housing project in Bacoor City, Cavite as an ideal in-city government housing strategically located in the city center.

Housing Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar commended Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla and the city government for allotting a lot in Barangay Zapote 1 for the project under President Marcos Jr.’s Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.

“The location is so nice, right in front of the barangay hall, near the school, hospital, market, and most especially, adjacent to a commercial area. This is the concept of an in-city, township development under the Pambansang Pabahay that no one would be displaced to a far area,” Acuzar said.

“You can be assured of DHSUD’s all-out support to ensure the success of the project for the Bacooreno,” he told the local government unit.

Dubbed Strike Towers, the housing project aims to construct nine 15-story buildings composed of 1,890 condominium-type units complete with open spaces, parks, and other amenities.

Acuzar and Revilla led the groundbreaking of the project last week, signaling the start of the development with the support of the Pag-IBIG Fund.

About 20 housing projects under the flagship Pambansang Pabahay Program are in various stages of development and construction throughout the country.

In Bacolod City, 288 condominiumtype housing units are scheduled to be delivered next month. Rio N. Araja

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Senate grants TESDA P50m fund to certify more assessors THE Senate Committee on Finance has added more than P50 million to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the accreditation of more than 11,000 additional assessors, Senator Win Gatchalian said.

The additional funding, Gatchalian said, will support the rollout of the free assessment and certification of 420,967 Grade 12 learners taking the technicalvocational-livelihood (TVL) track.

The senator proposed to increase TESDA’s appropriation for the Technical Education and Skills Development Regulatory Program by P50,012,000 He has been pushing for the assessment and certification of senior high learners in the TVL track to boost their chances of getting decent jobs.

While a certification could boost a senior high school graduate’s employability, the Department of Education (DepEd) said that not all learners can afford the cost of undergoing assessment.

Gatchalian also recommended the allocation of P438.16 million under TESDA’s Development Regulatory Program for the assessment and certification of these senior high school learners.

For School Year 2020-2021, only 6.7 percent or 32,965 out of 473,911 senior high school graduates who took the TVL track underwent the assessment for national certification. Ninety-seven percent or 31,933 of those who took the assessment passed.

“Currently, TESDA has around 7,500-pool of assessors and to certify all our senior high school graduates, we need an additional 11,000,” he said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

IN BRIEF QC chatbot to help combat violence THE Quezon City government has launched “Chatbot Sophia” to help end violence against women.

Mayor Joy Belmonte expressed full support and gratitude to partner agencies for choosing Quezon City as the new hub of Chatbot Sophia, a computer program designed to interact with users through messaging platforms or applications and to provide automated responses by processing the data provided.

Chatbot Sophia was developed by the Swiss non-profit organization Spring ACT, led by international human rights lawyer Rhiana Spring.

The chatbot was launched along with the Embassy of Switzerland, SPARK! Philippines and Spring ACT. Officials said it empowers victim-survivors of domestic violence by facilitating the collection of potential evidence, providing access to crucial resources and support, and continually evolving to address the needs of victim-survivors globally in numerous languages, including Filipino. Rio N. Araja

Officer arrested in QC for firing gun A PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) official who was previously charged for being involved in a hit-and-run incident, was re-arrested on Sunday morning for allegedly firing a gun outside a restobar in Quezon City.

The suspect was identified as Police Lieutenant Colonel Mark Julio Abong, former chief of the Quezon City Police District Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (QCPDCIDU), who is now assigned to the PNP headquarters’ legal service department.

QCPD-CIDU said Abong was nabbed after allegedly assaulting a waiter and firing a gun twice outside a bar along Scout Rallos Street in Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City.

The PNP official was reportedly drunk and argued with a fellow customer. Vince Lopez

Bataan gov’t bags best PESO award THE Public Employment Service Office (PESO) in Bataan clinched the top spot in the National Best PESO – 1st Class Province Category at the 23rd National PESO Congress held in Palo, Leyte.

Organized recently by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the annual search for the Best PESO aims to acknowledge and honor outstanding PESOs nationwide for their exceptional contributions in providing employment services, labor market information, job facilitation, and other employment-related support.

Meanwhile, Region III claimed victory in the Inter-Regional Festival Dance Competition at the same event.

PESO Bataan Head Eva Basalo expressed appreciation to DOLE Regional Office III and DOLE Bataan Field Office for their full support and guidance in attaining the award. Butch Gunio

NEW BATCH OF CARD BENEFICIARIES. Caloocan City 2nd District Representative Mitch Cajayon-Uy (center, in green) led the third batch of the distribution of the Cash Assistance and Rice Distribution (CARD) program of the Office of the House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Barangay 120, Caloocan City on Saturday. Some 2000 beneficiaries received financial assistance of P2,000 from the CARD program. Norman Cruz

Regulators ask Meralco to refrain from anti-competitive practices Go urges more T support for OFWs

By Alena Mae S. Flores

HE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has cautioned the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) to keep out of anti-competitive practices, particularly citing the on-going competitive selection process (CSP) for 1800-megawatt (MW) baseload capacity.

Meanwhile, Meralco strongly denied allegations by Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez that the distribution utility has been overcharging its customers starting 2012.

During the hearing of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises on Wednesday, ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta said Meralco was told to make sure it is not unduly limiting the number of potential bidders.

Dimalanta said a letter was already sent to Meralco stating the ERC’s observations on the published bid invite.

At least six companies are vying for the CSP. These are GNPower Dinginin (GNPD), First NatGas Power, SP New Energy, Mariveles Power Generation, Excellent Energy Resources and Masinloc Power Partners.

“We already raised with Meralco

our concerns on the limited number of potential participants that could participate (to the CSP),” Dimanlata told the lawmakers.

As the regulator of the power industry, Dimalanta said the ERC is mandated to promote competition, encourage market development, ensure customer choice, and penalize errant power firms.

During the hearing, Fernandez pointed out that the terms of reference for the CSP allegedly favors certain power firms since the power plants that could join the auction are those that should be in commercial operation not earlier than January 2020 but not later than May 2025.

“That is also our concern, so we laid it out to Meralco in our letter to them that we will submit to the committee,” Dimalanta said.

EMBO poll winners choose to take oath before Makati’s Binay NEWLY-ELECTED officials of the 10 EMBO barangays together with new Sangguniang Kabataang (SK) officials took their oath of office before Makati Mayor Abby Binay.

A total of 140 barangay chairpersons and council members (kagawads), and SK chairpersons and kagawads from Cembo, Comembo, East Rembo, Pembo, Pitogo, Post Proper Northside, Post Proper Southside, South Cembo, West Rembo and Rizal opted to be sworn in by the Makati mayor.

Earlier, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordered the transfer of the 10 EMBO (enlisted men’s barrio) barangays—formerly under Makati City—to the jurisdiction of its Taguig City field office.

The mayor expressed her appreciation to the local officials for their dedication and loyalty to Makati.

“We are grateful to these barangay officials who have bravely shown their loyalty and solidarity with the city government of Makati. Their bold move serves to underscore their unwavering trust and confidence in our brand of leadership that has always put a premium on the well-being and quality of life of our Proud Makatizens,” Binay said.

The mayor also reminded the newly-elected officials to serve their constituents to the best of their capabilities, adding that this is the only way to repay the trust and confidence Makatizens put in them.

“Our calling is to serve our citizens with the highest standards of good governance and excellent public service. Do your best and work tirelessly to create a better quality of life for everyone you have sworn to serve,” the mayor added. Macon Ramos-Araneta

‘SUMBINGTIK FESTIVAL.’ A house along Mabini St., Barangay Sto. Nino, in Cainta Rizal, is decorated with local delicacies in celebration of the ‘Sumbingtik Festival’ on the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle on Nov. 30. ‘Sumbingtik’ stands for suman, bibingka, and latik. Joseph Muego

in Israel amid ongoing conflict

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Christopher Go has reiterated the urgency of providing repatriation and other support services for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) returning from Israel and Lebanon amid ongoing tensions in the region.

Go, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers emphasized that the safety and welfare of OFWs must be prioritized during such global crises when they are forced to leave their jobs and go back home.

“It’s about empowering our OFWs to restart their lives here with dignity and hope,” Go said.

The senator met on Thursday at NAIA terminal 3 the more than 40 OFWs from conflict areas who returned safely to the Philippines.

The senator particularly stressed the need for a more comprehensive and sustainable reintegration program to cater to the varying needs of repatriated OFWs. “The DMW---Department of Migrant Workers should be there. I called on the government to give all interventions to our countrymen,” he appealed.

He also acknowledged the need for mental health support and reintegration opportunities for returning OFWs from such areas, underscoring the government’s duty to ensure their well-being.

Even before OFWs return home, Go called on the government to ensure that reintegration programs are made readily available for them to overcome the trauma they experienced and be able to recover.

Aside from possible employment opportunities, he said the government must be ready to assist in their physical and psychological well-being, temporary housing if needed, and the welfare of their families as well.

Lee: Implement ‘no balance billing’ in hospitals ALABEL, SARANGANI—AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee said on Friday that he would continue advocating for “no balance billing” so that struggling Filipino families would not need to shell out a single peso for urgent medical care.

Lee made the statement following the announcement of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) that it would be increasing members’ benefits by as much as 30 percent.

