Manila Standard - 2024 February 15 - Thursday

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Standard’s Zozobrado tapped to head PRA

Whang-Od granted Medal of Merit award

By Nickie Wang

By Charles Dantes

MALACAÑANG has announced the appointment of Roberto “Bob” Zozobrado as the general manager Next page

PRESIDENT Marcos on Wednesday awarded Apo Whang-Od, a master “mambabatok” or tattoo artist from Kalinga, with the Presidential Medal of Merit for her contributions to the country’s traditional arts.

“We are honoring Apo Whang-od for works that have made her and the

VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 05 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024

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Senate, House bury hatchet Leaders agree to end word war on Cha-cha, ‘work professionally’

By Charles Dantes and Macon Ramos-Araneta

S

ENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Speaker Martin Romualdez have agreed to end the word war between the two chambers of Congress over differing opinions on the Charter change push and to “work professionally” moving forward.

EXTRAORDINARY CENTENARIANS.

President Marcos stands between sprightly 106-yearold Apo Whang Od (left), the world-renowned tattoo artist, and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Valentin Ponce Enrile in Malacañang on Valentine’s Day, the latter’s 100th birthday. The President met with Whang Od before she was conferred the Presidential Medal of Merit for her significant and exemplary contributions to preserving the Butbut Kalinga or the traditional tattoo known as “fatok” or “whatok.” PCO Photo

GO ON JOURNEY OF FAITH TO START LENT—MARCOS NEWS / A2

“In front of the President, we shook hands. [This is] NEWS / A2 good news. The Speaker and I have spoken, and we have agreed to work professionally, to end the squabble and to continue to work for the benefit of the administration and for our countrymen,” Zubiri said in an interview with reporters.

“It is not good if we keep on squabbling and fighting.

So, we committed to talk to each other, hopefully, next week for a secondary meeting, because our meeting was just fast – we just shook hands,” he added.

Alliance urges PBBM, Duterte to reconcile

Next page

AKAP funds not redirected to Charter change signature drive—Co 1 killed, 53 hurt

By Maricel V. Cruz

tended for near-poor, low-income nature drive. tor Imee Marcos of “maligning the families – the Ayuda para sa Kapos Ako-Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy pure intentions” of AKAP that would A LAWMAKER on Wednesday re- ang Kita (AKAP) Program – was re- Co, chairperson of the House appro- benefit construction workers, factory Next page jected claims that the assistance in- directed to fund a Charter change sig- priations committee, accused Sena-

#ANONGBALITA

By Orlan Mauricio

Bigas bago pag-ibig: VP gives V-Day advice LOVE may make the world go round, but rice is more important.

This was Vice President Sara Duterte’s advice to all rice-loving Filipinos on Valentine’s Day. Next page

Senator Escudero, Heart Evangelista renew marriage vows today SENATOR Francis Escudero and his wife, Heart Evangelista, will renew their marriage vows today at Balesin Island where they tied the knot in 2015.

“I know what marriage Next page

KRIS GIVES GRIM HEALTH UPDATE SHOWBIZ / C3

as church floor falls amid Mass

DEADLY COLLAPSE. Workers begin repairing the collapsed second floor of St. Peter Apostle Parish Church in Tungkong Mangga, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, on Wednesday. The floor collapsed while Ash Wednesday Mass was being held. Manny Palmero

A CATHOLIC church balcony collapsed, killing an elderly woman and injuring 53 during a packed mass at San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan on Ash Wednesday, when millions of Filipinos flock to services, local disaster officials said.

One of the busiest dates on the Church calendar, the day marks the beginning of Lent in Asia’s Catholic outpost.

An 80-year-old woman expired from her chest injuries at a local hospital, Gina Ayson, civil defense chief of San Jose del Monte, told Agence France-Presse.

Noli Concepcion, special assistant of City Mayor Arthur Robes, identified the fatality as Luneta Morales, who was below the mezzanine when it collapsed.

The incident happened at around 7:20 in the morning, just before the start of the ash marking on the forehead of devotees.

Next page

PhilHealth leaders commit to comply with Speaker’s call

By Maricel V. Cruz

Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez to enhance their services and benefit packages for patients.

“We are one we are one with Speaker MarOFFICIALS of the Philippine Health Insurance tin when he says we have to aggressively and Corporation (PhilHealth) on Wednesday gave their continuously increase the case packages of Philcommitment to comply with the call of Speaker

Health across the board,” PhilHealth President and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. said during the hearing of the House Committee on Health, held upon the Speaker’s directive.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024

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Temporary burial for landslide dead S

EVENTEEN unidentified bodies recovered from the landslide in Barangay Masara in Maco, Davao de Oro will be buried temporarily on Wednesday, the local government said.

This developed as President Marcos thanked the United States government for extending emergency assistance to communities affected by flooding and landslides in Mindanao, Malacañang said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council also has adopted a resolution amending the guidelines

on access to the NDRRM Fund for the repair, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of infrastructure in disaster-stricken areas.

The Maco local government appealed to the kin of those missing to visit the two funeral homes where the recovered bodies were brought following the landslide.

Search and retrieval operations at ground

zero continue, a day after rescue efforts officially ended, but authorities earlier said identifying the victims remains a challenge.

The 17 bodies, which currently remain unidentified or unrecognized, will undergo temporary burial as part of the health protocols based on the recommendation of the municipal health officer.

The bodies will not be embalmed and will be placed in cadaver bags, as a sign of respect to the beliefs of their kin.

The Maco local government said there will be markings where the bodies will be buried for easier identification.

The LGU said there are now 67 bod-

ies and four “body parts” recovered from the landslide.

In a statement, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil said Mr. Marcos relayed his expression of gratitude when US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson paid him a visit at Malacañan Palace in Manila on Tuesday.

“Carlson told President Marcos that Washington is pleased to bring two C-130s from Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), although it is not the cheapest or the easiest way to deliver foreign assistance,” Garafil said. With Charles Dantes

Foreign equity Broad alliance urges President, Duterte to reconcile barriers noted at House forum

By Randy Caluag and Vito Barcelo

By Maricel V. Cruz THE Philippines has the most foreign equity ownership restrictions in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, former Finance secretary Gary Teves said Wednesday.

Teves made the statement at a roundtable forum on the impact of regulatory barriers on foreign direct investments, as changes to the economic provisions of the Constitution are being discussed by the Senate.

The forum was organized by the House of Representatives Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD), led

by Deputy Secretary General Dr. Romulo Emmanuel Miral Jr., and moderated by Markina City Rep. Stella Quimbo, senior vice chairperson of the House committee on ways and means.

“We are the most restrictive in ASEAN and Vietnam, which has made substantial liberalization, is the least restrictive. We are No. 3 globally,” Teves told the forum.

He said there are constitutional restrictions in many areas of the economy, including agriculture, mining, construction, transport, media, and telecommunications.

Teves said he and the Foundation for Economic Freedom, which he represented in the discussions, support the move in Congress to amend the “restrictive” economic provisions of the Constitution.

“Remove those from the Constitution. We are the only country in ASEAN and perhaps in the entire world with those restrictions in the Constitution,” he said.

He added that if the power to regulate investment inflow belonged to Congress, the legislature could easily change the limitations.

AN ALLIANCE of various religious organizations, former government officials, and concerned citizens urged President Marcos to initiate a reconciliation meeting with former President Rodrigo Duterte and lead an interfaith prayer rally for national healing.

Calling themselves the Covenant for the Nation, the groups appealed for “sobriety and reconciliation amid deep concerns about the current political

Senate...

From A1 The Speaker has yet to issue a statement on their meeting as of press time.

The two leaders met during the lunch at the Palace hosted by President Marcos for Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, who turned 100 years old yesterday.

The celebration was also attended by former Presidents Gloria Arroyo and Joseph Estrada, Cabinet secretaries, and members of Congress, among others.

Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. confirmed the meeting in a separate interview, saying he hoped the handshake between Zubiri Romualdez would put an end to the word war between the legislators.

Revilla said President Marcos was

1Fromkilled,...

A1 The 30-year-old wooden gallery of the Saint Peter the Apostle Church in Tungkong Mangga district had been weakened by termites, Ayson said.

It gave way during Mass, apparently due to the added weight, plunging churchgoers to the aisle on the ground floor below, she said.

Standard’s...

From A1 Bigas...

From A1 “Roses are red, violets are nice, but nothing compares to the way you spice up my rice!” she said in a caption to her Tiktok video.

“For me, rice is more important than love. If you are in love but have nothing to buy rice, it’s like eating kare-kare without rice...Ganyan ang Valentine’s Day—bigas bago pagibig,” she added.

The Philippines is one of the largest rice consuming countries in the world. Filipinos consumed about 16 million metric tons of rice last year.

Senator...

From A1 is now, so it’s very meaningful for me,” the actress said in a recent interview.

“This time around, my heart is definitely complete,” the actress added.

Wedding invitation designer Alexis Ventura posted a copy of the invitations on Instagram, which showed that the renewal of vows will take place today at the Balesin Royal Villa.

“I did their invites 8 years ago, when I was starting out, and I’m happy to do this project again, with much more finesse and elegance,” Ventura wrote.

and CEO of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA), replacing Cynthia Lagdameo Carrion.

The move follows a report submitted to Malacañang by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco detailing Carrion’s misconduct during Senate hear-

Whang-Od...

From A1 country famous, for other achievements that make her a Filipina worthy of our respect and of our admiration,” President Marcos said during the awards

PhilHealth...

From A1 As part of PhiHealth’s prime mandate, Ledesma said they would have to increase the benefit packages to make things easier for the Filipino people to avail of healthcare services. The less out of pocket, the better for the country and the better for the health system of the country, he added.

On Tuesday, Romualdez issued a directive for the House to review PhilHealth’s charter to expand patient’s benefits, including early detection of

IN BRIEF Go on faith journey to start Lent—Marcos PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday enjoined the Filipino faithful to go on a journey of renewing their relationship with God. Marcos made the call as he joined the commemoration of Ash Wednesday, which marks the first day of Lent -- coinciding with the celebration of Valentine’s Day. “In observing Ash Wednesday, let us all reflect and renew our faith,” he said in a Facebook post.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40-day Lenten season. It is observed by Christians as a holy day of fasting and praying.

Charles Dantes

Cases readied against poll double registrants SOME 100,000 individuals found to have multiple voter registrations will soon be charged with election offenses, the Commission on Elections said Wednesday.

In a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing, poll body spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the number is part of the close to half a million registrants they have detected in 2023.

“Last year, we delisted some 500,000 double and multiple registrants. By our assessment, 100,000 of them were deliberate (attempts).

Registration of more than once for purposes of being a flying voter is considered as an election offense,” Laudiangco said.

An election offense case is punishable with one to six years imprisonment, removal of right to vote and disqualification to hold public office. The spokesman said the filing of charges should serve as a warning against those planning to apply for more than one registration. Vito Barcelo

situation.”

“It is evident that the present political climate is causing significant divisiveness not only within the political arena but also among our fellow citizens. The repercussions of this discord are far-reaching with the potential to affect the very people we have sworn to serve,” the group said in an open letter.

Grepor Belgica, a former government official during the Duterte administration, said the group will initiate

a National Prayer gathering that aims to “heal the wounds of our nation.”

“We hope President Marcos will accept this and lead the call to pray together and unite for our country,” Belgica said in a press briefing Tuesday.

The open letter was signed by Bishop Grepor Butch Belgica, Bishop Reuben Abante, lawyers Eduardo Bringas and Benedicto Jose, retired Brig Gen. Carlos Quita and former Presidential AntiCorruption Commission head Fortunato Guerrero.

there during the handshake, but he was not near the two Congress leaders. “I just hope the handshake was sincere,” he said.

After the handshake, Revilla said he told Zubiri and Romualdez: “O, tama na, ceasefire na! (OK, that’s enough, let’s have a ceasefire).”

Revilla said he received this reply from Zubiri: “Oo. OK naman. Nagkamayan na kami (Yes, we’re OK. We shook hands already).”

Revilla said he felt caught in the middle because he is a party-mate of Romualdez, being chairman of LakasCMD, and a colleague to Zubiri at the Senate. He appealed for cooler heads to prevail among his fellow lawmakers moving forward.

Enrile, for his part, asked everyone – including those who attended the lunch – to support the administration of Pres-

ident Marcos.

“I would like to ask you as a special gift to me on my 100th year, to help the President succeed. I ask you and beg you to help for the sake of the country and our people,” Enrile said.

Zubiri acknowledged that Congress members have a lot of work on their hands to ensure the passage of priority legislative measures.

“We agreed to work together to pass legislation for our people and to set aside our rift. There are a lot of pending bills and we have yet to hold a bicameral meeting. So now we’ll be able to call for a bicameral meeting for the Commission on Appointments,” he said.

“I know hurtful words have been exchanged between some senators and congressmen, particularly my majority floor leader, but that does not mean we cannot work professionally,” Zubiri said.

“City building officials discovered that a section of the collapsed structure was infested with termites,” she told AFP. “It looked fine from outside. We did not know it was being eaten from the inside.”

The other victims, who were also mostly elderly, sustained bruises and other slight injuries, she said, adding about 400 people were attending mass at the time.

Mayor Arthur Robes has ordered the damaged church shut as investiga-

tors inspected the building’s structural safety, according to Ayson.

Pictures posted by Robes on his Facebook page showed part of the wooden balcony hanging less than a meter (3.3 feet) from the ground floor, which was littered with church pews, broken plastic chairs and debris.

Yellow police tape could be seen placed across the front of the building, built in 1994, while another photo showed a paramedic giving aid to a man.

ings on the 2024 national budget.

Zozobrado, the Manila Standard’s lifestyle columnist, currently serves as the president of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP).

He is expected to resign from his private sector posts upon assuming leadership of the PRA, a government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC) mandated to promote the Philippines as a retirement haven.

Zozobrado is known for his extensive experience in the tourism industry, having taken on various roles in international airlines and the hospitality industry.