Speaking at the Alabel State of the Children Report and Children’s Congress in the capital of Sarangani, Lee pointed out that the youth is the nation’s hope and that the government should take care of young citizens.

He also cited that Filipino families often have financial struggles, particular-

ly when a young member of the family gets sick. He also urged the government to effectively implement its health care programs.

According to Lee, “hindi dapat balakid ang kahirapan upang makatanggap ng maayos na medical treatment.”

Lee in October wrote PhilHealth management and recommended a 20% to 30% increase in all benefit packages and coverage provided by the Corporation as rates had remained unchanged for over a decade.

He had earlier pointed out in Congressional budget hearings that PhilHealth was in a position to increase its benefits as it had P466 billion worth of investible funds and P68.4 billion in net income. With Rio N. Araja

POLITICAL ROUNDTABLE. Officers of the Political Officers League of the Philippines (POLPhil) recently held a roundtable discussion with Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. The discussions tackled issues such as the future of peace, security, and governance in light of the alleged destabilization efforts against the government. Teddy Brul

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OPINION

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

mst.daydesk@gmail.com HONOR BLANCO CABIE, Editor

So I See

EDITORIAL

Lito Banayo

The hot potato SHOULD we or should we not?

This Hamlet-like question confronts government now, as recent developments in the HoR have triggered flip-flopping positions by the administration on the issue of whether the country will now allow the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands to have jurisdiction over Rodrigo Roa Duterte, et al, on accusations of gross human rights violations pertinent to his war on drugs, which claimed thousands of lives (numbers vary from one accusation to another, or official government figures) during his presidency or even before that, when he was yet mayor of Davao City.

—“—

Will the Supreme Court of our land sanction the current president’s volte face after he has ‘studied the matter’ and thus allow the former president to be tried by a foreign court?

Taking affront supposedly for the former president’s labeling the House of Representatives as the “most corrupt institution” in an SMNI interview weeks ago, some House members filed a resolution asking the Philippine government to cooperate with the ICC which is set to prosecute the former president, a senator, and even the current vice-president, among others.

After first reading and referral by the Ways and Means Committee, hearings immediately began, presided over by Manila’s sixth district Rep. Bienvenido Abante.

Strangely, one recalls that after just a month into his presidency, President Marcos Jr. stated “the country has no intention of rejoining the ICC” – a position he consistently maintained even during his presidential campaign.

Recall too that the country pulled out of ICC membership in 2019 after a case was filed against FPRRD, et al, in the court.

But after Vice President Sara Duterte called on the HoR to respect the president’s declaration that we will not allow the ICC to interfere in our justice system, Malacanang suddenly demurred, and averred that the “government is studying the matter.”

From flat NO to vamos a ver.

Most Filipinos have the perception that international bodies created by the United Nations have jurisdiction over all countries

of the world. This just isn’t so.

Note that even as the US keeps referring to the PCA ruling on the South China Sea issue after FPBSA III’s government filed a protest against China’s incursions into our EEZ and what we call the West Philippine Sea, it is not till now, a signatory to UNCLOS. And the US maintains all US citizens accused of crimes on its soil must be tried only within their territory.

Even among ASEAN countries, there is no unanimity of membership in the ICC. Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand.

As of 2019, the Philippines ceased to recognize the Rome Statute that created the ICC. Our own Supreme Court has declared our courts have jurisdiction over cases of human rights violations and other grave offenses where the accused is a Filipino citizen.

So why should we now submit to ICC jurisdiction, let alone, “study the matter?”

Here a legal conundrum may exist.

And this is where the political ‘hot potato’ now roils the nation into the maelstrom of internal conflict.

During the birthday celebration of Atty.

Fred Lim, former PAGCOR president and supremo of the Lex Talionis Fraternitas last Friday, Nov. 24 where this writer was present, citizen Duterte jokingly stated before his fraternity brothers and former high government officials that he is “not worried” over the ICC case.

“My lawyer, referring to former Executive Secretary Bingbong Medialdea, told me ‘not to worry.’ So if the ICC tries to jail me, I will insist that Medialdea joins me in jail” said Duterte over gales of audience laughter.

But seriously, how would the majority of Filipinos who have time and again given their highest approval and trust rating to then president and even now, as citizen Duterte, react should the current administration decide to rejoin the ICC and/or submit him and even his daughter to the jurisdiction of the ICC? Will the Supreme Court of our land sanction the current president’s volte face after he has “studied the matter” and thus allow the former president to be tried by a foreign court, thereby affirming that our judicial system is a failure?

This is the ‘hot potato’ that will stir this politics-crazy country for months to come.

Or is this merely a carefully-crafted and timed ploy by the political enemies of Duterte and his daughter to get him to stop his simmering tirades against them to escalate into a torrent of angry accusations?

If this is their agenda, as one who has been a long-time friend and supporter of Duterte, let me just state: you ain’t seen nothing yet.

EVERYMAN

Least told stories behind 2009 Maguindanao massacre

By Nash Maulana JUSTICE, they say, has been served to the orphans of the Maguindanao massacre with the court verdict handed down on Dec. 19, 2019 – after 10 years and 26 days.

The massacre of 58 people, 57 by final court count, shook the world: Life-size images of slain media workers were hung (unscreened) at a gallery of the Newseum American Museum in Washington DC. The carnage was condemned by the Senate and the House of Representatives; and also by the US Senate and House of Representatives.

(Editor’s Note: The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes convicted the Ampatuan brothers – namely Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr. and Zaldy Ampatuan – of 57 counts of of murder and sentenced to 40 years without parole; 28 co-accused (including police officers) were also convicted of 57 counts of murder and sentenced to 40 years; an additional 15 were sentenced to 6-10 years for being accessories to the crime; 55 others, including Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan, brother of Zaldy and Andal Jr. and the mayor of Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao, were acquitted.)

Reporters and others, including lawyers and members of the family of then gubernatorial candidate Esmael Mangudadatu, were slain on Nov. 23, 2009, “by armed followers of the powerful political clan,” as most media reported, quoting TV in-

terviews with private prosecution lawyers, partly administering sworn testimonies.

The other side of the story is told silently of many of the Ampatuans.

They say, not everyone is a member of the clan’s family branch often described in media reports as politically “powerful.”

—“—

Two members of the Ampatuan clan had condemned the Maguindanao massacre – publicly Many are professionals or were too young to carry then the burden of the massacre’s social impact.

An early consensus among local media people was the landmark reference of the killings as the “Ampatuan Massacre,” denoting the name of the town where it happened.

Young Ampatuan professionals say they have now slowly overcome awe that had accompanied a mere mention of their family name in public.

Recently, April Ampatuan, a certified public accountant, received orders from

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Will Congress let the ICC in?

T

HERE’S going to be a monumental shift in official policy if the House of Representatives approves resolutions calling on government to allow the International Criminal Court to enter the country and investigate the Duterte administration’s bloody war on illegal drugs from 2016 to 2019.

Last week, the joint committees on human rights and justice started hearings on the issue.

During a recent plenary, the chamber read HR 1477 on first reading and referred it to the committee on justice.

This took place amid the word war of the House with former president Rodrigo Duterte, who tagged the chamber as a “rotten institution” after it removed the P650 million in confidential fund of his daughter, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte.

These are actually three resolutions: HR 1477 authored by Congressmen Benny Abante and Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez; HR 1393 sponsored by the Makabayan

bloc; and HR 1482, filed by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman who manifested during the hearing that the government “must cooperate with ICC” or else the country “will be a renegade in the community of nations.”

—“—

As pointed out by legal experts, we already surrender part of our sovereignty by acceding to international treaties where we agree to comply with its provisions The ICC investigation will cover crimes committed in the Philippines after we acceded to the Rome Statute creating the ICC on Nov. 1, 2011 until March 16, 2019, when the country’s withdrawal from the Rome statute took effect.

On April 24, 2017, “a verified complaint” was filed against Duterte and others for “purportedly committing crimes

Open Thoughts Orlando Oxales

The collective int’l power to sustain economic security

“ECONOMIC security is national security.”

This was rightly expressed by no less than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a policy statement he delivered last May in Washington, DC. The President said, “We are grappling with both new and traditional threats to our people’s security … It is for this reason that I called for evolving our alliance to make it more responsive to present and emerging challenges. It is because national security is no longer simply about territorial defense.”

The Indo-Pacific region is indeed riddled with emerging threats that pose risks that could disrupt its economic opportunities.

This is the context of one of the riveting sessions in the recently held, 8th annual Pilipinas Conference of the Stratbase ADR Institute that discussed “Strategic Cooperation for a Secure and Robust Economic Architecture in the Philippines and in the Indo-Pacific” wherein like-minded allies of the Philippines came together to state their commitments to strategic cooperation to bolster the security and economic stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

Australian Ambassador here Hae Kyong Yu said the Philippines, as one of the top priorities in their economic strategy in Southeast Asia, has been elevated as a strategic partner and expressed Australia’s commitment to increase bilateral trade and investment.

UK Ambassador to the Philippines, Laure Beaufils, noted how trade between the UK and the Philippines is at an all-time high and getting stronger.

She believes this is a sign of how positive exporters and investors feel about the Philippines now and in the future.

But she also mentioned there’s still room to grow, especially when it comes to attracting more investments.

She emphasized the importance of ease of doing business, predictability in taxes and legislation, and tackling red tape and

corruption.

Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman emphasized the importance of the Philippines in Canada’s IndoPacific strategy and sees the Philippines as a key partner, a fellow democracy that values peace, stability, free trade, inclusive multilateralism, and human rights.

her office superiors to backstop a Senate committee hearing resource person from the regional office of a constitutional office she works for in Davao City.

Another clan member who called then Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. as “apo” (granduncle) is an undefeated barangay chairman: Suraida Procalla Datumanong Ampatuan of Barangay Kamasi.

April’s mother Maribel, now deceased, was from Makalelong, Quezon, who traced her roots from the family of Felipe Agoncillo, a figure in Philippine history.

Two members of the Ampatuan clan had condemned the massacre – publicly.

They were former Justice Secretary Simeon Datumanong, in a privilege speech in a joint session of Congress receiving on Dec. 10, 2009 then President Gloria Maca-

pagal-Arroyo’s report on a state of martial law she had declared on Dec. 4 that year.

Army Brig. Gen. Taharudin Piang Ampatuan, Datumanong’s first cousin, became the second person in the clan who openly said the families of the victims deserved justice, mentioning the Mangudadatus in particular.

Akmad Ampatuan, acquitted in the historic court decision, has had professional heirs for a second generation after him.

One of them graduated from school of law and passed the bar examination while the father was in detention at Bicutan waiting for the court’s judgment from a decadelong court trial.

Many times, Zaldy Ampatuan mulled changing the surname officially carried by his children for probably experiencing

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

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

against humanity following Duterte’s campaign against dealers and users of illegal drugs.”

The complaint, Lagman pointed out, was filed when the ICC still had jurisdiction.”

Sen. Imee Marcos has expressed strong opposition to the House resolutions urging the government to cooperate with the ICC probe on the drug war killings during the previous administration, claiming allowing the ICC to conduct a probe is tantamount to surrendering the country’s sovereignty.

But as pointed out by legal experts, we already surrender part of our sovereignty by acceding to international treaties where we agree to comply with its provisions.

Then there’s the view that our justice system is functioning, so why let a foreign entity meddle in our affairs?

But that view is contradicted by the fact that with more than 6,000 officially admitted victims of Duterte’s war on drugs, the courts have rendered verdicts on only two cases of wrongful deaths from police operations from 2016 to 2023.

If that’s the case, then Congress has the moral duty to put an end to the culture of impunity by letting the ICC conduct a fulldress probe of Duterte and company for the bloody war on drugs that human rights groups here and abroad claim has targeted no less than 20,000 to 30,000 victims.

—“—

The collaboration between us and our allies will strengthen the global supply chain, stimulate investments, and even promote hard transitions towards environmental sustainability He shared Canada’s plans to make targeted investments in areas that align with the Philippines’ COP economic security priorities in areas of food security, energy security, climate change mitigation, educational partnerships, maritime domain awareness, and defense procurement.

Hartman said Canada is committed to enhancing prosperity, safety, and sovereignty in the face of increasing geopolitical risks. So, it’s not just about partnership, it’s about working together for a safer, more prosperous future.

The Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union in the Philippines, Luc Veron, said that to bolster partnerships for economic security, there is a need to work with reliable partners in diversifying trade

agreements, strengthening international rules, and investing in sustainable development.

He added the European Union can’t do it alone and that a unilateral approach just won’t cut it in our interconnected global economy.

The EU’s economic security depends on cooperation and coordination with others and reaffirmed strong support for an open, rule-based world economic order, and multilateralism.

Prof. Dindo Manhit, President of the Stratbase ADR Institute, underscored the need for strategic cooperation to secure a robust economic structure in the Philippines and the Indo-Pacific and highlighted the private sector’s crucial role in maximizing regional economic opportunities through partnerships with allies like the US, Australia, Japan, the UK, and the EU. “Elevating the role of the private sector is crucial for maximizing regional economic opportunities through strengthened partnerships with allies like the United States, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Indeed, on top of adopting a whole-of-Philippine society approach, it is imperative for the country to fortify its ties with its most beneficial economic partners.”

The international community has the collective power to manage the risks to global economic security. Given the interdependence of countries for resources, forging partnerships and alliances is not just necessary, but crucial for mutual growth and stability.

Indeed, the collaboration between us and our allies will strengthen the global supply chain, stimulate investments, and even promote hard transitions towards environmental sustainability.

It’s all about working together to avert an unthinkable flux of geopolitical, geoeconomic and environmental crises that, God forbid, might become the planet’s next existential catastrophe.

indifference in social relations. But he was prevailed upon by relatives, including a niece who also passed the bar exam.

Zaldy, former regional governor of the then Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, once said he could swear to the lives of his extended family he was never a party to any conspiracy plot that led to the murders.

Many of the young Ampatuans say they were as much burdened by the social consequences of the incident, just as the emotional pain carried by the families of those who lost their loved ones.

(The author, a Cotabato-based Manila Standard correspondent covering the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, has been a an editor, writer, and researcher for over 30 years).

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

A6

WORLD

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Protesters hold rally in Canada, UK for truce THOUSANDS of protesters on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) carried placards, waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans before Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa, demanding a permanent ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

The diverse group included Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, Jewish, antiwar, labor and social justice organizations.

The rally followed an online petition presented to lawmakers on Friday with 286,719 signatures -- said to be the most of any parliamentary e-petition -- urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to press for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

“A pause is not enough,” said Yara Shoufani, a protest organizer, adding that “thousands of Palestinians have been killed and Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed.”

Protester Omar Yousif, 38, said he was taking part to “awaken the world” to the plight of civilians in Gaza.

The current pause in fighting, he told AFP, “is definitely not enough.

I think that this has to stay permanent.”

In London. tens of thousands of protesters marched demanding a permanent ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, as a temporary truce largely held in Gaza.

It was the latest large pro-Palestinian demonstration in the British capital since the unprecedented October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel unleashed the latest conflict in the Gaza strip.

“The occupation needs to end.

We need a full ceasefire and not a four-day ceasefire,” Alaa Hassan, a 24-year-old wellbeing practitioner, told AFP. The demonstrators waved proPalestinian banners and chanted slogans as they walked through central London to the Houses of Parliament at Westminster. AFP

GENOCIDE DURING FAMINE. An

unidentified person walks past lighted candles as they pay tribute to the victims of the famine of 1932-1933 at the National Museum of the HolodomorGenocide in Kyiv during the weekend 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine marked 90 years since the Stalinera Holodomor famine, one of the darkest momments in its history that left millions dead.

AFP

Ukrainian army says Russia launched ‘record’ 75 drones YIV, Ukraine – Ukraine said on Saturday it had downed 74 out of 75 drones Russia launched at it overnight, in what it said was the biggest such attack since the start of the invasion.

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The Ukrainian army said Russia had launched a “record number” of Iranianmade Shahed drones, the majority of which targeted Kyiv, causing power cuts as temperatures dipped below freezing.

The drone attack came as Ukraine marked Holodomor Remembrance Day, commemorating the 1930s starvation of millions in Ukraine under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

“The enemy launched a record number of attack drones at Ukraine! The main direction of the attack is Kyiv,” said the commander of Ukraine’s air force, General Mykola Oleshchuk.

The air force said it had downed “74 out

of 75” Shahed drones.

Kyiv authorities said five people -- including an 11-year-old -- were wounded in the capital, where the air raid lasted six hours.

Falling drone debris had sparked fires and damaged buildings across the city, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

AFP saw Kyiv residents clearing smashed windows and other damage in the city’s Dniprovsky district, with ambulances parked nearby.

One of the buildings that was damaged housed a nursery and another had part of its top floor destroyed.

Local resident Viktor Vasylenko said he

had soothed his young daughter, who experienced “panic and nausea” during the long night-time attacks as they sheltered in a corridor.

The 38-year-old said his family always has “everything prepared” in case of such attacks but this was the first time one had hit so close.

“My wife thought that the house would collapse in half,” he said.

Latvia’s president, Edgars Rinkevics, on a visit to Kyiv during the attack, posted a photo of himself on social media inside a dark bomb shelter.

In a statement, the French foreign ministry condemned the drone barrage “with the utmost firmness”.

More than 21 months into Moscow’s offensive, fighting is most intense in the east of Ukraine and is now centered around the city of Avdiivka, which is nearly encircled

by Russian forces.

Ukraine’s army said that while the “main target” of the attack was Kyiv, air defences had also been called into action across the south.

Kyiv said it was “symbolic” that the capital had been the subject of such a large-scale attack on the day Ukraine marks Holodomor.

“More than 70 Shahed on the night of the Holodomor Remembrance Day... The Russian leadership is proud of the fact that it can kill,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media.

Zelensky attended a ceremony with Kyiv’s top military brass, holding candles, to mark the event.

“We mark the solemn anniversary of the Holodomor as the brave people of Ukraine continue to defend their freedom and Ukraine’s sovereignty against Russia’s brutal war of aggression”, US President Joe Biden said in a statement. AFP

Thousands march across Americas, Europe to nix violence vs. women

VIOLENCE DENOUNCED. Women stand in front of a fence that protects the National Palace during a demonstration in the framework of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in Mexico City on Sunday. AFP

India bid to free 41 trapped workers enters third week despite setbacks SILKYARA TUNNEL, India – India’s military brought in specialized equipment Sunday as efforts to free 41 trapped workers entered a third week, with digging ongoing in three directions after repeated setbacks to the operation.