He was also the former Director of Sales at the old Hyatt Regency Manila, apart from being a public relations specialist and marketing consultant. Prior to his election as TCP president, he was chair of the Philippines chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association.

workers, ride-hailing app drivers, and food service crew, among others.

“It’s now up to the people to judge her for politicizing a program to help the poor,” Co said.

Announced in November last year, the AKAP Program was designed to provide a one-time P5,000 cash assistance to Filipino families affected by the global inflation and the surge in commodity prices, Co said.

Outlined in the 2024 budget, the program has an earmarked fund of P50 billion for direct support to families earning less than P23,000 monthly, ensuring that those not covered by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) due to their income bracket will receive necessary aid.

Senator Marcos earlier questioned the P26.7 billion AKAP funds lodged in the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

But Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. reminded the senators that they approved the 2024 budget that includes funding for AKAP. “AKAP is part of the 2024 national budget. The Senate gave its stamp of approval on AKAP when it passed the then proposed P5.768-trillion outlay for this year in plenary last Nov. 28,” Gonzales said.

rites for the Outstanding Government Workers of 2023 and the Presidential Medal of Merit in Malacañang.

The Presidential Medal of Merit is bestowed by the country’s Chief Executive to recognize exemplary people in various fields such as arts, entertainment, literature, and science.

President Marcos called Maria WhangOd Oggay, Apo Whang-Od’s full name, a national treasure for her invaluable work preserving the “Butbut Kalinga” art form.

“She is a keeper of the oral traditions and a mentor in teaching a new generation of artists, thus ensuring her art form lives on to tell tales of her commu-

nity’s history,” the President said.

Whang-Od’s traditional tattooing has gained local and international recognition, resulting in tourists flocking to her village to see and experience her work personally.

He also lauded her for breaking gender stereotypes by venturing into a traditionally male-dominated field.

cancer, and provide a more comprehensive healthcare coverage for Filipino patients.

Specifically, the Speaker sought an increase in benefits to cover at least 50 percent of costs in private hospital wards and the provision of free examinations for the early detection of deadly diseases, such as cancer.

PhilHealth’s Vice President Eli Santos echoed Ledesma’s statement.

“Mr. Chairperson, honorable members of the committee, with the leadership of our President and Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Ledesma, Jr., Philhealth, we will be able to

fulfill and comply with the directive of our Honorable Speaker Martin Romualdez,” he said.

Santos said PhilHealth fully supports the Speaker’s directive for a review of their charter to expand patient benefits, including early cancer detection, and to explore ways to provide more comprehensive health care coverage.

“We submit to the directive of our Honorable Speaker and the Committee to focus our resources in safeguarding the health of the populace,” he added.

Santos said PhilHealth also agrees that the review of their charter should also probe the agency’s investment strategies

to ensure its funds are utilized in ways that directly benefit the health and wellbeing of the Filipino people.

While PhilHealth is increasing by as much as 30 percent the coverage rate of most of its benefit packages, Ledesma said effective Feb. 14, additional increases are warranted.

“The 30 percent was just a start, and we would really move forward,” Ledesma said.

For instance, he said PhilHealth’s benefit committee has recently approved the enhancement of the “Z Benefit” for breast cancer, which would be effective in March.

AKAP...

From A1

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Criminal raps filed over Mindoro oil spill

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday approved the criminal indictment of a shipping company and persons responsible for the sinking of the M/T Princess Empress on February 28, 2023, which led to a widely damaging oil spill along the coast of Oriental Mindoro.

In a resolution, the DOJ’s panel of prosecutors found probable cause to file criminal charges against RDC Reield Marines Services, Inc., the shipping company that owns and operates M/T Princess Empress, its corporate officers, certain employees, along with 19 Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel, and two Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) staffers.

The panel also held liable an individual for committing multiple counts of falsification by a private individual, multiple use of falsified documents punishable under Article 172 in relation to Article 171(2) of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), and multiple counts of falsification of public or official documents under Article 171(4) of the RPC, as amended.

The complaint was filed by the National Bureau of Investigation-Environmental Crime Division (NBI-ECD) and Mayor Jennifer Cruz of Pola, Oriental Mindoro last June 2023 Following a comprehensive evaluation of affidavits and evidence, the panel of DOJ prosecutors uncovered irregularities in certain documents related to the construction and certificate of public convenience of M/T Princess Empress.

“Consequently, the panel has recommended the filing of charges against the corporate officers of M/T Princess Empress, a MARINA personnel, and a private individual for multiple counts of falsification of public documents by a private individual, multiple use of falsified documents, and multiple counts of falsification of public or official documents,” the DOJ said in a statement.

FREE ROSES ON VALENTINE’S DAY.

LRT personnel serenaded rail commuters with love songs and roses at the LRT Central Station to mark the day of hearts and romance. Norman Cruz

Group warns vs. rumors on Davao de Oro landslide AN ENVIRONMENTAL advocacy group has warned against the effects of “speculation and baseless claims” during times of tragedy like the recent landslide in a Davao de Oro town, and has asked stakeholders to rely only on facts and verified information in order to foster accountability.

“Failure to be anchored on facts creates a disruptive misinformed chain, hindering effective response efforts and necessary support and assistance, particularly during socioeconomic and environmental chal-

lenges,” said Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) secretary-general, Felix Vitangcol.

Last Feb. 6, a massive landslide occurred in Barangay Masara in Maco, Davao de Oro after days of incessant rain brought by the northeast monsoon and a trough of low pressure area. Thus far, 71 people have been confirmed dead, while 47 are still missing in the landslide..

“When stakeholders rely on factual information rather than unfounded assumptions or personal biases, they contribute to building trust and credibility

within the community,” Vitangcol said.

He pointed out that the resource and extractive industries have been on the receiving end of unwarranted criticisms that are “often based on ideological agenda rather than scientific evidence.”

“Such misrepresentation impedes necessary interventions and hampers effective resource allocation on the ground,” he said. “Rather than focusing on addressing critical issues such as the welfare of those directly affected, some exploited the situation to vilify the mining industry,” he added.

DA cites P19.7b Jalaur irrigation project in Iloilo

By Othel V. Campos

CALL FOR PRAYER AND RECONCILIATION. Former Presidential Anti Corruption Commission chairman Butch Belgica

and leaders of various religious congregations join hands in a symbolic display of solidarity and oneness during a “Covenant for The Nation” press conference for an inter faith prayer gathering held inside a restaurant on J.P. Laurel street in Manila. The rally calls on religious groups to come together and organize a nationwide Inter faith prayer gathering for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former President Rodrigo Duterte, to lead the nation for prayer and reconciliation with God’s blessings (see story on A2). Danny Pata

DOTr eyes biometrics to speed up air travelers processing

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Philippines is looking to implement passenger biometrics to speed up airport processing and create a smoother travel experience, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Transportation Undersecretary for Aviation and Airports Sector Roberto Lim said biometrics processing will be done from the airport’s entry up to

boarding.

“The future is now… biometrics passenger processing will significantly make the Philippine airport experience more pleasant, more efficient,” Lim said in a statement.

A single token created from the passenger’s biometric facial scan, the boarding pass and a biometric data embedded ID such as passport will allow a passenger to breeze through airport entrance, check in, final

boarding pass check to airside, and boarding, Lim said.

DOTr said airport operators such as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and the Davao International Airport Authority are looking into a pilot operation as local stakeholders await the implementation of the process and technology in action, while preparing to further improve passenger comfort, accessibility and security through departure process.

AGRICULTURE Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. has underscored the benefits of the nearly completed P19.7 billion Jalaur River Multipurpose Project (JRMP) on rice production and on the livelihood of some 25,000 farmers and 4,500 indigenous people in Iloilo province.

“This project, which we expect to complete within the year and be fully operational by mid-2025, will greatly contribute to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s vision of increasing food production and helping our farmers have better lives,” Laurel said.

The Agriculture secretary visited on Wednesday the nearly-completed second phase of the centerpiece project of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

The project will irrigate an additional 9,500 hectares of rainfed farms on top the existing 22,340 hectares, thus increasing rice output in Iloilo by 71 percent to 338,000 metric tons.

The project is also equipped with a 6.6-megawatt power generation, bulk water, fishery, tourism, flood control, housing for indigenous people, and carbon sequestration components.

DHSUD focused on ‘safe, affordable housing’

By Rio N. Araja IN COMMEMORATION of its fifth anniversary, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) on Wednesday highlighted the safety and resilience of Filipino home dwellers, especially the underprivileged, in providing decent and affordable homes.

Housing Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said this year’s theme “LIgtas at matibay na masisilungan para sa bawat Pilipino” reflects DHSUD’s vision of building safe and resilient homes that are financially accessible to the intended beneficiaries.

Along with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan and Senator JV Ejercito Estrada, the housing czar spearheaded the opening program at the central office.

The Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG Fund, a key shelter agency of DHSUD, inaugurated its satellite office located on the ground floor of the DHSUD main office.

Acuzar underscored DHSUD’s accomplishments in the implementation of President Ferdinand Marcos’ flagship Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program and the Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli Project.

“We are inching closer to our goal under 4PH – all thanks to the coordination and support of our KSAs, local government units and the private sector, and other stakeholders,” he said.

He said 36 4PH projects are now in pre-production and production stages nationwide to increase as more local government units and private entities express interest in partnering for this initiative.

ET TU, VIETNAM? Fishermen’s group Pangisda Pilipinas denounced alleged

Vietnam intrusion into the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea, carrying out use of dynamite and other illegal fishing methods that dealt massive destruction of the coral reefs, along with reclamation works involving dredging and landfill close to the Philippines-owned Spratly Island, with a view to setting up their own military barracks.

IN BRIEF MMDA fully supports EDSA busway project THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has expressed full support for the EDSA Busway Concourse Project being initiated by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and SM Prime Holdings Inc. that would benefit both the commuters and pedestrians.

During the ground-breaking ceremony held on Tuesday, MMDA Acting chairman Romando Artes, along with other government officials, announced the start of construction for the SM North EDSA Busway.

“The purpose of this project is to add a busway station in North EDSA to make the travel of commuters easier and more convenient. It will also provide safe transportation access for senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and pregnant women,” the MMDA said in a statement. Joel E. Zurbano

BFAR mulls tilapia farm in Pantabangan THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Region 3 aims to commercialize the fishery project at the Pantabangan Aquaculture Park in Nueva Ecija to contribute to the government’s food security goals for the country.

BFAR regional director Wilfredo Cruz said the agency harvested over 400 kilograms of tilapia from the aquaculture park which marks the culmination of the research phase of the project.

“Anticipated to amplify local fish production, the Pantabangan Aquaculture Park is poised to benefit not only the province, but the entire Central Luzon region,” he said.

In collaboration with the National Irrigation Administration, the Protected Area Management Board of the DENR-Bi diversity Management Bureau, and the local government unit of Pantabangan, the project aims to evaluate the growth performance of Nile Tilapia raised in the reservoir.

Othel V. Campos

‘Love is in the air’ on Valentine’s Day FLOWERS, chocolates, balloons and Malasakit kits greeted lucky travellers upon arrival at four provincial airports on Valentine’s Day, courtesy of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

CAAP personnel gave away the gifts to plane passengers in Naga City, Camarines Sur; San Jose, Occidental Mindoro; Tacloban, Leyte; and Virac, Catanduanes, Wednesday morning, Feb. 14.

“Additionally, the passengers have the opportunity to capture their cherished Valentine’s moments with the photo booths available at these airports,” said CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio.

At the Bicol International Airport, passengers were welcomed with a chocolate bar and a cuddly teddy bear crafted from a soft face towel.

CAAP director general Capt. Manuel Antonio Tamayo complemented the agency employees for this initiative, which delighted many passengers.

Joel E. Zurbano

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Palace bids joy, good health for Enrile’s 100th

ASH WEDNESDAY.

Filipino Catholics receive ash on their foreheads during Ash Wednesday mass at the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual (Baclaran Church) in Parañaque City on Feb. 14. Millions of Catholics flock to churches in observance of Ash Wednesday, marking the first day of Lent.

Norman Cruz

IN BRIEF CICC probes links to bomb hoax, hacking AN INVESTIGATION is now ongoing to find out the possible link between the recent hoax bomb threats with hacking attempts against government agencies.

Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) executive director Alex Ramos said: “This is one of the angles we are looking at.”

Ramos, quoted by reports, said the CICC is still gathering information and comparing the cases of recent bomb threats, which targeted around 118 schools and government agencies in different parts of the country.

On Monday, the central office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Quezon City received a bomb threat, reports said.

Several government agencies and schools in different provinces such as Bataan, Zambales and Cebualso also received bomb threats on Monday, according to police reports.

‘Mindanaoans will not support call for secession’

By Maricel V. Cruz

A

MINDANAO lawmaker on Wednesday said that the people of the island would not support former president Rodrigo Duterte’s call for them to secede from the rest of the country.

“Upon Consultations with our barangay officials, business leaders, and socio-civic leaders in Cagayan de Oro, they are against Mindanao’s secession from the Republic of the Philippines,” Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said.

“Why would our people here support the secession idea when it would result in retrogression rather than continuing progress?” he asked.

“It’s like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. It’s suicidal. Sane people

like us Mindanaonons and the rest of us Filipinos will not do that, even at the prodding of our former leaders,” he said.

He said Mindanao’s development would be pushed back if the island separated itself from the country.

“Where will we get the funds to sustain our infrastructure, agricultural, and economic development that is going on now under the administration of President BBM? Our island will certainly face an uncertain future. That’s not what we want for Mindanao,” he said.

He added that it is Mindanaonons who would suffer if secession prospers.

What is needed is more infrastructure projects and social programs for the people of Mindanao.

The Mindanao lawmaker noted the recent statement of NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon that Mindanao continues to rely on the national government for assistance to improve the well-being of its residents.

“More than economic, it is actually the social cost,” Edillon said.

Rodriguez said secession advocates should not lead Mindanao and its people to more hardship.

“What we want for our people is a better, an improved life, not a situation worse than it is now, which is what will happen if this talk of separation prospers,” he said.