The Indian air force said Sunday that they were “responding with alacrity”, as they flew in their third load to a rescue operation since the partial collapse of the under-construction Silkyara road tunnel on November 12 in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.

Rescue officials said they called for a superheated plasma cutter to be brought to the remote mountain location, after engineers

driving a metal pipe horizontally through 57 meters of rock and concrete ran into metal girders and construction vehicles buried in the earth.

A giant earth-boring machine snapped just nine meters from breaking through.

The plasma cutting will be used to remove the broken giant earth-boring drill and metal blocking the horizontal route, before digging will continue by hand.

Thick metal girders in the rubble are blocking the route, and using conventional oxyacetylene cutters to clear them is tricky from inside the confined pipe, only wide enough for a man to crawl through. AFP

the cash-strapped junta.

An offensive by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army -- one of the three allied groups -- captured the Kyin San Kyawt border gate, a local media outlet affiliated with the group said.

“MNDAA also reported they seized one more border trade gate, which is called Kyin San Kyawt, in Mongko area, Muse district this morning,” the Kokang news reported Sunday.

It added that the alliance -- including the Arakan Army and Ta’ang National Liberation Army -- had taken other positions in the

weapon of war.”

In Guatemala, protesters kicked off commemorations on Friday evening, placing candles to write out 438 -- the number of women killed so far this year.

In the Chilean capital of Santiago, some 1,000 protesters marched through the streets Friday night, chanting “Not one step backward” and demanding action by the government to protect women.

A women’s advocacy group estimates that 40 femicides have occurred in the country this year.

Along Rio de Janeiro’s famed Copacabana Beach, protesters lined up 722 pairs of women’s shoes, from high-heels to sneakers, each pair before a woman’s name to represent the femicides recorded in 2022 -- the highest number since 2019, according to the non-governmental Brazilian Forum on Public Safety. AFP

6 students go on trial over 2020 murder of schoolteacher PARIS – Six teenagers go on trial in Paris on Monday for their role in the 2020 beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, the first of two trials in a case that horrified France.

The 47-year-old history and geography teacher was stabbed and then beheaded near his secondary school in the Paris suburb of Conflans-SainteHonorine.

His attacker, 18-year-old Chechen refugee Abdoullakh Anzorov, was shot dead at the scene by police.

The young radicalised Islamist murdered Paty after messages spread on social media that the teacher had shown his class cartoons of the Proph-

Myanmar armed group seizes China-Myanmar border crossing BANGKOK – An ethnic minority armed group in Myanmar has seized control from the country’s ruling junta of a lucrative border crossing to China, local media and a security source said Sunday.

Clashes have raged across Myanmar’s northern Shan state, close to the Chinese border, after an armed alliance of three ethnic minority groups launched an offensive against the military in October.

The groups have seized dozens of military positions and a town important for trade with China, choking commerce routes for

WASHINGTON, DC – Thousands of people took to the streets across the world on Saturday to condemn violence against women on the international day highlighting the crime.

On the UN-designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, protesters marched in Europe and the Americas.

“The scourge of gender-based violence continues to inflict pain and injustice on too many,” US President Joe Biden said in a statement.

“An estimated one in three women globally will experience physical violence, rape, or stalking at some point in their lifetimes. It’s an outrage.”

“Particularly in areas of conflict, countless women and girls suffer at the hands of perpetrators who commit gender-based violence and use rape as a

border trade zone after the assault began on Friday.

MNDAA had raised its flag at the border trade zone at Kyin San Kyawt, a security source told AFP. The gate was re-opened in 2022 after the pandemic, and is a major trading point along the Myanmar-China border.

Earlier in the week, junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told state media that roughly 120 trucks, parked near the border crossing, had gone up in flames and blamed armed groups. AFP

et Mohammed from the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Paty had used the magazine as part of an ethics class to discuss free speech laws in France, where blasphemy is legal and cartoons mocking religious figures have a long history.

His killing took place just weeks after Charlie Hebdo republished the cartoons. When the magazine first used the images in 2015, Islamic gunmen stormed its office, killing 12 people.

Last month another teacher, Dominique Bernard, was killed in Arras in northern France by a young radicalised Islamist.

Five of the adolescents on trial, who

were 14 or 15 at the time of Paty’s murder, will be judged behind closed doors in juvenile court for criminal conspiracy with intent to cause violence.

They are accused of having been on the lookout for Paty and identifying him to the killer in exchange for money.

A sixth teenager, who was 13 at the time, is accused of false accusation for wrongly saying that Paty had asked Muslim students to identify themselves and leave the classroom before he showed the cartoons.

In fact, the schoolgirl had not attended Paty’s class that day. AFP

SPY SATELLITE.

This picture released from North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency during the weekend shows North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un (right) preparing for the operation of the reconnaissance satellite during a visit to the Pyongyang General Control Center at the State Directorate of Aerospace Technology in Pyongyang. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

BUSINESS

A7

Manila

Standard

TODAY

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

extrastory2000@gmail.com

ASSET PROTECTION.

Aboitiz Power, Meralco to hike RE investments starting 2024

Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) president and general manager Wick Veloso (right) shakes hand of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) chief representative Sakamoto Takema after signing the document for the collaboration of the two organizations to boost the protection of the Philippines’ assets and build its resilience against disasters. Under the threeyear partnership signed at the GSIS head office in Pasay City on Nov. 22, JICA will support efforts of the GSIS in improving the protection of government insurable interests all around the nation.

By Alena Mae S. Flores

PEZA plans to transform Palawan’s penal colony into big economic zone

By Othel V. Campos

T

HE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) plans to transform the Iwahig Penal Colony in Palawan into an economic zone (ecozone) where advanced industries will be located, a top official said over the weekend.

PEZA director-general Tereso Panga said the investment promotion agency (IPA) was in talks with the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) for the proposed utilization of Iwahig as an economic zone.

“We are finalizing a memorandum of agreement with BuCor for the use of the property,” he said, adding that the huge expanse of land covered by Iwahig is an ideal location for a mega-ecozone.

Based on initial plans, the megaecozone will cover at least 26,000 hectares of land to host big-ticket manufacturing projects. High-value projects and technologically-advanced industries like automotive and electric vehicle manufacturing are among the industries eyed as possible locators.

The proposal is undergoing due-diligence, Panga said.

PEZA is studying the viability of

the mega-ecozone model, the planned take-over of the property and the relocation of the inmates from the so-called “prison without bars”.

Financing is still being worked out, said Panga, but the agency is hoping to get support from major banks.

“There is no definite project cost yet, but we can always offer our land as equity. On that note we really don’t have to spend that much,” Panga said.

He said the planned mega-ecozone would be built on sustainable platform using renewable energy. It will also adopt environmentally-sound measures that will require locators to be more conscious and responsible of their operations.

“If there’s anything we want to highlight, we want to see a cluster of industries in an area where the ecosystem

can be developed to facilitate the whole supply chain of manufacturing. This can host the vertical integration we are lacking right now,” he said.

He said that once the property was acquired, PEZA would get the services of a developer to masterplan the project and develop it into one of the best economic zones in the region.

Panga said while the business model is already existing in the Philippines with the likes of John Hay Special Economic Zone, PEZA wanted to have a public economic zone where it could directly assist locators.

The Philippines has five public economic zones, including the Baguio Economic Processing Zone, Bataan Economic Processing Zone, Cavite Economic Processing Zone and Mactan Economic Processing Zone in Cebu.

ABOITIZ Power Corp. and Manila Electric Co., two of the country’s largest power firms, are ramping up investments next year, company executives said over the weekend.

Aboitiz Power Corp. chief finance officer Juan Alejandro Aboitiz said they were looking at capital expenditures of about P50 billion in 2024.

“A big part of our capex [capital expenditures] is for new projects, primarily for renewables. Fundraising is always a critical component of growth, so we’re looking at all of our options to raise more debt to fund our new projects,” Aboitiz said.

Aboitiz Power aims to transform its generation portfolio to have 50 percent renewable energy, or equivalent to 4,600 megawatts by 2030.

Meanwhile, Meralco is looking at a capex budget of P50 billion to P140 billion over the next three to five years.

“In respect of the existing power plants, not too much. It’s the new plants that will need significant capex. It’s a broad range of capex. It depends on whether we get approval, or the investment will happen or not,” Meralco chairman Manuel Pangilinan said.

“It’s difficult to estimate, but it’s over a period of three to five years,” he said.

Meralco’s power generation arm Meralco PowerGen Corp. earlier announced plans to put up an initial 1,500 MW of RE capacity by 2030.

The government promotes the development of renewable energy projects in line with its target to raising the RE share in the power generation mix to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.

Meanwhile, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said the Department of Energy would reschedule the planned auction of geothermal, runof-river hydro and pumped storage hydro projects to 2024.

DATEM welcomes Megaworld’s move to post P893-m counterbond

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONSTRUCTION firm DATEM Inc. welcomed Megaworld Corp.’s move to post nearly P900 million in counterbond to cover the alleged unpaid obligation being claimed by the contractor.

The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 105 on Friday lifted the writ of preliminary attachment (WPA) earlier secured by DATEM against Megaworld after the property firm posted a P873.3-million counterbond.