DFA eyes registration of Pinoys in Sabah THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday said the government is working on the registration of about half a million “stateless” Filipinos in Sabah.

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega stressed it is now the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia’s undergoing project, which “will take years” to complete due to the lack of a government office in the area still disputed by both countries.

De Vega noted that there are about 770,000 Filipinos in Sabah, including 550,000 who remain undocumented.

“It is not lack of interest [that they are not documented], but more often than not, lack of identification documents which deter them from birth registration,” de Vega said.

De Vega shared that once the undocumented individuals become Filipinos, they will be provided with services available to Filipino citizens, including assisting them in case of local legal issues.

Rey E. Requejo

DepEd revisits sex education in curriculum THE Department of Education (DepEd) has committed to revisit and intensify its comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in a bid to address the high teenage pregnancy cases among basic education learners.

DepEd Assistant Secretary Alma Ruby Torio said the CSE is integrated in various learning areas such as values education, good manners and right conduct, health and technology and livelihood.

“For now, we have flexible options for our learners. One of which is the provision of alternative learning delivery mode as well as the appropriate learning delivery for those learners who are in special circumstances,” Torio told senators during the Committee on Basic Education public hearing.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who chairs the panel, cited results of the National Demographic and Health Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority, showing that 8.6 percent of 15-19 year-old girls or 1 out of 10 got pregnant in 2017.

“If they become pregnant, most likely they will stop school, and if they stop school, they will not gain knowledge to help them get employed,” Gatchalian said.

MALACAÑANG on Wednesday greeted Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile on his 100th birthday, wishing him “joy and good health.”

“The Office of the President (OP) extends warm birthday wishes to our Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, Juan Ponce Enrile… Wishing you a year filled with joy and good health,” it said in a Facebook post.

The OP also hailed Enrile’s “tireless efforts in serving (the country).”

Enrile, who spent his nearly six decades in public office, is a “constant inspiration to us all,” the OP added.

Enrile began his career in public office when he assumed the role of finance undersecretary under the leadership of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. He was also instrumental in introducing amendments to the rules and regulations that are still included in the current Insurance Code of the Philippines during his stint as acting head of the Insurance Commission.

He likewise served as acting Customs commissioner, acting finance secretary, chairperson of the Monetary Board of the Central Bank of the Philippines, and defense secretary under the watch of Marcos Sr. Enrile spent four terms in the Senate and became the 21st Senate President during the 15th Congress from 2008 to 2013.

His first term in the Senate ran from 1987 to 1992, serving as the lone minority in the chamber.

He also served one term in the House of Representatives from 1992 to 1995 as representative of Cagayan’s first district.

In 2016, Enrile announced his plan to retire from public service. However, he joined but lost the 2019 senatorial race.

With Charles Dantes

Customs eyes stronger stance vs. smuggling

By Vito Barcelo

MASS WEDDING. Sta. Rosa, Laguna Mayor Mayor Arlene Arcillas (center, in yellow) officiates the wedding of 208 couples on Valentine’s Day at the City Hall Auditorium. Roy Tomandao

Metro cops dismissed over operation against foreigners

By Vince Lopez TEN Metro Manila policemen were dismissed from service after they were found guilty of administrative charges in connection with the questionable operation against four foreigners in Parañaque City in September last year.

The policemen were identified as Police LtCol. Jolet Guevara; Police Major Jason Quijana and John Patrick Magsalos; Police Capt. Sherwin Limbauan; Police Staff Sergeants Roy Pioquinto, Mark J. Democrito, Danilo L. Desder, Roy Pio-

quinto, Christina Corpuz; and Corporal Rexes Claveria.

The 10 policemen were dismissed effective Feb. 12 for grave misconduct, grave irregularity in the performance of duty, grave neglect of duty, the conduct of unbecoming police officers, less grave misconduct, and less grave neglect of duty.

Police Major Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said that the dismissal should serve as a stern warning that he will not tolerate

any form of abuse and willful violations of the law.

Aside from the dismissal of 10 police officials, seven officers were demoted in rank, while 17 others were suspended for various infractions for the alleged illegal arrest of Chinese nationals in Parañaque City in September last year, according to the NCRPO. The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) meanwhile lauded a lower court in South Cotabato for the conviction of three policemen charged with torturing a traffic violator six years ago. With Rio Araja

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) vowed to strengthen its campaign against all forms of smuggling, digitalize customs processes, and implement projects aimed at reaching the P1 trillion collection target for 2024, as the bureau marked its 122nd anniversary yesterday.

Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, who led the agency’s anniversary celebration, unveiled a five-point priority program that would boost the bureau’s efforts to realize its goals for 2024.

“These programs include the Digitalization of Customs Processes, Surpassing Collection Targets, Streamlining Procedures to Facilitate Secure Trade, Combating Smuggling in All Forms, and Enhancing Employee Welfare and Development,” Rubio said.

In line with BOC’s commitment to combat smuggling, the bureau condemned millions of pesos worth of forfeited vape products discovered in Valenzuela in October 2023.

During the celebration, the BOC donated assorted goods to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) from the BOC-Ninoy Aquino International Airport, in support of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s advocacy for social responsibility.

The event coincides with the launching of Customs Industry Consultative and Advisory Council (CICAC), a consultative body between the BOC and the business se tor, addressing existing and potential Customs and industry issues, promoting mutual understanding, and strengthening the BOC’s harmonious relationship with its industry partners.

DILG targets delivery truck extortionists DEPARTMENT Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. on Tuesday vowed to go after the groups and individuals behind extortion activities victimizing truckers and delivery drivers in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

Abalos made the statement following a meeting with the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP) which complained that the extortionists were deliberately disregarding Executive Order No. 41, which lifts the collection of pass through fees for trucks and other vehicles transporting goods.

“It has been a fruitful meeting, and what everyone wants is (to fulfill) the order of our President, the ease of doing business, so that the delivery of our trucks will be direct here so that there will

be no problems,” Abalos said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. through the EO 41 issued last Sept.

25, ordered local government units (LGUs) to suspend the collection of “pass-through fees” to ensure the efficient movement of goods across regions aligned with the strategies to revitalize local industries under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

EO 41 also aims to lessen the expenses of truckers and hasten travel time, which would result in lower prices of goods in the market, especially food and agricultural products. Abalos said that daily operations will be initiated by the police to arrest and put behind bars individuals and groups that are involved in extortion activities victimizing truck drivers. Vince Lopez

VALENTINE PHOTOS. Mallgoers pose for a photo in between huge inflatable heart-shaped balloons on display at SM City Dasmariñas during Valentine’s Day. Norman Cruz

B1

OPINION

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024

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

So I See

Lito Banayo

Fake Pinoys

Making sense THE Senate hearings on “economic provisions” of the present Constitution, chaired temporarily by Senator Sonny Angara, is bringing some sense into the debate, even as its persistent champions from the HoR continue to nag their counterparts in the “smaller house” to speed up the process, in slavish deference to the “president’s wish.”

One of a few senators who always talks sense, Chiz Escudero has wondered why the invited resource persons to Angara’s hearings only express “opinions” instead of basing their arguments for economic amendments on solid research and real data.

Ed Francisco, president of BdO Capital, for one, said that foreign investors were not turned off by ownership limits but by the red tape and continuing corruption in our bureaucracy.

Francisco cited the renewable energy industry where it currently takes 167 signatures for a project to get approved. He complained the entire process of securing approval takes as long as five years.

—“—

Raffy Tulfo zeroes in on instances where ordinary folks are short-changed by government functionaries through the trio of malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance

I recall when we were crafting a 10-point action platform for presidential candidate Isko Moreno in the last campaign, resource persons we invited said as much, an example of process endurance that few investors would risk.

Through my years in public service, I have always wondered why government regulations and bureaucratic implementation seems to be premised on how to make things difficult for the public, instead of making it easier for them to conduct business.

Government auditing rules, for instance, make it so difficult to be service-effective and cost-efficient, while every agency wants to enhance their turf by making rules and regulations so tedious and often intended to make the public come across.

LGUs, with their clout enhanced by the Local Government Code that gave them their

IRAs and now the Mandanas ruling always assert their “power” down to the barangay level.

Then again, the areas identified by SP Migs Zubiri namely media, advertising and education, are not even capital-intensive nor necessary.

Those who can afford Oxford or Harvard will go to London and Boston, or even nearby Singapore, rather than enroll here.

Our creative advertising people need not be eclipsed by foreigners; they can always go into joint ventures to satisfy multinational clients.

Removing the economic restrictions in the present charter is not that urgent. It will not bring FDIs swarming into our economy as they do in Vietnam and Indonesia.

Instead, we just need to legislate less restrictions, make IRRs simpler and investorfriendly, get LGUs to interfere less, and cut corruption, from the lowest government units up to the top, including the judiciary.

The real problem is: masyadong maraming pakialamero sa gobyerno.

And if we are to revise the “out-dated” Charter, we had better start with making our politics saner, simpler and more cost-effective.

The less elected officials, the better, and the more front-line public servants, whether in health, education or law and order, and practically every facet of daily life, the more appreciated government will be by our people.

With the discredited PI now beyond repair, it is best for our legislators and the President himself, to call for a Constitutional Convention where the entire fundamental law can be properly debated and studied before a new draft is submitted to the people in plebiscite. *** Making sense as well is neophyte Raffy Tulfo’s eagle-eyed expose’s on corruption and bureaucratic incompetence.

Not for Tulfo are the more high-fallutin’ arguments pro and against the cha-cha.

Instead, he zeroes in on instances where ordinary folks are short-changed by government functionaries through the trio of malfeasance, misfeasance and non-feasance.

He exposed the strange conduct of PCSO’s lotto, the ticket to plenty that many of the masa pin their hopes into.

He even went into questioning the multibillion budget of the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, in getting rebels to surrender and reconcile with government by paying them a hundred thousand each without the corresponding number of firearms surrendered.

Doing the math, Tulfo asked why 26,112 decommissioned MILF combatants surrendered only 4,625 weapons to government, but got paid nonetheless, and while not accusing its head of corruption, he scored against both probable corruption and incompetence in the ranks.

This highly popular neophyte is being true to his avowed purpose for seeking public office, which is to be the “boses ng bayan,” articulating the common man’s complaints about an uber-expensive government with abusive and useless officials.

EVERYMAN

Hope for Bulacan Ecozone

By Melandrew T. Velasco THE government recognizes the role of the private sector in the country’s economic growth.

It is from the private sector that much needed investments originate.

Section 20, Article II of the Constitution stipulates “The State recognizes the indispensable role of the private sector, encourages private enterprise, and provides incentives to needed investments.”

The Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 was enacted to encourage the flow of investors into special economic zones, among others, defined by law as referring to selected areas with highly developed or which have the potential to be developed into agro-industrial, industrial tourist/recreational, commercial, banking, investment and financial centers.

It further states an Ecozone may contain any or all of the following: Industrial Estates, Export Processing Zones, Free Trade Zones, and Tourist/Recreational Centers.

Among the benefits generated from economic zones include transfer of knowledge and technology, employment opportunities, and tax revenues accruing to government treasury.

According to the Philippine Export Zone Authority, there are 419 economic zones in the country across all industries under the agency as of April 2023.

Of these 24 are agro-industrial economic zones, 297 information technology parks/ centers, 78 manufacturing economic zones, three medical tourism parks/center, and 17 tourism export enterprises.

Locators in economic zones enjoy both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives.

On his first day in office, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vetoed House Bill 7575, “An Act Establishing the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport.”

Bulacan is site of the New Manila International Airport being built by San Miguel Corporation.

By virtue of Republic Act 11506, SMC’s San Miguel Aerocity, Inc. was granted a franchise to construct, develop, establish, and maintain a domestic and international airport in Bulacan.

The P740 -billion New Manila International Airport project will be a world-class airport that will be developed in phases, with an initial capacity of 35 million passengers annually, and, upon completion, a target of 100 million passengers per year.

—“—

Among the benefits generated from economic zones include transfer of knowledge and technology, employment opportunities, and tax revenues accruing to government treasury

It will have a transportation infrastructure network to make it accessible from Metro Manila and provinces in Luzon.

The project will rise on an over 2,500-hectare property in Bulakan, Bulacan and will include various components such as airfield facilities, terminal building, airport and airline support facilities, access roads, parking

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H

OW do you detect foreign nationals, said to be mostly from China, who were able to obtain Philippine passports through devious means?

fraudulent documents.

Foreign nationals posing as Filipinos manage to get genuine PSA birth certificates because they can file for late registration of birth at the local civil registrar’s office.

—“—

Foreign nationals posing as Filipinos manage to get genuine PSA birth certificates because they can file for late registration of birth at the local civil registrar’s office

The Department of Foreign Affairs has resorted to an ingenious way to catch those suspected of having fraudulently acquired Philippine passports by presenting genuine birth certificates from the Philippine Statistics Authority and government-issued identification cards.

How? By asking them trivia questions from local show business.

The DFA Office of Consular Affairs says since some of the suspected impostors can speak Filipino, their front-liners have devised their own methods to find out whether applicants are really Filipino as their documents claim.

They ask those foreigners applying for new passports or renewing expired ones such questions as “Who is the Superstar’s love team partner?” “Name one of the Megastar’s songs.” “Who is the Star for All Seasons?”

These questions, the DFA said, are not likely to be answered at all by those suspected of having obtained

The DFA has therefore begun to actively engage with law enforcement agencies, such as the Bureau of Immigration and the National Bureau of Investigation, to file criminal charges against the foreigners.

The DFA is on the right track in plugging the cracks in the system so that they can keep the situation from going from bad to worse.

The DFA believes, for instance,

Duty Calls

Florencio Fianza

No need for a traffic czar

IS THERE really a need for a traffic czar to do something about the worsening Metro Manila traffic? Aside from this paper, another broadsheet daily broached the same suggestion a couple of weeks ago. The word czar denotes immense power and authority.

This is why it is always used when we want a particularly difficult problem to be solved by someone with broad powers so that, presumably, that person can cut thru government red tape and get things done.

We have had a rice czar, a drug czar.

I was once upon a time referred to as a traffic czar when given the job to manage traffic in the Metro area by then President F.V. Ramos.

I hated the title because it didn’t really carry much authority.

My own take on this is that there is no need. Why? Because even if a traffic czar is appointed with all the powers to move mountains if he or she does not understand what traffic is all about, it is not going to improve travel time.

I can understand the frustration of the Management Association of the Philippines because traffic congestion causes many problems.

Health, environment and lost productivity are just a few of those problems.

What MAP should do is help look for someone who understands what traffic is all about and then recommend his appointment to the appointing authority.

MAP must bear in mind, however, that traffic management is an engineering discipline.

For the problem at hand, it is safer to bet on someone who understands traffic.

Unfortunately, our appointing authorities always seem to prefer choosing people from other disciplines except the ones who understand the complicated interactions between transportation and land use.

That folks is actually the simple reason why instead of the problem improving, it is

worsening.

We have heard many proposals on how to improve traffic.

But the first requirement for any traffic manager is to understand what the problem is before trying to solve it.

That sounds simple.

But on the ground, it’s a complicated problem to untangle.

facilities, utilities, airport city, and other ancillary facilities.

It will easily be accessible from Metro Manila and Luzon provinces via a master planned infrastructure network.

When President Marcos Jr. vetoed the bill, SMC President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang remained optimistic the economic zone could still be realized and stimulate the country’s economic growth. ““We respect and abide by the government’s decision. We thank him for recognizing where the proposed Freeport bill can be further improved, and we look forward to working with his administration towards perfecting this. We are eager to continue working with government, and play an active role in helping our country reach its goals — as we have faithfully and consistently done,” RSA said.

Despite the decision to veto House Bill 7575, it was reported that President Marcos Jr. fully supports the creation of the Bulacan Ecozone.

Among others, the President’s veto message said the bill “lacks coherence with existing

laws, rules, and regulations.” The bill would also have created the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport Authority, similar to existing investments promotion agencies, to manage and operate the Bulacan economic zone.

Aside from PEZA, other investment promotion agencies created by law in charge of promoting investments, administering tax and non-tax incentives, and/or overseeing the operations of the different economic zones and free ports include the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Clark Development Corporation, Bataan Technology Park, Inc., and Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, among others.

There is hope the Bulacan Ecozone will soon become a reality with the refiling of Senate Bill 2266 by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Last Jan. 31, Senator Grace Poe, chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, presided over the public hearing on bills establishing the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport where government agencies,

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

—“—

Limiting private car ownership as advocates want is therefore unrealistic because there are plenty of trips that people make every day not serviced by public transport such as leisure

And we see that in the MMDA people who I am sure are trying their level best.

Unfortunately, they do not appear to completely fathom the depth of the problem and are therefore overwhelmed by it.

In all the recommended traffic solutions suggested by MAP and others in the last couple of weeks, no mention was made about other traffic related issues such as driver dis-

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

that it must be very expensive for foreigners to acquire genuine documents from PSA. Something fishy is going on in that agency that needs decisive action from the proper authorities.

At the main DFA consular office in Parañaque City, reports said, at least 58 Chinese nationals have been prevented from acquiring Philippine passports.

Several other consular offices around the country have reported similar attempts.

The recently convened Inter-Agency Committee on Passport Irregularities is investigating around 12 Philippine passport holders who are obviously foreigners.

Foreign nationals caught applying for Philippine passports have been blacklisted in the DFA database through their biometric information and can no longer apply in any consular office.

This is a correct response to what’s obviously an underhanded attempt to go around the rules.

Under Republic Act 8239, or the Philippine Passport Act of 1996, the penalty for making false statements in the passport application is imprisonment of between three years and 10 years, and a fine of between P15,000 and P60,000.

This law should be implemented to the letter.

cipline which constitutes a big chunk of the problem.

Look at all those infuriating habitual violators of the bus carousel regulations.

No mention was made either of what they are after so that we can judge if it is doable.

Is a five-minute drive from Quezon City to Makati the ambition?

Most of the suggestions were on infrastructure, efficient public transport system, less reliance on private cars and urban dispersal many of which are already happening but not as fast as we would want them to be.

There are currently infrastructure projects in progress.

Unfortunately, these projects have long gestation periods.

On urban dispersal, however, we are actually seeing good progress led by private developers.

Almost all of the many housing developments are now located outside of the metro area, reason why private vehicle sales are rapidly increasing.

With this expansion, business and commercials centers will follow, thereby decreasing trips to the current traffic generating business centers.

Limiting private car ownership as advocates want is therefore unrealistic because there are plenty of trips that people make every day not serviced by public transport such as leisure.

Besides, car ownership is a kind of status symbol of having arrived and no one wants to miss the boat and, therefore, difficult to stop.

In the final analysis, we have to state clearly what we consider as Promised Land.

Would a five- or seven-minute improvement in the average travel from 25 minutes plus to 20 or 18 minutes per 10 kilometers in the whole metro area satisfactory to everyone?

If so, solving the problem is still doable.

We just have to find the right people to do it.

communities and other stakeholders were asked for recommendations to address concerns over the proposal.

As filed, the bill now includes safeguards and provisions to address the concerns raised

by President Marcos in vetoing House Bill 7575.

The proposed economic zone is envisioned to attract world-class semiconductor manufacturers, battery power storage system manufacturers, electric vehicle makers and other new and emerging tech industries.

The ecozone is expected to add $200 billion in annual Philippine exports over the next decade.

The measure will propel Bulacan to be the next growth area for ecozones especially now that our economic prospects are brighter.

(The author is president and executive director of the Million Trees Foundation Inc., a non-profit group advocating tree planting and watershed protection. He is also a book writer and publisher of biographical and coffee table books.)

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

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

B2

WORLD

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

CLEAR FRONTRUNNNER.

Ukraine’s new army chief visits front line, says area ‘stressful’ KYIV, Ukraine – Newly appointed Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Wednesday the situation on the front line was precarious, following a visit to eastern Ukraine with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

Russian forces over recent months have been pushing to capture the eastern industrial hub of Avdiivka, and have been claiming incremental gains in the costly battle.

“The operational environment is extremely complex and stressful. The Russian occupiers continue to increase their efforts and have a numerical advantage in personnel,” Syrsky said in a statement on social media.

“We are doing everything possible to prevent the enemy from advancing deep into our territory and to hold the occupied positions,” he added.

Avdiivka lies in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, which has seen the worst fighting of Russian’s nearly two-year invasion and is claimed by the Kremlin to be part of Russia.

Syrsky said he and Umerov had also visited Ukrainian forces further north, near the town of Kupiansk, where Russian troops have been pressing Ukraine’s positions. AFP

Job Vacancy

Job Title: Customer Service Associate Vacant Position: 10

Qualifications: • 1 – 2 years experience in customer service.

• College graduate • Experience with an online booking system.

• Experience in the Travel or hospitality (Hotel) industry.

• Fluent in Chinese Mandarin and English (verbal and written) • 35 WPM Typing • Ability to use MS Office applications including Excel, Word, Outlook • Can operate computer in Chinese Mandarin Characters Submit your applications thru email at MNLHumanResources@webbeds.com DOTW SHARED SERVICES, INC. CityNet 1 – Unit G10, 183 EDSA, Barangay Wack-wack, Mandaluyong City, Philippines 1555

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (right) and his wife Iriana – among 205 million qualified voters – cast their ballot during the presidential and legislative elections at a polling station at the State Administration Agency in Jakarta on Wednesday. The 72-year-old Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto is the clear favorite after a campaign mixing populist rhetoric with pledges to continue the policies of Widodo, who has presided over steady economic growth but reached the Constitutional twoterm limit. AFP

Subianto favorite for presidency

J

AKARTA – Counting was underway in Indonesia Wednesday after millions of people voted for a new president, with DefenSe Minister Prabowo Subianto the frontrunner to lead Southeast Asia’s biggest economy despite concerns over his human rights record.

Polls project Subianto -- a military chief during the Suharto dictatorship a generation ago -- to secure a maJob Vacancy jority and replace popular outgoing president Joko Widodo, who observers claim indirectly supported his campaign.

Job Title: Data Entry Associate Vacant Position: 3

The 72-year-old is the clear favourite after a campaign mixing populist rhetoric with pledges to continue the policies of Widodo, who has presided over steady economic growth but reached the constitutional two-term limit.

“The hope is to win,” Subianto told reporters before voting in the city of Bogor.

Nearly 205 million people were eligible to vote for Subianto or his rivals -- former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan and former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo -- in what is just the fifth presidential election since the end of Suharto’s dictatorship in 1998.

Polls opened at 7:00 am (2200 GMT Tuesday) in the easternmost region of Papua and closed at 01:00 pm (0600 GMT) at the other end of the country in

Indian police blockade Delhi from protesters

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• Good knowledge of MS Word, Excel, Office & Outlook.

• Good English skills (verbal and written) Submit your applications thru email at MNLHumanResources@webbeds.com DOTW SHARED SERVICES, INC. CityNet 1 – Unit G10, 183 EDSA, Barangay Wack-wack, Mandaluyong City, Philippines 1555

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT & EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF MANDALUYONG CITY Email: rtc1mdlocc@judiciary.gov.ph Hotline: 639952598147/82876702 BDO UNIBANK, INC., Mortgagee, -versus-

FRE-MC24-1749 EXTRA-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE UNDER ACT 3135 AS AMENDED BY ACT 4118

SPOUSES KAYE ANN ROCES CASILANG and ARVIN GAASIS CASILANG and SPOUSES ELIZABETH DELA CRUZ ROCES and AVELINO LUSTADO ROCES, Debtors/Mortgagors. x-------------------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE Upon Extra-Judicial petition for sale under Act 3135 as amended by Act 4118 filed by BDO UNIBANK, INC., Mortgagee, against SPOUSES KAYE ANN ROCES CASILANG and ARVIN GAASIS CASILANG and SPOUSES ELIZABETH DELA CRUZ ROCES and AVELINO LUSTADO ROCES, with postal address/ es at: (1) Unit 2903, Tower 2, Light Residences, EDSA corner Madison St., Barangay Barangka Ilaya, Mandaluyong City and (2) 339 A and V Subdivision, Barangay Panginay, Balagtas Bulacan 3016, to secure the payment and all other obligation which as of December 27, 2023, amounts to SEVEN MILLION TWO HUNDRED NINETEEN THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY SIX PESOS & 98/100 (Php 7,219,786.98) ONLY, Philippine Currency, including interest, penalties and expenses incidental thereto (Subject Obligation), the Ex-Officio Sheriff of Mandaluyong City or his duly authorized deputy will sell at PUBIC AUCTION to the HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH OR MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency on the 1st day of March 2024 at 9:00 o’clock in the morning or soon thereafter but not later than 12:00 o’clock in the afternoon at the main entrance of Mandaluyong City Hall, Maysilo Circle, Mandaluyong City, the Condominium unit together with all the improvements existing thereon to wit: CONDOMINIUM CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. -008-2019007854Registry of Deeds – City of Mandaluyong IT IS HEREBY CERTIFIED that the unit identified and described as: TOWER UNIT UNIT TYPE TOTAL AREA

: : : :

TOWER 2 2903 1-BEDROOM UNIT W/BALCONY 27.74

OF THE “LIGHT RESIDENCES” CONDOMINIUM PROJECT In the diagrammatic floor plan appended to the enabling or master deed of the condominium project annotated on TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE 2014 000439; 24843 which embraces and describes the land located at MANDALUYONG CITY with an area of NINETEEN THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY TWO SQUARE METERS AND FIFTY SQUARE DECIMETERS (19,422.50) Square Meter more or less xxxxx “ All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above stated time and date.”

“In the event the public auction should not take place on the said dater, it shall be held on March 8, 2024 at the same time and place without further notice.”

Prospective bidders or buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title of the said real property and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Mandaluyong City, Philippines, January 27, 2024.

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF By: (Sgd.) LUCY LILIBETH A. ALCABA Sheriff IV Copy furnished: BDO UNIBANK, INC. RISK MANAGEMENT GROUP-REMEDIAL MANAGEMENT UNIT 11th Floor, BDO Towers Valero (formerly Citibank Tower), 8741 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City SPS. KAYE ANN R. CASILANG and ARVIN G. CASILANG, SPS. ELIZABETH D. ROCES and AVELINO L. ROCES Unit 2903 Tower 2, Light Residences, EDSA cor. Madison St., Brgy. Barangka Ilaya, Mandaluyong City / #339 A & V Subdivision, Barangay Panginay, Balagtas, Bulacan 3016 WARNING: It is absolutely prohibited to remove, deface or destroy this Notice of Sheriff’s Sale on or before the date of Auction Sale under Penalty of the law.

(MStandard - Feb. 1, 8 & 15, 2024)

RACE FOR CEASEFIRE. A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency shows Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (center) meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani (center-left) at Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo, on Tuesday. Mediators are racing to secure a pause to the fighting before Israel proceeds with a full-scale ground incursion into the Gaza Strip’s far-southern city of Rafah, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians are trapped. AFP

Families of hostages head to ICC vs. Hamas as displaced Gazans brace for Israeli assault JERUSALEM – About 100 representatives of Gaza hostages flew to The Hague Wednesday to file a “crimes against humanity” complaint at the International Criminal Court against Hamas.

Palestinian militants led by Hamas abducted around 250 hostages during their attack on Israel on October 7, of which some 130 are still held captive in Gaza, according to Israeli officials.

Twenty-nine of them are believed to be dead.

“This is not just our story. If we don’t stop this, tomorrow it will be the story of the entire world,” said Ofri Bibas, whose brother is one of the captives held in Gaza.

“The entire human race must stand together against a global terror army, of which Hamas is just one unit on its

mission,” she said, minutes before she boarded a flight for The Hague.