“Finding the counterbond to be sufficient security for the payment of claims in judgement sought by the plaintiff, the writ of preliminary attachment issued on Nov. 15, 2023 is hereby immediately discharges,” Judge Rochelle Yvette Galano of Branch 105 said in an order dated Nov. 24, 2023.

DATEM said in a statement over the

weekend the lifting of the WPA would not diminish its case and that it would have “no bearing” on the case it filed against Megaworld.

“It is crucial to note that this development has no bearing on the core of our lawsuit against Megaworld, which seeks to secure payment for finished projects where work has been completed,” it said.

The construction firm said the counterbond would act as a safety net for the company in case the court decides in its favor.

“With the order approving the counterbond, this will serve as security for DATEM, instead of the seized properties and the court will order the lifting of the attachment instead. Also, regardless of the value of the properties, DATEM should be secured to the full amount of P873,324248.89 in case judgement is rendered,” DATEM said.

Manila

Standard

TODAY

TOP MARKET MAKER. The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) recognizes Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) as the Top Market Maker for Government Securities Eligible Dealers (GSED) for 2024 during the celebration of its 126th anniversary. Receiving the award are Metrobank financial markets sector head Fernand Antonio Tansingco (third from left) and Metrobank treasury group head Rommel Dionisio (fourth from left) from Deputy Treasurer Erwin Sta Ana (left), Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno (second from left), OIC Sharon Almanza (fourth from left) and OIC-deputy treasurer Kenneth Ian Francisco (right).

SEC to review schedule of planned higher fees after meeting business groups THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said over the weekend it would review the timetable for the implementation of the proposed revised fees and charges after it met with various business groups.

SEC commissioner McJill Bryant Fernandez told reporters Friday the new timeline for the implementation of the higher fees would still be approved by the corporate regulator.

Fernandez said there was no discussion on specific re-

visions of the proposed rules during the meeting with the business groups, contrary to a previous statement.

“There will still be a revised schedule of fees and charge, but the issuance of revised fees and charges is still in the pipeline,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez said the SEC’s meeting with the leaders of business groups was “very positive” in terms of moving forward on proposed fees and charges.

The SEC said it would also coordinate with Anti-Red

ASIAN RETAILERS. Officers of the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) participate in the annual Federation of Asia Pacific Retailers Association (FAPRA) head of delegations meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Oct. 18 to 20, 2023.

Joining the delegates from FAPRA’s 10 member-countries are PRA president Bobby Claudio (seated, 4th from left), PRA chairman Rosemarie Bosch Ong (seated, second from right), PRA secretary general Evelyn Salire (standing, fifth from right) and PRA deputy secretary general Ana Marie Miranda (standing, fourth from right).

Tape Authority (ARTA) on the topic. The agency issued the draft rules on the proposed charges and fees for public comment in July.

Some 11 business groups issued a statement in October to strongly oppose the proposed increases in regulatory fees and charges, describing it as money-making schemes in the guise of regulatory enhancements.

The SEC proposed to charge corporate issuers one-fourth of 1 percent of total indebtedness when creating bonded indebtedness.

It also proposed to impose a fee on the total transactions cleared and settled in the previous year by the Securities Clearing Corporation of the Philippines (SCCP) and Philippine Depository Trust Corporation (PDTC) in the amount of 0.1 basis point and 0.05 basis point, respectively.

The groups said the increased cost of doing business would hurt small and medium enterprises (SMEs) covered by the SEC. The SEC extended its amnesty program until the end of 2023 to give non-compliant and suspended or revoked corporations a last chance to avail of lower fines and penalties. Jenniffer B. Austria

(MS-NOV. 24 & 27, 2023)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

ENVIRONMENT

A8

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

extrastory2000@gmail.com RAY S. EÑANO, Editor

& SUSTAINABILIT Y

UN report urges bold climate action Hopes up

on treaty to curb plastic pollution

Young activists in Maldives highlight key messages, urging climate action. UNICEF

ITH global temperatures soaring and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reaching unprecedented levels, dramatic action is needed to steer the world away from runaway climate change and align it to the objectives of the Paris Agreement, a major UN report has found.

W

The 2023 Emissions Gap Report, released last week by the UN Environment Program (UNEP), carried a clear message―unless countries step up climate action and deliver more than promised in their 2030 pledges, the world is heading for a 2.5-2.9°C temperature rise above pre-industrial levels.

Presenting the report from Nairobi, UNEP executive director Inger Andersen said no person or economy is being left untouched by climate change, underscoring the urgent need to “stop

setting unwanted records on greenhouse gas emissions, global temperature highs and extreme weather.”

“We must instead lift the needle out of the same old groove of insufficient ambition and not enough action, and start setting other records: on cutting emissions, on green and just transitions and on climate finance,” she said.

To get back on track for the 2°C temperature rise above pre-industrial levels, emissions must be cut by at

least 28 percent compared to current scenarios. Bringing it to within the 1.5°C limit will require a 42 percent cut.

If nothing changes, in 2030, emissions will be 22 gigatons higher than the 1.5°C limit will allow―approximately the total current annual emissions of the United States, China and the European Union (EU) combined.

Andersen’s message from Africa received unequivocal support on the other side of the world, in New York, where Secretary-General António Guterres issued a powerful appeal to world leaders.

“The emissions gap is more like an emissions canyon―a canyon littered with broken promises, broken lives and broken records,” he said, stressing that change must begin at the top.

“All of this is a failure of leadership, a betrayal of the vulnerable, and a

massive missed opportunity.”

Reiterating that renewables have never been cheaper or more accessible, he urged leaders “to tear out the poisoned root of the climate crisis: fossil fuels.”

He called on countries to commit to phasing out fossil fuels with a clear time frame aligned to the 1.5°C limit, as well as for those that gave yet to do so, to announce their contributions to the Green Climate Fund and the new Loss and Damage fund to “get it off to a roaring start.”

The appeal comes with just 10 days to go before the COP28 climate change conference in Dubai gets underway, where the first Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement implementation is to conclude and inform the next round of National Determined Contributions that countries should submit in 2025, with targets for 2035.UN News

THE world needs a “strong, ambitious and just” treaty to cut down on the mass-produced plastics which are helping fuel the climate crisis.

Millions of tons of plastic end up in landfills, rivers and the ocean every year with the potential to enter the food chain, damaging human health and the environment.

Ever since the first world environment conference in Stockholm in 1972, environmental multilateralism has been growing, increasing pressure for a “binding international instrument” on plastic pollution.

Last week, negotiators from around the world have been meeting in Nairobi, Kenya for the third session of what is formally known as the International Negotiating Committee (INC) to discuss proposed text.

“We need a strong, ambitious and just plastic treaty, but that is only the first step,” says Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, executive secretary of the secretariat, which came into being through a resolution in the UN Environment Assembly.

She told UN News that it’s time for everyone with a stake in the treaty to start looking at how it can be implemented―a process she believes, can begin even before the treaty is fully adopted and enters into force.

The negotiations process is at its midpoint now. And for the first time, a text of the future treaty is being discussed by the Member States in its ‘zero draft.’ The negotiators’ ambition is to have the final text ready by the end of next year and open for signing soon after. UN News

COP28 puts agri-food systems in climate focus

ERDB Director Maria Lourdes Ferrer delivering her message during the International Conference on Connecting the Dots on Circular Economy for Sustainable Development on November 8, 2023. DENR

DENR eyeing better R&D on regenerative economy THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is seeking improvements in research and development concerning the circular economy.

The DENR’s Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) made the initiative on the back of increasing action towards sustainability in the government and the private sector and rising consciousness to reuse and regenerate materials or products.

Experts from across the region, in an international forum organized by ERDB earlier this month, point to a need for a further study of programs, and current and best practices are needed to build circular economy capabilities.

The ERDB is the DENR’s main research arm mandated to formulate, implement and coordinate integrated research, development and programs on the environment and other related cross-cutting concerns.

The ERDB from November 8 to 9, 2023 conducted the International Conference on Connecting the Dots on Circular Economy (CE) for Sustainable Development, which served as a platform for an estimated 160 delegates from India, South Korea, Thailand, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Ethiopia and the Philippines to discuss, develop, and share research insights on the circular economy.

“We acknowledge the need to have a venue for knowledge sharing with other countries on CE and start forging partnerships and linkages globally, specifically on research and development,” said ERDB director Maria Lourdes Ferrer.

The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022 directed large enterprises to divert 20 percent of the plastic waste they produced in 2023 and 40 percent by 2024, and increase the volume by increments of 10 percent every year until an 80 percent decrease in plastic waste is achieved by 2028.

DENR Assistant Secretary for Enforcement, Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units Concerns Daniel Darius Nicer stressed the important role of producers in the successful implementation of CE. He said as producers, they should do things to reduce the production of waste before it reaches the consumers.

“CE emphasizes the accountability of producers as major players in the economy,” said Nicer.

During the two-day event, a total of 20 poster presentations were displayed via exhibit and were briefly discussed during the two-minute poster speed talk.

A total of 23 paper presentations were also presented which served as a venue for sharing of experiences, practices, and findings both in the academic and business spheres. DENR News

ROME―As the world gears up for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP28, in a year with soaring temperatures and progressive extreme weather events, attention is turning towards innovative solutions to address the climate crisis.

The scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said it earlier this year the effective solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change lie in climate-resilient development and holistic measures―including the food and agriculture sectors.

While agri-food systems contribute to about one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, they also hold a huge potential for positive climate action. The key challenge is finding ways to feed a growing population while reducing the carbon footprint and environmental impact.

COP28 will serve as a nexus for leaders representing governments, businesses, NGOs and civil society to forge tangible solutions collaboratively, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will be at the forefront of this effort.

Amid growing climate impacts and slow progress on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable agri-food systems practices can help countries and communities to adapt, build resilience, and mitigate emissions, ensuring food security and nutrition―in a world where around 735 million people are going hungry― and while reversing environmental degradation and its impacts. FAO News

Field of soft wheat laid flat because of wind and rain. FAO News

Up to 30,000 plant species are edible for humans First of Two Parts MOST of us have our own ideas about the food and plants that make up a large part of our diet. But how much of an impact do climate change, conflicts, health considerations, lifestyle trends and other modernday issues have on the crops we

Source: FAO News

grow now and those we might need in the future?

These are among the issues addressed in a new report, called The plants that feed the world, by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

To date, we have relied on a handful of crops, such as wheat, corn and rice,

for most of our caloric needs. Yet, there are more than 7,000 plant species, and perhaps up to 30,000 which are considered edible by humans.

With its Secretariat based at FAO, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was adopted in 2001 to ensure that the plant genetic resources most important to human diets were safeguarded and used equitably around the world.

Annex 1 of this legally binding agreement lists 64 of the key crops that make up our “food basket” and whose genetic resources are exchanged by gene banks through the International Treaty’s Multilateral System for Access and Benefitsharing The treaty’s goal is to ensure that plant genetic resources are accessible by everyone, especially farmers in developing countries, so that we can all benefit from a diversity of crops that can meet our nutritional needs. (To be continued) FAO News

ENERGY AND THE COMMUNITY

B1 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

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Energy: Beyond electrification, empowering communities

By Peter Paul Duran

N THE Philippines, energy signifies more than mere power for households and enterprises; it embodies the backbone of community empowerment, driving sustainable growth, and elevating the livelihoods of everyday Filipinos.

I

Going beyond the basics of electrification, energy serves as a catalyst for change, propelling communities towards prosperity, fostering opportunities, and shaping a promising tomorrow. From off-grid innovations brightening remote areas to eco-friendly energy endeavors championing environmental stewardship, energy transcends its conventional role to become a cornerstone of social and economic advancement.

Illuminating Remote Areas: Off-Grid Triumphs in Nurturing Development For numerous Filipinos dwelling in isolated regions, reliable electricity is a distant hope. Often reliant on costly and environmentally damaging energy sources like diesel generators, these communities face hindrances in economic growth and access to essential services.

However, off-grid energy solutions, such as solar power and micro-hydro systems, are heralding transformation.

They empower these communities, breaking the shackles of energy poverty and steering them towards a sustainable future.

Take Siargao, once grappling with frequent power disruptions that dampened

its tourism industry. In 2014, a solar microgrid revolutionized the village, providing stable and sustainable electricity.

The ripple effect? An enhanced quality of life for locals, new businesses sprouting, and a revitalized local economy, underlining the potential of off-grid solutions in bridging the rural-urban divide and uplifting millions.

Renewable Energy Push: Paving the Way for a Greener Tomorrow The Philippines is steering towards a greener horizon, setting ambitious goals for renewable energy. Through encouraging investments, refining regulations, and bolstering capacity, the country is witnessing remarkable progress in solar and wind power. With renewable energy at the forefront, the nation is on track to meet its targets, establishing itself as a regional pioneer in the shift towards clean energy.

Gender Equality in Energy: A Step Towards Sustainable Progress Closing the gender gap is pivotal in securing a clean energy future and combating climate change. The involvement of women in the technical, scientific, and business realms of renewable energy is crucial. The

Philippines is making significant strides Empowering Education: Lighting the Path for Future Generations in this direction through initiatives such as Access to energy is fundamental for the Gender and Social Inclusion Strategy for Energy (GENSIE) and the Women in education. Programs like the Energy Renewable Energy Philippines (WREP) Access for Rural Areas (EARA) initiative are providing off-grid solutions to schools Network.

in remote regions, not only increasing student attendance but also enhancing academic performance.

Through initiatives like these, the Philippines is empowering the next generation to realize their full potential.

B2 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

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AYANGABUGALLON Solar Power’s operations and maintenance team excels with drone precision, boosting maintenance efficiency.

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Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) subsidiary Hedcor surveys its portfolio of solar and hydropower power plants from a bird’seye view with the help of specialized drones, enabling the renewable energy firm to do its maintenance and rehabilitation activities more efficiently.

Using drones makes inspections quicker, saving Hedcor a lot of resources since it initially takes significant time and effort for a person to check on the company’s assets given the sheer size and scope of its facilities.

Having adopted this technology, Hedcor’s San Carlos Sun Power Inc. (SacaSun) in Negros Occidental and Cayanga-Bugallon Solar Power in Pangasinan are able to constantly and accurately check the quality of their solar panels. Outfitted with high-resolution cameras and other onboard sensing equipment, maintenance requirements are diagnosed faster, resulting in less downtime and more reliability in clean power generation.

Such use of technology and data supplements the Aboitiz Group’s transformative wave of becoming the Philippines’ first Techglomerate and AboitizPower’s drive to upgrade its services via digitalization.

Alfred Balaga, SacaSun Solar Grid Manager, emphasized that this dynamic strategy has not only optimized the utilization of existing resources but has also established Hedcor as a leader in the renewable energy industry.

“Through the effective use of technology in trying to sustain its operations, Hedcor is setting new standards for the future of clean energy generation, showcasing the significance of innovation and environmental responsibility in a rapidly evolving world,” he said.

Meanwhile, drones also played a pivotal role during Hedcor’s rehabilitation project of the conveyance line of the 6.4 megawatt Ferdinand L. Singit Hydro or FLS Hydro in Bakun, Benguet. This infrastructure — with a

ENERGY AND THE COMMUNITY Hedcor utilizes drones to oversee renewable energy assets

length of about three kilometers — is a critical component for water transport in its hydroelectric power generation.

Engineers were able to conduct precise and streamlined assessments of the conveyance line’s condition, helping fa-

cilitate the design of targeted solutions to minimize downtime and optimize efficiency. Ultimately, the outcome was a swift and cost-effective rehabilitation.

Simultaneously, Hedcor’s hydro facility in Bukidnon also utilized drones

for proactive inspections. This initiative provided a comprehensive view of the plant’s infrastructure and identified areas for improvement.

This approach empowered the team to take preemptive measures, preventing costly breakdowns and ensuring the plant’s capability to generate electricity.

The data collected through drone inspections served as the foundation for a thorough evaluation and design process leading to focused maintenance activities and improvements in the infrastructure.

Hedcor optimizes hydro operations and maintenance through advanced drone technology.

At Hedcor, engineers have incorporated drone technology as an indispensable tool in their pursuit of operational excellence. As it commences and continues with its digitalization drive along

with AboitizPower, Hedcor is in a better position to help advance its progress, as well as the businesses and communities it serves.

Moreover, the operations and maintenance teams are able to live out the core behaviors of a member of the Aboitiz Techglomerate as they harness the capabilities of drone technology to enable smarter, simpler, and faster work. Needless to say, they are also having fun in the process.

“Hedcor’s journey as part of the Aboitiz Techglomerate combines human skill with advanced technology, creating pioneering, sustainable energy solutions. Fueled by our pursuit of innovation, we’re helping shape a green, bright future that will endure for generations,” said Hedcor president and chief operations officer Rolando G. Pacquiao.

FROM SEEDS TO ROOTS

GMEC continues P7 million mangrove adoption, protection initiative in Bataan TO CARRY on with its commitment to sustainable development and address climate change, GNPower Mariveles Energy Center Ltd. Co (GMEC) continued its Mangrove Adoption and Protection Project in Orani, Bataan with a mangrove planting activity held at Tubo-Tubo, Sitio Pulo last November 17.

Around 70 volunteers, including twentyeight GMEC employees together with seven PGENRO, and thirty-five TuboTubo fisherfolks, planted 500 mangrove seedlings and 500 mangrove propagules in the company’s five-hectare adopted area in the barangay.

In June of this year, GMEC signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Provincial Government of Bataan, Municipality of Orani, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Tubo-Tubo Fisherfolks Association for the establishment of the Baka1Bataan mangrove adoption and protection initiative. The project, worth P6.8 million, has a duration of five years with an option for an extension. It is part of GMEC’s flagship environmental program called P.R.O.G.R.E.S.S., under the “P” or Protect marine life arm.

P.R.O.G.R.E.S.S. stands for Protect marine life, Reforest Land, Optimize wealth from waste, Generate livelihood skills and income, Rehabilitate social infrastructure, Elevate educational opportunities, Safeguard quality health access, and Strengthen disaster resiliency.

GMEC believes that mangrove forests play a vital role in mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration. Mangroves absorb carbon three to five times more than mountain forests. They also help protect against oceanic natural disasters, such as floods, storm surges, and wave gushes.