Haim Rubinstein from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the campaign group will file a case against Hamas leaders at the ICC. “We are the families of the hostages who have gone through and are still going through this terrible hell,” Rubinstein said in a televised briefing from Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv.

“We will file charges against Hamas members and their collaborators and ensure that they pay the heaviest price for the crimes against humanity that they continue to commit.”

In related developments, negotiations to pause the Israel-Hamas war and free the remaining hostages headed into a second day in Cairo on Wednesday, as displaced Gazans

jungle-clad Sumatra.

A logistical feat involving more than 800,000 polling stations and 20,000 seats up for grabs saw planes, helicopters, speedboats and even cows used to cart ballots around the sprawling archipelago of nearly 280 million people.

In Papua’s Timika city, officials inspected makeshift polling stations built from logs, metal sheets and palm leaves as voters arrived to eye candidate lists.

In the capital Jakarta, a thunderstorm deluged 34 polling stations, according to the city’s disaster mitigation agency. AFP

braced for an expected Israeli assault on their last refuge of Rafah.

A Hamas source told AFP that a delegation was headed to the Egyptian capital to meet Egyptian and Qatari mediators, after Israeli negotiators held talks with the mediators on Tuesday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an outspoken critic of Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war, was also due in Cairo Wednesday for talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

CIA Director William Burns had joined Tuesday’s talks with David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service, which Egyptian media said had been mostly “positive”.

US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby described the negotiations as “constructive and moving in the right direction”. AFP

SHAMBHU, India – Indian riot police fired tear gas Wednesday at columns of farmers on tractors seeking to breach heavily guarded roadblocks and march on the capital to demand guaranteed crop prices.

Farmers in India this week launched the “Delhi Chalo”, or “March to Delhi”, in an echo of January 2021, when they broke through barriers and rolled into New Delhi on Republic Day during a then yearlong protest.

But this time around, the lines of hundreds of tractors have been stalled by fearsome barricades of concrete blocks and lines of razor wire.

The farmers are demanding a law to fix a minimum price for their crops, in addition to a clutch of other concessions including waiving loans.

Tear gas was fired at Shambhu, about 200 kilometers north of the capital on the border between Punjab and Haryana states where the main group of farmers has been stopped, AFP reporters at the scene said.

“The police are treating us as if we have come from an enemy country,” said Mohan Singh, a 65-year-old farmer from Punjab’s Kapurthala district, some 415 kilometers by road from Delhi.

“All we want to do is go to Delhi and ask for our rights, but more than 150 of us have been injured.”

Haryana state police said in a statement Tuesday night that “heavy stones” were hurled at police and 24 officers had been hurt.

Farmers in India have political influence due to their sheer numbers, and the renewed protests come ahead of national elections likely to begin in April. AFP

Storms knock out power to 174,000 homes, businesses in east Australia MELBOURNE, Australia – Storms packing powerful winds toppled trees, killed one person and knocked out power to 174,000 homes and businesses in eastern Australia, officials said Wednesday.

The wild weather hit large swathes of Victoria on Tuesday, dumping torrents of rain and unleashing gusts of more than 150 kilometers per hour, the state government and emergency services said.

A 50-year-old man was killed in the storm, dying on the scene after being struck by debris while working on his property in Darlimurla, southeast of Melbourne, Victoria police said in a statement.

The winds also fanned bushfires in the Grampians region west of

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Melbourne, burning an unknown number of homes in one small town, the state’s Country Fire Authority said.

At its peak, 530,000 homes and businesses lost power, the Australian Energy Market Operator said in an update.

About 174,000 were still cut off on Wednesday afternoon, it said.

“Given the extent of the widespread damage, it may take days if not weeks to restore electricity to all of those impacted,” the authority said.

The winds tore off roofs, uprooted trees and flattened electricity pylons, according to media reports and images shared on social media. AFP

BRILLIANT FUN. Kids make a snowman outside a house in Tappan, New York,

on Wednesday. Millions of people in the northeastern US were engulfed by snow as a powerful winter storm battered the region causing flight cancellations and closing schools.

Making a snowman is brilliant fun for children and allows them to express themselves in play, creatively and freely, without being bound by pre-set limitations. AFP

BUSINESS

B3 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024

extrastory2000@gmail.com

Cebu Landmasters obtains approval for P5-b share offering

By Jenniffer B. Austria

P

STOCKHOLDERS MEETING. Businessman Leo Rey Yanson (center) is re-elected chairman and president of Rural Transit (Mindanao) Inc. (RTMI) during the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting on Feb. 14, 2024. With him are re-elected officers and directors (from left) Anita Chua and Daniel Nicolas Golez. RTMI’s board of directors also includes Olivia Yanson (corporate secretary), Charles Dumancas and Rey Ardo. The re-elected RTMI president assured the public that despite the operational challenges, the company remains strong and resilient. RTMI services major bus routes in Northern and Central Mindanao. It belongs to the Yanson Group of Bus Companies, the largest bus conglomerate in the country.

Globe Telecom activates PDSCN Express Route Manila

By Darwin G. Amojelar GLOBE Telecom said Wednesday it activated a key segment of the Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network (PDSCN), connecting Luzon to Mindanao, marking a significant step towards providing inclusive and reliable internet access across the Philippines.

Globe’s segment in the PDSCN Express Route was lit up on Feb. 5, covering Lucena City, Quezon; Boac, Marinduque; Calatrava, Tablas Island, Romblon; Roxas City, Capiz; Placer, Masbate; Palompon, Leyte; Mactan, Cebu; Talisay City, Cebu; Tagbilaran City, Bohol; and Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental.

“The activation of the PDSCN Express Route marks another milestone in our journey towards providing inclusive connectivity

Standard across the archipelago, TODAY especially in underserved and unserved areas,” said Globe senior vice president and head of network planning and engineering Joel Agustin.

“It will also enhance the reliability and resilience of our network given the country’s vulnerability to disasters and calamities,” she said.

Agustin said Globe also completed 90 percent of cable landing stations across the archipelago under the $150-million subsea cable project.

Cable landing stations are crucial landing points for undersea fiber-optic cables, which transmit vast amounts of internet data across oceans.

“The wet segment was finished as scheduled last year. Our focus now is connecting our inland facilities. So far, we have completed 90 percent, and we are completing the rest by this year,” he said.

PDSCN, Globe’s fourth domestic submarine backbone, will help boost connectivity to improve customer experience for both household and business clients. It comes as a crucial addition to Globe’s network infrastructure amid increasing connectivity needs, and will serve to minimize service downtime, help ensure business continuity, and improve network security and overall efficiency.

A joint project of Globe, Eastern Communications and InfiniVAN Inc., PDSCN covers a total cable distance of 2,500 kilometers, the longest of its kind in the country.

It kicked off in Subic Bay, Zambales in July 2022 and laid cables in 24 segments with a total 33 landing sites connecting Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Phase-down of fossil fuels not enough to stop global warming —“—

Out in the Open Ray S. Eñano

A large cloud of dust still hovers over the road to greener energy.

ROPERTY developer Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) said Wednesday it obtained shareholders’ approval for the planned P5-billion preferred shares offering.

CLI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its shareholders approved during a recent meeting the company’s planned offering of up to 3 million Series “A” preferred shares, with an oversubscription option for another 2 million preferred shares.

The preferred shares will be issued at P1,000 each.

Shareholders also authorized the company’s board of directors to finalize the other terms of the offering.

The offer shares are redeemable starting on the fourth anniversary of the issue date.

CLI filed a registration statement for the planned offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

It plans to use the proceeds from the transaction to fund corporate requirements.

CLI provides housing needs to the high-end, middle, economic and socialized housing segments.

As of Dec. 31, 2023, it had nearly 100 projects in various stages of construction.

The projects are located in different areas of Cebu, Bohol, Misamis

CYAN A photo of affordable housing with complete amenities along Danao’s main Highway.

Oriental, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental and Davao.

From a single residential project in 2003, the company has diversified its product portfolio to residential, office, hotel, retail and estates.

CLI recorded a 9-percent increase in net income to P2.4 billion in the first three quarters of 2023 from P2.2 billion a year ago on the back of higher revenues across its business segments.

MAYA BANK, INC.

Published Balance Sheet Amounts in Philippine Pesos as of December 31, 2023

ASSETS Cash and Cash Items Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Due from Other Central Banks and Banks - Net Debt Securities at Amortized Cost - Net Total Loan Portfolio - Net Loans and Receivables - Others Loans and Receivables Arising from RA/CA/PR/SLB Total Loan Portfolio (TLP) - Gross Allowance for Credit Losses Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture and Equipment - Net Other Assets - Net TOTAL ASSETS

Current Quarter 0.00 4,048,308,888.15 799,610,291.74 17,833,068,583.26 4,292,874,811.17 2,959,918,918.67 1,817,305,277 4,777,224,195.67 484,349,384.5 44,010,109.15 1,062,939,642.61 28,080,812,326.08

Previous Quarter 0.00 1,539,679,177.39 3,483,652.59 17,333,541,926.66 6,738,194,469.9 2,477,036,776.44 4,900,000,000 7,377,036,776.44 638,842.306.54 44,448,441.93 962,410,984.99 26,621,758,653.46

24,810,801,806.52 687,148,801.37 25,497,950,607.89

23,515,234,855.41 495,310,172.83 24,010,545,028.24

4,200,000,000.00 -880,885,031.60 -736,387,647.96 134,397.75 2,582,861,718.19 28,080,812,326.08

4,000,000,000.00 -652,599,359.32 -736,387,647.96 200,632.50 2,611,213,625.22 26,621,758,653.46

1,547,720,019.38 1,547,720,019.38

1,526,667,035.99 1,526,667,035.99

4.27 0.57 237.41 1,785.14

5.29 0.40 163.85 2,185.40

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

5,351.02 638.84

2,102.03 888.69

-43.25 -3.56 7.20

-46.10 -3.61 6.48

53.08 53.08 53.80

80.72 80.72 81.47

6.62

7.49

LIABILITIES

THE closing discussions of the UN Climate Change Conference, or COP28, at Expo City in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in December fueled much debate on the wording of the roadmap for “transitioning away from fossil fuels.”

The deal stopped short of a long-demanded call for a “phaseout” of oil and coal fossil fuels, prompting outcry from climate-vulnerable nations and civil society.

The agreement omitted the word phaseout and opted for a mere phase-down of fossil fuels. One delegate pointed to the “hypocrisy of wealthy nations …that continue to expand fossil fuel operations massively while paying mere lip service to the green transition.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was naturally disappointed over the outcome of the agreement that merely called on nations to reduce “consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner.”

Guterres said limiting global heating to 1.5°C, one of the keystone targets set in the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, “will be impossible without the phaseout of all fossil fuels.” Much more, the UN chief says, is needed to deliver climate justice to those on the frontlines of the crisis.

“Many vulnerable countries are drowning in debt and at risk of drowning in rising seas. It is time for a surge in finance, including for adaptation, loss and damage and reform of the international financial architecture.”

He said the world cannot afford “delays, indecision, or half measures” and insisted that “multilateralism remains humanity’s best hope.” “It is essential to come together around real, practical and meaningful climate solutions that match the scale of the climate crisis.”

The Philippines appears to be playing it safe--at least that’s what one energy company is espousing. Aboitiz Power Corp., one of the country’s biggest generation companies, is supporting a “phase-down” instead of a “phaseout” approach on coal-fired power projects as part of the government’s energy transition program.

AboitizPower Thermal Business Group president and chief operating officer Celso Caballero III stressed the need for a pragmatic strategy that considers the context of developing nations like the Philippines.

“This more pragmatic strategy from the original ‘phaseout’ solution is increasingly cognizant of the needs of developing countries,” he said.

Caballero added Aboitiz Power is advocating for an energy transition that takes into account the financial and industrial aspects of developing nations.

“We wrestle to find the right balance in the energy trilemma—energy security, equity and sustainability,” he said, while stressing the need to always go back to the three-point scale in mapping the role of coal in the energy transition.

The national government, at least, is taking a different tack. It plans to retire or repurpose the 210-megawatt Mindanao coal-fired power plant in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental, the only remaining state-owned coal plant, by 2026 at a cost of $476 million. The Department of Energy (DOE) is mulling over an option to include it in the Asian Development Bank’s energy transition mechanism (ETM).

DOE’s other option is the “potential bundling with assets needed for the replacement of power with clean energy for promoting energy transition.”

Global innovations in solar and wind technologies are expected to drive RE deployment in the Philippines further, as the government aims for a 35-percent RE share by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050.

Transitioning to renewable energy is the key to securing humanity’s survival, as “without renewables, there can be no future,” says Guterres.

A large cloud of dust still hovers over the road to greener energy. Fossil fuel subsidies remain one of the biggest financial barriers hampering the world’s transition to a cleaner energy.

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

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

Delaying the transition to green energy is not an option to buy time for nations experiencing extreme weather.

“It is essential to come together around real, practical and meaningful climate solutions that match the scale of the climate crisis,” says Guterres.

E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or extrastory2000@gmail.com

Deposit Liabilities Other Liabilities TOTAL LIABILITIES STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Capital Stock Undivided Profits Retained Earnings Other Capital Accounts TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS Commitments TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS OTHER INFORMATION ASSET QUALITY Gross Non-Performing Loans (NPL) Ratio Net NPL Ratio Gross NPL Coverage Ratio Net NPL Coverage Ratio RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS Ratio of Loans to Related Parties to gross TLP Ratio of Non-Performing Loans to Related Parties to Total Loans to Related Parties Ratio of DOSRI Loans to gross TLP Ratio of Non-Performing DOSRI Loans to Total Loans to DOSRI LIQUIDITY Liquidity Coverage Ratio Net Stable Funding Ratio PROFITABILITY Return on Equity Return on Assets Net Interest Margin CAPITAL ADEQUACY Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio Tier 1 Capital Ratio Capital Adequacy Ratio LEVERAGE Basel III Leverage Ratio

We hereby certify that all matters set forth in this Balance Sheet Report are true and correct to the best of our knowledge and belief

(Sgd) Jouela Traballo

(Sgd) Simeon Angelo Madrid

Chief Financial Officer

President

BUSINESS

B4

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024

extrastory2000@gmail.com RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ, Editor ALENA MAE S. FLORES, Asst. Editor

BPI bullish on economy amid easing inflation rate

By Jenniffer B. Austria BANK of the Philippine Islands (BPI) remains bullish on the economy this year as low inflation and easing interest rates could boost consumer spending, according to its top executive.