Sitio Pulo experienced its benefits first-hand during the onslaught of Typhoon Egay and Typhoon Falcon earlier this year.

“This initiative will help us improve the existing condition of mangrove areas in Orani, reduce the vulnerability of coastal barangays to coastal hazards, increase fish stocks in mangrove areas for increased fish catch, and increase carbon sink or carbon sequestration potential of the province,” said PGENRO representative Mistylyn Isidro Gutierrez.

“It was a new experience for me. This was the first time I planted mangroves, and it was not easy. But the thought of being part of the solution to lower our carbon emission makes it worthwhile,” GMEC environment supervisor Enrique Bulaong said.

GMEC fuels analyst Rodolfo Dela Cruz Jr. said “planting mangroves is not just about putting trees in the ground; it’s an investment in the future. Let our actions today be the seeds of a thriving ecosystem tomorrow.”

Barring the environmental initiatives, GMEC also plans to provide the locality with a potential alternative livelihood opportunity through fostering healthy breeding grounds for crustaceans like crabs, shrimps, and other seafood as well as create a sustainable flourishing fishing zone. In the future, they envision the area to be one of the premier tourist destinations in the region.

“This all started with a dream, a dream

by GMEC, PGENRO, and the Tubo-Tubo fisherfolks led by Brgy. Captain Jose Sally Raymundo,” said GMEC assistant vice president for ComRel Arcel Madrid.

“We are excited to see the progress of this project, and we intend to accompany you all in the realization of our future plans in this area.”

B3

SPORTS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

Pampanga 5 routs Bacoor in National Finals’ Game 1

Hergie Bacyadan displays the Philippine flag after her gold-medal feat in the World Vovinam Championship in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Bacyadan wins PH’s 1st world vovinam gold F

By Randy Caluag

ROM wushu to boxing, to vovinam, this Kalinga Apayao warrior can take all comers.

Hergie Bacyadan finally nailed her first internationally flavored gold medal following her dominant performance in the World Vovinam Championship in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Bacyadan, a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, hacked out a shutout 10-0 win over Mariana Abdeenko of Russia in the final of the -66kg combat

New football chief wants foreign training for youth bets

By Peter Atencio PLANS and programs need to be crafted to help provide young and aspiring football players the same opportunities that athletes from other countries enjoy.

Newly elected Philippine Football Federation president John Anthony Gutierrez said this after replacing Mariano “Nonong” Araneta as president of the Philippine Football Federation on Saturday.

Gutierrez spoke about his vision and ideas in the next four years as head of the federation, following the end of the PFF Extraordinary Congress and elections held at the Bellevue Hotel in Muntinlupa City.

“In a nutshell, it’s a gap that I want to bridge. I want us to be able to give the youth the same training (and exposure) opportunities, which is the same training exposures of other countries who are better at football,” said Gutierrez, who wants athletes to be sent to training camps abroad, to play, compete and hone their skills under the watchful eyes of local and foreign coaches.

Gutierrez said the new leadership will seek to continue and build on the successes of programs achieved during the time of Araneta.

The foreign trips that he has in mind for young players will be done on an experimental basis for now.

“Sending these kids to training camps is a temporary plan. Because the main purpose is to provide them with the same kind of training that’s available in other countries,” added Gutierrez.

Representing Bukidnon in the PFF board of governors, Gutierrez will lead the organization for the next four years, from 2023 to 2027, in place of Araneta, who stepped down after 13 years.

Araneta is staying on as FIFA Council Member and AFF Vice President until 2027, and Gutierrez feels that his wisdom is something he values.

category for the gold medal that had eluded her in the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games last May. Vovinam, which originated from Vietnam, is a combat sport, with elements from different martial arts, like kicks from tae kwon do, grapples from hop kido, and throws from Judo.

It can be recalled that Bacyadan became the receiving end of dubious officiating in the vovinam competition after she lost via raffle and settled for the silver, following a double overtime win that ended in a draw.

Team Philippines’ coaches also protested against the judges’ failure to give Bacyadan precious points in the final minute that could have given her an

outright victory.

In the world tourney on Friday night, Bacyadan poured it all, beginning with an emphatic win over Sophy Sok of Cambodia, before the blanking of Avdeenko in the battle for gold.

“Sulit pagod, sakripisyo at gutom,” said Bacyadan, who was also an Asian boxing silver medalist. She took up wushu as her first combat sport.

“Maraming salamat sa lahat ng mga walang sawa nagtiwala at sumuporta sakin. Hindi ko makukuha itong gold kung wala kayo,” she added.

Bacyadan thus became the country’s first vovinam world champion.

She also dedicated her victory to her partner as a wedding anniversary gift.

THE Pampanga Giant Lanterns got brighter with the return of Kurt Reyson as they trounced the Bacoor Strikers, 71-58, on Saturday in Game 1 of the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season National Finals at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Reyson, who played for the Letran Knights in the NCAA, returned to Pampanga’s fold and made an instant impact with 22 points, highlighted by a perfect 4 of 4 triple tries, to earn best player honors for the Giant Lanterns, who only allowed Bacoor to score the first basket before taking control for good with an eight-point cluster.

A 13-point bunch, capped by a triple each from John Lloyd Clemente, Justine Baltazar and Encho Serrano, with 40 seconds to go in the first quarter shoved Pampanga to its biggest spread, 21-4, from which Bacoor couldn’t recover.

The Strikers came to within 3338, early in the third quarter, but the 5-foot-10 Reyson combined with Baltazar, Allen Liwag and Clemente to pad the lead to 52-37.

Baltazar, the runaway MVP race pacesetter, posted 13 points, 6 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, plus 16 rebounds as the Giant Lanter ns ruled the boards, 54-41,

and extended their winning streak at home to 15.

JB Bahio came up with 8 points and 8 rebounds, Archie Concepcion chipped in 7 points and 2 assists while MJ Garcia contributed 6 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals for Gov. Dennis Pineda, also Pampanga’s head coach.

Bacoor got 16 points and 5 rebounds from Jhaymo Eguilos and 16 points plus 4 rebounds and 2 steals from Jhan Nermal. James Kwekuteye, however, was a big letdown with only 2 points after missing his first 11 attempts, 6 rebounds and 2 assists.

The game was halted for about 15 minutes with 28.2 seconds left in the third quarter after some overzealous fans threw plastic water bottles on the floor following a loose ball scramble that left Baltazar face down on the floor.

A disqualifying foul was slapped on Bacoor’s Lester Reyes and Baltazar split the two free throws awarded him for a 53-37 count after three quarters.

Pineda appealed to the crowd to keep their emotions in check and no other untoward incident happened.

Because of his long absence, Reyson said he spent some time at the convention center the past three days to get his shooting feel and rhythm back.

Kurt Reyson (left) of Pampanga

UST slays Cignal in men’s final; Benilde wins women’s trophy UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas unleashed a lethal weapon in slaying Cignal, while College of Saint Benilde played true to form to emerge men’s and women’s champions of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Challenge Cup on Saturday night at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.

Joshua Ybañez, only 5-foot-6, was more than a David in UST’s lineup as he unleashed a high-flying and all-overthe-court act in the Tigers’ 20-25, 25-22, 25-22, 19-25, 15-13 slaying of manytime club champion Cignal, which won the men’s tournament inaugurals last year.

“I still can’t believe we won against a top team Cignal,” said Ybañez, 20, who added the Challenge Cup Most Valuable Player trophy to his Rookie-MVP plum in Season 85 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

“But we won because of teamwork and of course, our coaches,” added the pride of General Santos City who had 26 points in the two-hour and 16-minute thriller.

If UST had to dig deep in scoring the upset, coach Gerry Yee and Saint Benilde Benilde were tactical in beating University of the Philippines (UP), 25-18, 25-18, 25-13, to reign supreme in women’s play.

St. Benilde players celebrate.

The Lady Blazers, back-to-back National Collegiate Athletic Association champions, needed only 81 minutes to frustrate UP and complete a sweep of the 16-team women’s division of the tourna-

ment supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, PLDT, Rebisco, Akari, Foton and CBPI. “We joined the Challenge Cup to gear up for the NCAA and we’re very glad we

won,” said Yee, whose wards never surrendered a set in the tournament. “We’re all inspired and boosted ahead of the NCAA.” The Tigers were no lucky finalists— they ousted three-peat UAAP champion National University in the semifinals.

“Of course, it’s unreal. These are literally kids and their opponents are pros,” said UST coach Odjie Mamon, who also handles the men’s national team. “It’s part of our preparations for UAAP and evaluation of our updated playing system style. And this championship validated all of our system.”

PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara thanked all 36 teams—men and women—for seeing action in the Challenge Cup, the federation’s second-tolast major tournament for the year.

“It’s been an exciting close to three weeks of volleyball action and I appreciate the enthusiasm of the athletes and teams who came from all over the country,” said Suzara.

Next up on the PNVF calendar is the season-ending Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge that gathers the world’s elite players in a brand-new and world-class five-court beach volleyball facility in the City of Santa Rosa starting this Thursday.

ASICS RnR Series lights up Manila

Runners of diverse skill levels embark on the challenging 42K run, the highlight among the four race categories in the second ASICS Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Manila at the Luneta Park Sunday midnight.