“People are talking about higher inflation in the second quarter, primarily because of base effects. But our forecast, internally, is that you’ll see a little bump in the second quarter, but that will again come down in the third quarter, which should give room for the BSP [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas] to cut rates,” said BPI president and chief executive Jose Teodoro Limcaoco.

Limcaoco noted the improving consumer confidence, “comforted by the fact that, for the most part, the rise in interest rates has stopped, and people are looking forward to falling interest rates by the second half of the year, so that bodes well for the economy.”

The bank is also starting to see strong growth on the consumption side.

“Our credit card book grew 38 percent. Our auto loan book grew 24 percent, and our total loan book grew 10 and a half percent for the year when we were expecting it to only grow 8 percent,” Limcaoco said.

BPI is also focused on moving its customer base to its mobile apps. The bank has about 11 million customers, but only over 6 million registered in its mobile app, with about 4.5 million of them considered active users.

“We plan to increase from 11 million to something quite significant, significantly higher than that by the end of this year,” he said.

MASSIVE BOOST. Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar (sixth from left) witnesses the turnover of check for an approved developmental loan from Pag-IBIG Fund headed by chief executive Marilene Acosta (fifth from left) to PCHC-CSE Builders Joint Venture Company Ltd. represented by Wilma Eisma (eighth from left). The turnover of almost P350 million will serve as a huge boost to the ongoing construction of the Palayan City Township Housing Project spearheaded by Mayor Viandrei Nicole Cuevas. The project is among the 36 Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program projects that are now in various stages of development and construction.

DOF updates fourth package of comprehensive tax reforms T

By Darwin G. Amojelar

HE Department of Finance (DOF) said Wednesday it presented a revised version of Package 4 of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP) to the Senate, focusing on streamlining passive income tax and financial products while minimizing revenue loss.

A priority measure of the Marcos administration, Package 4 seeks to encourage growth in key financial markets by simplifying the tax structure on passive income and on certain instruments and other financial products.

It was approved on third and final

reading by the House of Representatives on Nov. 14, 2022 and is being taken up in the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

Assistant Secretary Karlo Adriano of the DOF’s Fiscal Policy and Monitoring Group (FPMG) presented to the Senate the salient features of the

refined proposal, which aims to maintain the structure of some products and instruments while deferring the implementation of certain provisions by 2028 or when the government is expected to be in a better fiscal position.

Under Package 4, the interest income tax will be harmonized at 20 percent, while royalties will be maintained according to the existing tax code until 2027, subsequently harmonized and decreased to 15 percent in 2028.

Similarly, the dividend income tax will remain unchanged until 2027, with a proposed harmonization of 10 percent in 2028.

The stock transaction tax will gradually be reduced annually by 0.1 percent, from 0.6 percent to 0.1 percent in 2028.

Current taxes on financial transactions, including sales, agreements to sell, memoranda of sales, deliveries or transfer of shares or certificates of stocks will be maintained until 2027 and subsequently removed in 2028.

The same timeline applies to taxes on all bills of exchange or drafts.

Tax rates on bank checks, drafts, certificates of deposit not bearing interest and other instruments will remain unchanged, while those of life insurance policies will also see no adjustments.

TOURISM DATA. National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan (right) meets with Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco on Feb. 13, 2024 to discuss data related to tourism sector in the Philippines. Among the topics discussed are updates on the enhancement of Philippine Tourism Employment Data and the formula for the computation of direct and indirect employment in tourism-related sectors. The tourism sector is the second highest driver for economic growth in the first half of 2023.

BSP, Deutsche Bundesbank sign training accord THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said Wednesday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Deutsche Bundesbank, Germany’s central bank, to formalize their partnership on capacity building for the former’s personnel.

“For many years now, the Bundesbank has been the BSP’s strategic partner and has been supporting the BSP’s learning and development requirements through collaboration on technical programs, in-person seminars, online courses and study visits on benchmarking,” BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said.

“These have greatly contributed to productivity enhancements. I am delighted we now have this MOU,” he said.

Deutsche Bundesbank executive board member Burkhard Balz noted the existing

good and trusting cooperation between the Deutsche Bundesbank and the BSP and said he was looking forward to the enhancement of cooperation and bilateral projects.

Under the MOU, Germany’s central bank will carry out training services, consultation and advisory assistance for BSP personnel.

Deutsche Bundesbank experts have been conducting in-person or virtual capacitybuilding programs for BSP personnel since 2004.

Recent programs include the in-person training on “Credit Assessment and Analysis in the Central Bank’s Lending Operations” at the BSP head office in Manila in May 2023 and the online training on “Payment and Securities Settlement Systems” in October 2023. Darwin G. Amojelar

Survey shows strong local demand for OFWs

By Othel V. Campos A SURVEY shows a strong local demand for Filipino professionals with overseas experience as the Philippine job market gears up for significant salary increments and enticing bonuses in 2024.

The Robert Walters Global Salary Survey 2024 notes that the growth in business establishments will necessitate a shared demand for Filipino professionals with overseas experience in leadership roles.

“Another growing trend we’ve seen is companies sourcing for talent to fill leadership roles through our ‘Balik Bayan’ campaign, which connects companies with skilled Filipino professionals based abroad

with valuable, overseas work experience,” said Robert Walters Philippines director Alejandro Perez-Higuero.

The survey presents a comprehensive analysis of salary trends and recruitment patterns and the growing emphasis on compensatory benefits and the allure of overseas experience among employers seeking key leadership roles.

It says that with the growth of shared service centers and a substantial shift towards digitalization and commercial excellence, organizations are poised to offer substantial salary increases, potentially up to 30 percent for job movers, especially in sectors like technology and finance, where skilled professionals are in high demand.

SPORTS

C1

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024

RIERA U. MALLARI, Editor RANDY M. CALUAG, Asst. Editor

Cignal, Iloilo, VNS in PNVF Champions League semis CIGNAL HD, Iloilo and VNS Asereht are living up to expectations by advancing to the semifinals fromm their respective pools in the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Champions League.

The fancied HD Spikers secured the No. 1 seed in Pool A at 2-0 wonlost with a game left in their schedule while the D’Navigators went 3-0 in Pool B followed by the Griffins (21) following their big wins Tuesday night at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Joshua Umandal starred anew with 19 points on 15 hits, three blocks and an ace as Cignal drubbed PGJCPhilippine Navy, 25-15, 25-21, 27-25, to follow up on its opening-day win over College of Saint Benilde entering its last duel against the Savouge Spin Doctors.

The HD Spikers’ victory left Savouge Spin Doctors (1-1), Saint Benilde (1-1) and even winless Navy (02) scrambling for the last semifinals ticket from Pool A pending the key results of the final elimination playdate.

Iloilo and VNS Asereht bagged crucial victories to secure the two seats in Pool B of the PNVF men’s tournament backed by PLDT, Ayala Land, Nuvali, Cignal, One Sports, One Sports+, Mikasa, Senoh, Foton, Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine Sports Commission.

“We’re harnessing for the semifinals and as I said before, if we stay consistent, we’ll sail all the way to the final,” said Iloilo coach Rizalito Delmoro after an easy 25, 18, 25-22, 25-19 victory over Army.

John San Andres fired 17 points on 17 hits, Kyle Villamor had 11 and Jayvee Sumagsasay and Abdurasad Nursiddik added 10 each for the D’Navigators, who also swept Air Force and VNS for a perfect run without a single set lost so far.

VNS, after a tough loss to Iloilo in the opener, strung two victories none bigger than an exciting 25-17, 28-30, 25-21, 31-29 conquest of Air Force to barge into the semifinals.

Fil-Am striker Eddie Abasolo promises thriller in Bangkok FILIPINO-AMERICAN striking ace Eddie “Silky Smooth” Abasolo expects nothing but a barnburner when he returns to Lumpinee Boxing Stadium this week.

“Silky Smooth” will electrify the crowd when he takes on American compatriot Luke “The Chef” Lessei in a featherweight Muay Thai bout at ONE Fight Night 19: Haggerty vs.

Lobo this Saturday, 17 February, in Bangkok, Thailand.

Though the United States isn’t exactly known for its Muay Thai, both Abasolo and Lessei have emerged as the country’s two best fighters in “the art of eight limbs,” and they’re certainly looking to impress at the iconic arena.

“It means the world to me because for me, I don’t know how others may see it, but me and Luke are some of the top fighters in the U.S., and we just so happen to be in the same weight class and at the forefront of Muay Thai as far as the U.S. goes,” he said. “[We’re] showing the world that the U.S. has good, beautiful Muay Thai as well, not just being reckless.”

Though Abasolo lost his last fight, he certainly gained a lot of followers in Thailand. He pushed legendary Sitthichai “Killer Kid” Sitsongpeenong in a highly entertaining contest at ONE Friday Fights 22 last year.

That said, he’s certainly bringing a lot of experience from facing the alltime great to this match.

“I’m expecting to put on a show, and I’m expecting [Lessei] to bring it,” he said.

“Now I have a little bit more confidence knowing that I fought a good fight against the #2 fighter in the world, Sitthichai, a living legend. I gained a bit more confidence.”

But while he gained a ton of confidence facing and competing against a Thai legend, he’s not taking Lessei lightly, especially since “The Chef” also cooked up a solid debut against Jo Nattawut last year.

The Cignal HD spikers celebrate after securing the no. 1 seed in the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Champions League.

Baguio Heroes’ Wall of Fame pays Jawo tribute with unique sculpture

By Randy Caluag

B

AGUIO City is set to honor basketball legend Robert Jaworski through its distinctive addition to the Heroes’ Wall of Fame mural at the Baguio Athletic Bowl grandstand.

Jaworski, known for embodying the “never-say-die” spirit during his prolific career in the Philippine Basketball Association, has been selected as part of the final group of 81 athletes and sports figures to be recognized for their significant contributions to the country, Baguio City, and the Cordilleran region.

Born in Baguio on March 8, 1946, to an American father of Polish descent and a local Iloco-descendant mother, Jaworski later moved to Manila, where he began to forge his dreams.

He will be celebrated as a local hero due to the project’s criteria, which require individuals to either be born in the city or have it as their residence.

Instead of a mural painting, Jaworski’s tribute will feature a unique touch. Renowned local sculptor Ros-

imo has volunteered to craft a fourfoot, bas-relief sculpture of the iconic player-turned-senator.

Bas-relief, a two-dimensional art form where sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material, will be the medium for Jaworski’s sculpture.

Eduard “Kigao” Rosimo, a renowned local artist, who was recently awarded a grant by the National Commission of Culture and Arts, volunteered to do Jaworski’s sculpture. Rosimo did an exhibit named Reemergence of the Deities exhibit.

His works were earlier put on display at the gallery of National Artist for Film Kidlat Tahimik.

Inspired by the PBA logo, which features the “Big J” in his signature barreling drive, the sculpture aims to capture the essence of Jaworski’s in-

Baguio-based artist Rosimo works on Robert Jaworski’s sculpture.

Pigeon Lobien

domitable spirit on the court.

One of the project’s prime movers, Pigeon Lobien, said they will invite Jaworski’s family to grace the unveiling in March, as Jaworski is believed

to be in sickbed.

In 2021, Jaworski’s family declared that the cager-turned-senator was suffering from a rare blood disease that greatly debilitated his health.

There was no further announcement from the family since then.

Other basketball luminaries sharing the honor with Jaworski, include PBA draftees Romualdo Cabading and Florendo Ritualo Sr., Benedict Fernandez III, who left the PBA to establish a famous pizzeria in Baguio City, and Ateneo players Gerardo Verzosa and center Douglas Kramer.

The Philippine Postal Corp. also honored Jaworski with limited edition stamps last year in celebration of the 75th year of the Philippines’ first stamp.

Gladys Labsan then joined the painting efforts, working on the image of former Olympians Hector Begeo and Gerry Dino, boxing Tam, and javelin queen Erlinda Labandia.

The culmination of the Heroes Mural Project, a four-year endeavor initiated by Publications and Media Works (e-Pub) during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, is scheduled for late March.

PVL to open season with new teams, new faces THE much-anticipated Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference is set to commence on Tuesday, February 20, promising an exciting season of intense competition among twelve formidable teams.

PVL President Richard Palou expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming season, stating, “The 12team field for this season is as strong as ever, and we’re thrilled to witness the extraordinary talent and competition that each team brings to the court.”

This season welcomes two new additions to the league, Capital1 and Strong Group, who join the ranks of defending champion Creamline, Akari, Choco Mucho, Cignal, Farm Fresh, Galeries, Nxled, Petro Gazz, and PLDT. The opening day will feature Petro Gazz facing off against newcomer

Strong Group at 4:00 p.m., followed

by Chery Tiggo taking on Capital1 at 6:00 p.m. The action-packed opening day will unfold at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Games are scheduled every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with teams battling it out in a round-robin format throughout the preliminary round from February 20 to April 27.

The semifinal round will follow suit, featuring a round-robin format among the top four teams, with the top two teams advancing to the bestof-three finals.

PVL games will be broadcasted on free-to-air on One Sports, in HD on One Sports+, and streamed on the league’s official website PVL.ph. Additionally, the games will be available live and on-demand on the Pilipinas Live app, ensuring a wide-reaching coverage for fans both locally and in-

ternationally. It will also be aired on the new free-to-air channel – RPTV. Sienna G. Olaso, First Vice President Channela and Content Management at Cignal TV remarked, “The PVL is not just a league; it’s a spectacle that will air for every Filipino all over the world. Pilipinas Live will bring unprecedented coverage of the games, providing fans with an immersive experience and showcasing the top talents that the league has to offer. And I’m not just talking about the games – but also all of our additional volleyball content that fans can only get on our app.”

As the PVL All-Filipino Conference unfolds, fans can expect thrilling matches, fierce competition, and moments of sportsmanship that make the Premier Volleyball League the heart of volleyball.

Ricky Palou

Gemao joins NBA’s Basketball Without Borders camp

By Peter Atencio

Andy Gemao

ANDY Gemao, last season’s finals’ MVP in the junior division of the National Collegiate Athletic Assocation, is set to join the 8th Basketball Without Borders Global camp.

Gemao, one of the top secondary basketball prospects, is among the 40 prospects in the camp, which is a part of the NBA All-Star 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The 6’0” Gemao, one of the key players, who led the Letran Squires to the season 98 junior plum, is included in the workshop, set from

February 16 to 18 at the Mojo Up Sports Complex.

The lone Filipino cager in junior basketball masterclass will join young aspirants from Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

Organizers said in a statement at the camp, will have the selected players “participate in athletic testing, movement efficiency, skill development stations, shooting and skills competitions, life skills seminars and 5-on-5 games.”

All these activities will be done under the guidance of current and former NBA and WNBA players, legends and coaches, including Joa-

kim Noah and Detlef Schrempf, they said.

Members of the NBA Coaching Development Program are also among the coaches.

They are four-time WNBA champion Cynthia Cooper, former NBA players Joey Dorsey and Flip Murray, former NBA G League player Wayne Blackshear, and Seattle Storm assistant coach and former WNBA player Ebony Hoffman These former players are looking to transition into the coaching ranks and further deepen the pipeline of coaching talent across leagues, added camp officials.

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SPORTS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024

US singersongwriter Taylor Swift walks off the field after the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

AFP

Super Bowl LVIII draws record 123M US viewers N

EW YORK —A record 123.4 million people tuned in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s Super Bowl -with the added attraction of an Usher-headlined halftime show and the attention-stealing presence of Taylor Swift.

Chief’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes found Mecole Hardman in the end zone deep into overtime to seal a dramatic 25-22 win in what was also the longest Super Bowl game in history.

The victory makes Kansas City the first team to win back-to-back Lombardi Trophies since the New England Patriots in 2003-2004, cementing the franchise’s right to be regarded as the NFL’s newest dynasty.

CBS parent company Paramount said in a statement that a total audience of 123.4 million across all plat-

forms made it the “most-watched telecast in history” -- up seven percent from last year’s game.

Paramount said 120 million people watched the NFL championship game on CBS alone, a record for a single US network.

The viewership total came in just behind that of the Apollo 11 mission’s 1969 lunar landing, which was seen by up to 150 million in the United States across the country’s three television networks at the time.

Sunday’s Super Bowl viewership was boosted by a confluence of

non-sporting star power, with Usher leading an all-star cast that included Ludacris, Alicia Keys and Jermaine Dupri for the halftime show.

Slow jam king Usher held his own as he captured the magic of his late-1990s, early-aughts fame with a 13-minute, career-spanning medley including hits like “Love In This Club” and “OMG.” But pop superstar Taylor Swift didn’t sing a word and was still the night’s most-watched fan as she cheered on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, from a luxury box with a coterie of famous friends including the rapper Ice Spice.

Swift’s relationship with charismatic star Kelce has been a boon to television ratings, her every move offering headline fodder.

The “You Belong With Me” and “Anti Hero” singer’s attendance at Chief’s games has attracted many of

Swift’s younger, largely female fans -- helping widen NFL viewership to a new demographic.

Beyonce was also in the stadium Sunday with her hip-hop mogul husband Jay-Z -- and announced a new album during a commercial she did with telecoms giant Verizon, in which she repeatedly tries to “break the internet.”

While the Super Bowl broke TV records in the United States, it is dwarfed by global viewership numbers for events including World Cup soccer finals, opening ceremonies for the Olympic Games, and the 1981 royal wedding of Charles and Diana.

The most recent World Cup Final, in which Argentina beat France in a penalty shootout in 2022, is estimated by FIFA to have been watched by nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide, across hundreds of channels. AFP

Ex-Blackwater player Amer signs with Road Warriors THE NLEX Road Warriors announced the addition of seasoned point guard Baser Amer to their roster on Monday evening, marking a significant move during the team’s four-day camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna.

Present at the signing held on Monday evening during the third day of the team’s four-day camp at Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna were key figures from the NLEX organization, including President Jose Luigi L. Bautista, Team Governor Ronald Dulatre, Team Manager Larry Fonacier, and Head Coach Frankie Lim. Amer, a nine-year veteran, joins the NLEX Road Warriors after recently parting ways with Blackwater early this month.

His addition to the NLEX roster not only

strengthens the team’s backcourt but also brings a sense of familiarity, as it marks a homecoming for Amer.

Amer expressed his excitement about returning to NLEX, stating, “Masaya ako na makasama sila Coach Frankie (Lim) at mga iba pang Bedista dito sa NLEX. Gagawin ko ang best ko para makuha namin ‘yung championship.”

Amer’s ties with NLEX go beyond this recent signing, as he previously played for the team in the PBA D-League, where he played a pivotal role in steering the Road Warriors to three championships.

The NLEX Road Warriors anticipate that Amer’s experience, skills, and commitment will contribute significantly to the team’s success in the upcoming PBA All-Filipino Conference.

Baser Amer

Asian Age Group swim in Tarlac now an Olympic qualifying tourney THE Philippines will be hosting one qualifying event for the coming Paris Olympics as the 11th Asian Age Group Championships now serve as qualifier to this year’s Summer Games in a development that added significant mileage to the Feb. 26 to March 9 event at the New Clark City Aquatics Center in Capas, Tarlac.

The good news was relayed by organizers of the tournament on Tuesday during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex led by Congressman Eric Buhain, secretary general of the Philippine Aquatics Inc. “Just two days ago, it has been declared na ‘yun pong tournament ay Olympic Qualifying event for Paris,” said Organizing Committee President and CEO Joseph ‘Jojit’ Alcazar, who joined COO Dave Carter and Buhain in the weekly session presented

by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, PLDT/ Smart, and ArenaPlus, the leading

Philippine Aquatics, Inc. secretary-general and Batangas First District Rep. Eric Buhain talk about the 11th Asian Age Group Championships set from Feb. 26 to March 9 at the New Clark City Aquatics Center in Capas, Tarlac. He is joined by local organizing committee officers Joseph ‘Jojit’ Alcazar (president and CEO) and Dave Carter (COO) during the PSA Forum at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

sports entertainment gateway in the Philippines.

Buhain added, “That also means there will be world-class swimmers coming in and doing their best to make the qualifying times for Paris.

So napakalaking opportunity ito to host and see these swimmers. Bi-

hirang-bihira na makakita tayo ng ganitong kalibreng mga atleta sa larangan ng aquatics na darating dito sa ating bansa.”

Around 1,300 athletes from 31 countries are expected to come over and compete in the four disciplines at stake, namely swimming, diving, ar-

tistic swimming, and water polo.

Buhain clarified though that only swimming serves as a qualifier to the Olympics.

Nonetheless, organizers see a possible surge in the number of entries and countries participating leading to the event following the decision to make the event an Olympic qualifier.

“Puwede pang lumobo ito dahil ngayon meron pang naghahabol na mapasali dito sa ating event,” said Alcazar.

A total of 44 swimmers – 22 boys and 22 girls – will comprise Team Philippines set to compete in the meet after being selected during the national tryouts held at the Teofilo Yldefonso swimming pool at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex late last year based on the World Aquatics qualifying points.

Southeast Asian Games record holder Xiandi Chua and gold medalist Chloe Isleta lead the country’s bid in the tournament.

Age-group events at stake are the 12-14, 15-17, and 18-and-above.

Red Bull Half Court returns with 3-on-3 Streetball meet RED Bull Half Court returns for another year, calling out to the best ballers for the ultimate 3-on-3 streetball showdown. This time the competition is set to be even more intense, as players from Luzon to Mindanao battle it out in the regional qualifiers in Manila, Cebu, and Davao to determine who will secure a spot in the world finals happening in one of basketball’s most celebrated spaces, and the mecca of streetball - New York City.

Red Bull Half Court: The Ultimate Playground of Streetball The games will be played under FIBA rules, with the first round in a pool play style and the following rounds in a knockout format.

Red Bull Half Court is all about getting buckets and playing highoctane offense with a unique Red Bull twist to the game: the Own the Court Score that is awarded to the team in each group that has scored the most points cumulatively across the games. The teams with the highest scores will advance for a chance for a spot in the National Finals.

“Basketball is an important part of the Filipino culture, and we believe that this tournament will provide a platform for young and aspiring ballers to showcase their skills and passion for the game, we are especially excited to continue expanding this year with our qualifiers in Davao, “ said Eric Altamirano, Red Bull Half Court Tournament Commissioner.

Carmelo Anthony

Taylor, Anthony to perform draws for Olympic cage tilts on March 19 MIES, Switzerland—The highly anticipated Olympic Basketball Tournaments Paris 2024 Draws for both men and women are scheduled for March 19 and will take place at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland, at 19:00 CET. International basketball legends Penny Taylor of Australia and Carmelo Anthony of the USA will perform as hosts for the Draws.

Taylor, the MVP of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2006 after leading the Opals to the title, claimed Olympic silver medals at the 2004 and 2008 Games. She also played at the 2016 Olympics when Australia were fifth. She was recently inducted to the 2023 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame.

Anthony is second on the all-time scoring list for the USA. He won gold medals at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics and bronze at the 2004 Athens Games.

With the conclusion of the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024 held in Belgium, Brazil, China, and Hungary, all 12 teams for the women’s draw are now confirmed: Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Spain and USA Eight of the 12 teams for the men’s tournament are already known: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Serbia, South Sudan and USA. France are qualified as hosts and the other nations have qualified at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

Slots in the men’s draw will also be reserved for the winners of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024 to be held from July 2nd to July 7th in Riga, Valencia, Piraeus, and San Juan.

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SHOWBIZ Jessy Mendiola, Luis Manzano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024

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

say ‘I do’ anew

By Nickie Wang

A

CTORS Luis Manzano and Jessy Mendiola are getting married again today, more than two years after they tied the knot via a civil ceremony in a luxury health and wellness resort in Batangas.

In an interview with Manila Standard Entertainment, the 31-year-old mother-of-one described the event as “intimate” and mentioned it was Luis’s idea to exchange vows again, this time in a church.

“He said, ‘I want you to have your wedding of your dreams, with your family and with the Lord.’ Because when we did our civil wedding in 2021, my family wasn’t there yet.”

Jessy is also excited that their daughter, Isabella Rose, will be able to participate in the ceremony.

“She’s a little bride, and I’m very excited. And she’s already walking, I hope she can walk down the aisle.”

Asked about the preparations, Jessy said that she’s just chill about it and lets the wedding planner handle everything.

“I’m a ‘bridechilla.’ I let my wedding coordinator, Amanda Tirol, do what they think is good for the wedding. Everything is coming together, so I’m just happy,” she added.

Jessy and Luis dated for five years before getting married in a civil wedding at The Farm in San Benito, Batangas, on Feb. 21, 2021.

Jessy gave birth to Isabella Rose on Dec. 28, 2022.

Our interview with Jessy took place on Feb. 3 during her first public appearance as a celebrity. She was introduced as the face of Beauty Bunny at the Watsons Health Expo 2024.

“Yes, I really missed it, especially this one,” she said, referring to the ambush interview

Kris Aquino makes ‘heartbreaking’ health update

By Abigail Adriatico KRIS Aquino has spoken up about her current health condition with talk show host Boy Abunda.

In yesterday’s episode of Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, Aquino revealed that her recent complete blood count (CBC) showed an alarming decrease in hemoglobin count.

“I fell to below 9. It is the first time na nag-8.7 ako.

In other words, kung nasa Pilipinas ako, binibigyan na sana ako ng blood transfusion,” the 53-year-old Aquino said via Zoom call.

The actress expressed her gratitude to those who had been praying for her recovery.

“Kanina kasi may nag-deliver ng pagkain dito, I was asleep pero may dala sila na mga prayer booklet. Ang laki ng community dito sa LA, and I barely go out but when my sons go out, they [get recognized],” said Aquino.

“At wala akong na-encounter na hindi nagsabi sa mga anak ko, sa mga kapatid ko, sa mga taong alam na kaibigan ko sila, na pinagdarasal nila [ako] at sabi nila, ‘kailangan siyang gumaling kasi meron pa kaming hinihintay sa kanya. Gusto pa namin siyang mapanood,” she said further.

Aquino asserted her desire to continue fighting her battle with her illnesses and promised to do so for those that have supported her long journey.

“Kailangang lumaban, hindi ko ipapahiya ang sarili ko sa inyo dahil binigyan niyo ako ng pinakamagandang regalo. ‘Yung pagmamahal niyo at suporta niyo, at ‘yung pagdarasal ninyo. Kasi wala naman akong nagawa para sa inyo pero kayo, sobra ‘yung binibigay niyo sa akin na lakas ‘cause I know na you’re praying for me and that’s biggest gift anyone can give,” the actress said.

Aquino also expressed how much she missed her siblings and how grateful she was for her friends who have supported her, noting that she was visited by singer Dingdong Avanzado last week.

“Malalaman mo kung sino talaga ‘yung mga totoo mong kaibigan dahil gagawa at gagawa talaga sila ng paraan,” she said.

Boy Abunda (left) visited his friend, Kris Aquino, in the United States in October 2023

SWEETER THE SECOND TIME AROUND. Today, Luis Manzano and Jessy Mendiola will

Jessy and Luis’ daughter, Isabella Rose, will be participating in the ceremony

exchange vows for the second time in a church wedding

with her.

According to Jessy, the supplement helps counteract nutritional and hormonal imbalances caused by stress. It contains biotin, which promotes healthy hair growth, Vitamin E for maintaining bright and supple skin, and Folic Acid for overall women’s health.