THE ASICS Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Manila presented by AIA Vitality exceeded expectations with over 9,000 runners of diverse skills and levels reveling in the unique thrill of midnight racing Sunday midnight at the Luneta Park.

Vice Mayor Yul Servo graced the event, adding to the festive atmosphere as participants navigated a course adorned with on-course entertainment, live bands, and the city’s iconic landmarks illuminated by seasonal lights, capturing the true essence of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

T hemed water st at ions and a lively f i n ish celebration, resembling a f iesta, heightened the overall experience for participants. Drawing runners from 53 countries, the race doubled its inaugural field, underscoring the global appeal of the event.

Welfred Esporma showcased his prowess, outpacing Bryan Quiamco in their mid-race battle

and unleashing a strong finishing kick to top the 42k race while Richard Salano reigned in the 21K run for the second straight year.

Organized by the IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc., the event emphasized that there were no official winners as the second edition of the globally renowned running series was held as a fun run. The primary aim was to provide participants with a unique night running experience, guiding them through the city’s iconic landmarks, including Intramuros, Manila City hall, Kartilya ng Katipunan, Fort Santiago and Chinatown.

While the event was not officially a competition, Esporma’s time, along with the other top finishers in the 42K and 21K races, can be used for qualification in major global endurance races, the event being certified and measured by the World Athletics and the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).

B4

SHOWBIZ

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com NICKIE WANG, Editor ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer

From left: Paul is enjoying his family life together with his children, Polly and Seve, and wife, Toni Gonzaga

Paul Soriano

Returning to showbiz with renewed vigor Very Wang

Nickie Wang

Award-winning director Paul Soriano

A

WARD-WINNING director Paul Soriano has been keeping a low profile since he resigned as Malacañang’s Presidential Adviser on Creative Communications in July. He has been focusing on his family and his new film, The Fisher Fisher, which received rave reviews at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Direk Paul’s resignation came after he faced criticism for his family ties to President Bongbong Marcos and First Lady Lisa Araneta-Marcos.. Some people felt that he was not the right person for the job, while others defended him, saying that he was qualified and had done a good job.

Direk Paul’s friends say that he is happy to be back in the private sector and is looking forward to sharing his new projects with everyone. They also say that he is still close to the Marcos family and that there is no animosity between them.

“Their families aren’t affected at all by rumors and intrigues. Matter

of fact, the line of communication between them is open,” a reliable source told Manila Standard Entertainment.

“Direk Paul and First Lady Liza were even together in a recent inauguration of a dialysis center. What matters now is all is well with Paul and the First Family.”

—“—

Now having Polly (his second child with actress-wife Toni Gonzaga) also made him realize that he needs to protect his family — away from politics

“Direk Paul chooses to keep his lips sealed.

He’s confident that when the right time comes, he can talk about it in a more positive manner when he launches a big project, which he wants to share about to everyone,” the source close to Direk Paul shared.

“Definitely, Direk Paul is not leaving showbiz. He has big plans to help the ailing

entertainment industry. He’s excited to reveal all these but he requests patience from everyone. Also, Direk Paul is thankful for having served in the government even for a brief period. As fate would have it, he’s better off in the private sector,” the source continued.

The director is now back in the showbiz scene and is working on new projects. He is also taking courses on new trends in content creation and how to create better synergy between mainstream media and social media.

His friends say that he is happy to be back in the private sector and is looking forward to sharing his new projects with everyone.

“Direk Paul Soriano’s comeback is an expanded version of what he used to do. Aside from film and television work, he now also focuses on content creation. During his leave, he also studied. He took courses on new trends in content creation and how to create better synergy between mainstream media and social media.”

“He is by nature a quiet person and is often misinterpreted as aloof. In reality, Paul is friendly... No mean bone in his persona.

Having Polly (his second child with actresswife Toni Gonzaga) also made him realize that he needs to protect his family — away from politics.”

Our source concluded that Direk Paul’s universe now revolves around his role as a writer and director and that he finds joy in quietly pursuing these endeavors.

Aspiring actor scores back-to-back win for PH at Man Hot Star International

By Eton Concepcion

GMA Network’s media excellence recognized at CMMA anew GMA Network dominated the 45th Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA), bagging multiple awards in various categories. The ceremony held in Manila on November 23, celebrated the outstanding work of media professionals in the Philippines.

The network’s 2022 Christmas Station ID, titled Love is Us this Christmas: GMA Christmas Station ID 2022 won the Best Station ID award while its flagship newscast, 24 Oras, won Best Special Event Coverage for its May 9, 2022 Election Coverage, Eleksyon 2022: The GMA News and Public Affairs Coverage.

GMA Public Affairs’ Unang Hirit received accolades as the Best News Magazine while GTV’s I Juander was recognized as the Best Adult Educational/Cultural Program.

For the television category, the Best Drama Series/Program category went to Maria Clara at Ibarra while receiving a special citation for the same category is Abot Kamay na Pangarap.

Best Entertainment Program award went to TiktoClock, while Fast Talk with Boy Abunda earned the title of the Best Talk Show.

In the radio and podcast categories, The Howie Severino Podcast by

GMA Integrated News earned acclaim as the Best Educational Program.

Dobol Weng sa Dobol B on Super Radyo DZBB 594 received the Best News Commentary award.

Sumasapuso, Kasama si Toni Aquino also stood out as the Best Drama Program.

DZBB Super Serbisyo, Trabaho at Negosyo on Super Radyo DZBB 594 and Barangay Love Stories on Barangay LS 97.1 were each granted a Special Citation for the Best Business News and Best Drama Program categories, respectively.

The Best Music Video (Special Citation), on the other hand, was awarded to GMA Synergy’s NCAA Season 98 theme song “Pusong Kampeon” performed by girl group XOXO and composed by Simon Tan. Additionally, the television special “NCAA Season 98” on GTV and GMA Synergy received a Special Citation under the Best TV Special category.

Finally, in a heartfelt tribute, broadcast journalist Mike Enriquez was posthumously honored with Serviam Award for upholding Christian values through media.

GMA Network dominates 45th Catholic Mass Media Awards with multiple wins

Model-actor RJ De Vera

MODEL and showbiz newbie RJ De Vera of the Philippines scored a rare back-to-back win at Man Hot Star International 2023 during the finals held at the Sansuk Grand Hall, Bangsaen Heritage Hotel, in Chonburi, Thailand on Saturday.

De Vera (aka Ronniel Absalud), a 23-year-old actor and model, and a graduate of Elementary Education, succeeded his compatriot Jovy Bequillo, who won in last year’s inaugural edition of the male pageant.

“You raise our flag proudly, Misters of Filipinas King,” said a congratulatory message from the Misters of Filipinas Organization and PEPPS Organization.

USA’s Kristzan Karlo delos Santos and South Korea’s Jo Seong-Hyeon finished as first and second runners-up, respectively. Canada’s Noah Joel Chandler and Thailand’s Oat Naranwach Piakhammueng were named third and fourth runners-up, respectively.

The winner of Man Hot Star International receives modeling, acting, and hosting opportunities in Thailand.

Malaysian film leads QCinema 2023’s Asian Next Wave winners MALAYSIAN Malay-language body horror Tiger Stripes by Amanda Nell Eu is QCinema International Film Festival’s big winner for 2023.

The film scooped the grand prize, the Asian Next Wave Best Picture, and the Best Director Award for Amanda Nell Eu. The film was hailed for leading a distinctive cinematic trend that merges horror with profound social commentary, particularly addressing the issues women continue to face nowadays, and for its standout production values and powerful performances.

Director Amanda expresses her gratitude for the award. “Thank you so much to QCinema and the jury. It is so meaningful to share the film with a South East Asian audience and we are truly honored to receive these awards.

Thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”

Asian Next Wave is the main competition section of QCinema.

This year, eight feature film directorial debuts from the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Thailand competed for the Pylon Award.

Mimang by Kim Tae-yang

brought home the NETPAC Jury Prize. Philippine entry Gitling by Jopy Arnaldo won Best Screenplay.

The Best Artistic Achievement award went to Dinh Duy Hung for his visually rich and evocative cinematography of Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell.

Kang Ren Wu,, who played a hearing-impaired illegal immigrant in Abang Adik won the Best Lead Performance, QCinema’s sole acting award.

Aside from Asian Next Wave, QCinema also awarded several short films that competed under QCShorts and QCSEA. QCShorts’ Best Picture is Aedrian Araojo’s Animal Lovers. It won for illustrating how short films can push the edge of taste while continuing to fascinate and entertain.

The QCShorts Special Jury Prize went to the multi-media short Tumatawa, Umiiyak by Che Tagyamon, while the gender sensitivity award went to A Catholic School Girl by Myra Angeline Soriaso.

In QCSEA, QCinema’s new competition section for Southeast Asian

‘Tiger Stripes’ director Amanda Nell Eu

Shorts, Hito by Stephen Lopez won Best Picture. The Shorts Jury Prize went to filmmaker Joon Goh for MOP. QCinema’s first batch of emerging critics who participated in the QCinema’s Critics Lab were also awarded the Critics Prize. It went to I Look into the Mirror and Repeat to Myself by Giselle Lin. Aside from these film awards, QCinema Critics Lab has also bestowed the Alexis Tioseco and Nika Bohinc Award for Film Criticism to Lé Baltar.

It also honored the life and work of QCinema Foundation Member Teddy Co.