Touchbass

Yugel Losorata

“I’m glad that there are brands that truly trust me, and at the same time, these brands complement my commitment to self-care, holistic health, and inner beauty. It’s a perfect way to mark my showbiz comeback,” she stated, revealing her plans to return to acting after a few years on hiatus.

What The Beatles in ‘Ed Sullivan Show’ meant

IT WAS 60 years ago today, Ed performance to open the gates for Sullivan introduced the band to a British invasion through music, play. fashion, and philosophy.

Six decades had passed since The After The Ed Sullivan Show gig, Beatles performed on the classic The Beatles were a certified global TV program The Ed Sullivan Show, phenomenon. Credit to them that watched by over 73 million viewers they proved not to be a flash in the in the United States, then a record. pan. They would produce some of It was the ninth of February in New the greatest albums in pop history, York, 1964 - hailed as the year of along with a string of hit singles.

The Beatles, primarily because of They scored 20 number 1 songs that spectacle that impacted not just on the Billboard Hot 100, the the music scene, but the culture of most by any artist. an era. The world will never be the Three years after the groundsame. breaking appearance on American Global Phenomenon The Beatles’ final song, ‘Now and Then’ debuted on the Many future rock superstars TV, The Beatles performed on first spot on the Billboard Digital Song Sales would recall where they were when Our World, the first live global The Beatles first appeared on The television link, to be watched Ed Sullivan Show. by more than 400 million in 25 the popularity of The Beatles sounded like a If that moment in pop history had not countries. They were no longer just hoping to mere rumor that something was happening in happened, had The Beatles decided not to hold some hands. They were already telling that part of Europe. go to America because British acts prior to everyone that “All You Need Is Love,” the The Ed Sullivan Show presented them weren’t making it big in the land of song they sang and which became the anthem Beatlemania in full gear: Four good-looking Uncle Sam, rock ‘n roll wouldn’t have gotten of the counterculture they led by virtue of star gentlemen in their early 20s dressed and hair to where it is now. Guitar groups may have power and immense pure talent. combed the same. They got a number one faded as Dick Rowe, the executive of Decca The Beatles broke up in 1970. They released song, “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” and their Records who turned down the four young men a couple of reunion songs in the mid-90s, music was driving the teens, especially the - John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George without Lennon who was gunned down in girls, into delirium.

Harrison, and Ringo Starr - from Liverpool, 1980, and with the help of digital technology.

Apart from their breakthrough hit in England, confidently declared.

And then last year, 22 years after Harrison America, they sang four other songs that It was mainstream exposure being utilized passed away, they released “Now and Then,” night: “All My Loving,” “Till There Was in its full strength, spearheaded by the group’s dubbed “the last Beatles song” which became You,” “She Loves You,” “and “I Saw Her manager Brian Epstein who was right in their 35th Top Ten single on Billboard Hot Standing There.” predicting that the children of 2000 would 100. It also debuted at number one on the The Beatles did appear on the said show still listen to the music of his boys.

Billboard Digital Song Sales. multiple times, including one broadcast a Beatlemania was already in full swing in It all began that February day in America, week after which attracted as nearly as many Britain by 1963. But outside of their homeland, 1964. viewers. But they only needed that February 9

Promising soloist drops first single penned by OPM hitmaker

By Angelica Villanueva YOUNG singer Dindo Caraig is ready to make a big impact on the music scene with his debut single, “Kung Hindi Ikaw,” written by the renowned composer Vehnee Saturno, which has already gained attention for its heartfelt lyrics and captivating melody.

Vehnee Saturno, known for his long list of hits penned for OPM stars and singers, was impressed by Dindo’s vocals.

“The song suits his voice perfectly,” Saturno said. “Dindo has a unique range and quality that sets him apart,” said Vehnee.

On the other hand, Dindo describes recording a Vehnee Saturno song as a dream come true.

“I’ve always admired Vehnee’s music,” he said. “To have the chance to bring one of his songs to life is both exciting and humbling,”

Dindo shared.

Dindo’s journey to this moment has had its challenges. As a young singer, he often finds himself imitating other artists instead of embracing his style. However, with the help of his vocal coach, Mr. Roeder Camanag, Dindo discovers a new technique that allows him to find his authentic voice.

“I’m more confident now that I’ve found my real sound,” he says. “This technique has expanded my vocal range, especially on high notes,” he adds.

As Dindo prepares for the release of “Kung Hindi Ikaw,” he remains eager to learn and grow.

“There’s so much more to learn. Every day is an opportunity to improve my craft, connect with my audience, and create meaningful music,” continues the

Dindo Caraig is on a musical journey to hone his craft

LIFE

C4

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024

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

I

The Farm at San Benito offers a program for those who want to heal their broken hearts

WOULD like to borrow the title of Whitney Houston’s classic hit, which talks about a powerful expression of loss and the hope for a new chance at love, to talk about a sanctuary where you can heal when your heart is broken.

After experiencing heartbreak, the journey to healing can feel like an arduous path filled with emotional turbulence, insecurity, and uncertainty. And yesterday’s Valentine’s Day was sure a bittersweet reminder of our deepest “hugot and bubog.”

Yet, like all phases in life, this too shall pass. So, just embrace the pain for it offers lessons that can help you learn and grow.

The Farm at San Benito deeply understands the impact of

Where do broken hearts go?

This luxury health and wellness resort can help you heal from heartbreak Very Wang

Nickie Wang

Wellness experts at The Farm aims to help guests embark on their own path of healing and self-discovery

The eco-luxury resort boasts a range of medical, preventative, regenerative healing, and recovery programs for guests

heartbreak and offers a sanctuary where individuals can embark on a transformative path of self-discovery and healing. Or at least that’s what I was told.

For those navigating this phase of life, Valentine’s Day serves as a painful reminder that life isn’t always a bed of roses. Fortunately, The Farm at San Benito, the leading eco-luxury wellness resort based in the Philippines, is offering guests the opportunity to take matters into their own hands with a bespoke ‘how to heal a broken heart’ program.

The team of wellness experts at The Farm will get to grips with clearing

Specialized treatments are partnered with daily activities like yoga and meditation along with a healthy vegan cuisine

and healing your emotional state, rejuvenating your body and soul, and creating a positive path towards release and contentment, focusing on the following areas: Harmonising Flow Series The Farm’s team of integrative medical doctors, psychologists, nurses, and allied health professionals address the many veils of the mentalemotional challenges by covering the different layers; biochemical,

Leading health and beauty store welcomes Wood Year of the Dragon

psycho-emotional, subconscious, and biographical. Sessions focus on Psycho-emotional clearing to banish the emotional voltage of anger, pain, or betrayal, Life Coaching and Interactive Sourcing Therapy which provide closure for those seeking answers, allowing clarity of thinking.

Empress Facial Rejuvenation Heartbreak, when not handled properly can lead to accelerated aging of the cells – to combat this,

prosperity tree were also available inside the store for attendees to enjoy.

Any Lunar New Year celebration won’t be complete without the much-anticipated forecast from a feng shui expert, right?

Master Hanz Michael Cua was also present at WATSONS ushered the Year of the Wood the Watsons SM North Dragon by dressing up its biggest store EDSA The Grand to in lucky hues just in time for the Lunar present his 2024 Feng New Year to attract fortune and good chi Shui Forecast and share by giving its customers that feeling of his thoughts about what’s abundance, prosperity, and happiness. auspicious and what’s Watsons prepared an exclusive coming in 2024.

Lunar New Year treat for all Watsons Y.O.U will be giving Club Members to make their shopping a limited edition gift experience all the more festive and set of Radiance Glow memorable this season. Apart from the Illuminating Series to amazing deals and discounts revealed on three lucky shoppers. the lucky day of the Wood Dragon, and a Just drop by Watsons fun-filled day of readings and predictions, The Block in SM North Watsons also unveiled a range of EDSA until Feb. 18 and exclusive promos and discounts for the purchase any Y.O.U Lunar New Year.

Watsons celebrates the Lunar New Year with exclusive deals products and follow their “At Watsons, we aspire to be the and discounts for customers social media accounts, gateway of our accounts. Winners will be customers to a announced through Y.O.U’s social media healthier lifestyle accounts on March 2. and to have a year Ponds’ will always make miracles filled with fortune, happen this Lunar New Year as customers love, and unbeatable can enjoy the ‘Buy 1 Take 1 promo’ on discounts,” said their selected products until Feb. 18 at Jared De Guzman, Watsons stores nationwide.

Watsons Philippines’ Watsons Club Members, who will Customer Director. shop until Feb. 18 with a minimum Making the Lunar single-receipt purchase of P1,000.00, New Year celebration get one angpao from the Watsons with Watsons more store that they visited. This lucky red remarkable was the envelope, a Chinese New Year staple live performance by and a favorite among Pinoys, contains traditional dragon vouchers, which entitles the customer dance throughout to a discount on a minimum singlethe event. Fortune receipt purchase (excluding milk and From left: Watsons PH Area Operations Manager Gina Ibay, cookies, a ubiquitous dispensary products) that they can use Marketing Manager Patrick Yu, Store Manager Janice Leabriz, symbol of the online from Feb. 8 to June 30 through Senior Marketing Manager Dharrell Fontanilla, Assistant Marketing and a the Watsons app.

Manager Stefh Media, and Area Operations Manager Lourdez Tama occasion,

the Empress Facial Rejuvenation targets the anatomy of the trigeminal nerve which is responsible for 50 percent of stress in the brain. What keeps the heart in a wounded state is the non-stop rewinding of the brain of the painful memories. This treatment goes beyond the ordinary facial as it takes into account the serious anatomy of the facial muscles – it is truly beautifying and stress-releasing.

Hilot Haplos Filipino Indulging Scrub Sure to leave guests in a pure space of contentment, this fresh scrub is made from coconut cream, from the 2,000 coconut trees on site, and powdered cocoa. After the scrub, guests can relax in a bath of freshly squeezed coconut milk before enjoying a Hilot massage – a traditional Filipino treatment. This treatment targets the body allowing guests to relieve tension and feel truly balanced.

Rose Petal Body Wrap Fresh rose petals are highly rejuvenating because they contain essential amino acids and vitamins A, B, C & E, as well as containing enzymes and powerful antioxidants.

It has this matrix of vortex energy that lifts one out of a space of stagnation and brings through its high-frequency molecules. It brings one to a place of higher, more positive, and lifeaffirming vibration. Wrapping you in the earth’s own goodness straight from the garden, the rose petal body wrap will hydrate and nourish your

skin while also smoothing fine lines.

These specialized treatments are combined with daily complimentary activities such as yoga and meditation to keep the mind, body, and spirit well-balanced as well as a plantbased, nutrient-rich vegan cuisine.

Aside from vitamins, enzymes, and phytonutrients, plants also contain qualities that help internal organs, and vegan food is proven to aid in improving digestion, purging toxins, and optimizing nutrition.

The Farm is an award-winning ecoluxury resort set within 52 hectares of lush green jungle. Since it opened in 2002, the resort’s team of certified medical and wellness experts has pioneered the concept of integrated holistic medical wellness, drawing the ancient teachings of the East and West with scientifically proven results.

Having accrued more than 100 prestigious awards and accolades including “Best Medical Wellness Resort in the World”.

The Farm offers a diverse range of tailored medical, preventative, regenerative healing, and recovery programs – curated by a team of licensed medical professionals, spa therapists, nutritionists and living food experts, fitness coaches, and yoga teachers.

To book a retreat or learn more about The Farm, simply visit www. thefarmatsanbenito.com. For direct inquiries, call (+632) 884-8074, (+63) 918 884-8080, or email info@thefarm. com.ph or reservations@thefarm.com.ph.

Ultherapy gets Heart just on our skin but also reflects the confidence within us,” the fashion icon said.

Heart firmly stated that she took up the part to represent the brand because it has come to be a part of her maintenance routine, which was important for her as someone who took the time to take care of herself.

Heart further revealed that she had been using Ultherapy for Heart Evangelista embodies confidence and roughly more than three years. authenticity as the new face of Ultherapy “I do it to sculpt my face but now, it’s for the skin also para mas snatched,” she explained, also noting that she used

By Abigail Adriatico to have the treatment for her jaws before eventually ULTHERAPY, a non-invasive skin focusing on her neck, eyelids, and brows. tightening & lifting treatment, has revealed In the interview following the event, Heart its newest brand ambassador, celebrity, and stated that the power in each person comes fashion maven, Heart Evangelista. from their authenticity as well as their capacity In its grand launch last Feb. 5, the beauty to own up to their mistakes, noting that being treatment brand announced its collaboration more accepting of one’s self comes with age. with Heart for its ‘The Power of U’ campaign, “Sometimes you keep going through the which aimed to inspire people to embrace same patterns, actually. Like whether in love, their authenticity and boost their confidence. with friendship, or with your co-workers. But “Our goal is simple, and that is to provide a you kind of develop a resistance to certain gold standard for our clients and empower them things. You become parang mas… strong. with a sense of confidence that extends Resilient,” she added. beyond outer beauty,” said Tetet Go, the The Ultherapy ambassador further noted sales and marketing director of Vanguard how much she valued authenticity, with it being Aesthetics. one of her motivations for pursuing the creation “With this new campaign, we want to of a YouTube channel so she could showcase continue leading the way in redefining beauty her true self to the public. standards, encouraging individuals to celebrate “Having the confidence to show your true their uniqueness. We believe that Heart is the self and bare the real you as a person that’s perfect face of tenacity, grace, confidence and distinct, relatable, and true is what people can has the biggest heart - someone who truly be inspired by,” said Heart. understands her power,” she said further.

Ultherapy is a US FDA-approved skin Heart expressed her excitement about taking tightening procedure that uses micro-focused on her new role as ambassador for Ultherapy. ultrasound with real-time visualization (MFU-V), “I’m excited to take on this new role as with a non-invasive nature. It has partnered with we not only celebrate the beauty that is not over 100 clinics all over the country.