Manila Standard - 2024 February 24 - Saturday

OIL PRICE ROLLBACK SEEN NEXT WEEK: P1.20/L FOR DIESEL

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Marcos: ‘No objection’ to PhilHealth rate hike

But Palace review on 5% premium increase ongoing

By Charles Dantes

PRESIDENT

Marcos has “no objection” to the planned five percent increase in PhiliHealth's premium rates, the state health insurer said even as the Palace clarified the review of its implementation is ongoing.

"The review is still ongoing," Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil told reporters in a Viber message.

"The President wants to ensure that any increase in premium will substantially be much more in value in terms of benefits and coverage to PhilHealth members," she added.

Earlier in the day, PhilHealth president and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma said they received a letter from the Office of the President which statedtaht “they pose no objection to the scheduled increase which was implemented on January 1st.”

“It was clearly stated by PBBM that the premium increase will continue,” Ledesma said.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa previously asked the President to suspend the rate hike, saying PhilHealth has enough money to continue providing services.

The increase in PhilHealth rates fulfills the requirements outlined in the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel Cruz

SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri urged members of the House of Representatives to adopt the Upper Chamber's version of a resolution providing for separate voting as a means to amend restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

He said adopting the Senate's Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 will avoid chaos and confusion.

RBH No. 6, filed by Zubiri, Senator Sonny Angara and Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, seeks to amend three restrictive economic provisions with the House and the Senate voting separately.

“Once [the Senate has] finished [deliberations], it is better to justadopt so that there is no chaos, no fight, it is not questionable and no uncertainty," Zubiri said.

RBH No. 7, filed by the House, is almost an exact reproduction of RBH No. 6 but it requires all members of Congress to vote jointly on proposed economic Charter amendments.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel Cruz KINGDOM of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy was served a subpoena to appear before a Senate hearing to answer complaints related to human trafficking, labor violations, and sex-related offenses raised by former members of his church.

KOJC legal counsel Marie Dinah Tolentino Fuentes said she received a copy of the subpoena

AI in focus at world’s mobile fair in Spain

THE world's biggest mobile phone fair throws open its doors in Barcelona Monday with the sector looking to artificial intelligence to try and reverse declining sales.

Phone makers are expected to focus on the unique AI-powered tools of their latest handsets at the four-day Mobile World Congress in Barcelona where 95,000 attendees and 2,400 exhibitors from around the world are awaited for an event that lasts until Thursday.

who sees it reviving innovation in the sector.

The event comes as global smart-

phone shipments declined 3.2 percent to 1.17 billion units in 2023.

Google and South Korean giant Samsung have both recently unveiled new flagship handsets with flashy AIpower tools such as advanced photo editing and easier online search which they are expected to highlight.

Other smaller handset makers such as China's Honor are set to unveil new devices at the event.

Among the 1,100 speakers who are scheduled are Michael Dell, founderand CEO of the personal computer firm Dell, and Microsoft president Brad Smith.

Marcos: Produce healthier rice to boost nutrition

By Charles Dantes

Telecoms operators will use the event to explore how AI can help improve their operations, from boosting security to providing better customer service.

AI "is clearly democratizing and is now embedded everywhere: inphones, in devices, in networks," said Thomas Husson, principalanalyst at Forrester

It was the second consecutive yearly decline, according to the IDC consultancy, as consumers took longer to upgrade their devices due to a lack of innovations, high inflation and economic uncertainties.

But shipments rose 8.5 percent in the fourth quarter to 326.1 million units which suggests "momentum is moving quickly toward recovery."

Marcos:...

From A1

This legislation provides for gradual increases in PhilHealth contributions, culminating in the current five percent rate.

President Marcos previously ordered the state insurer to show the other side of the targeted premium rate hike.

"I'm observing, I'll tell you, go ahead if you are going to increaseit just show the other side of that. What will be the increase in services, what will it be able to cover, what more you will be able to cover?" President Marcos said in an earlier interview.

"It's very hard to quantify health. You know how much it is worth to you, it's worth different things to different people," he added.

After...

From A1

"Today for the first time in more than a half century, the US has returned to the Moon," NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in a video.

"Today for the first time in the history of humanity, a commercialcompany, an American company, launched and led the voyage up there."

Images from an external "EagleCam" designed to shoot out from the spacecraft during its final seconds of descent could be released early Friday, a member of the team that built it told AFP.

"After troubleshooting communications, flight controllers have confirmed Odysseus is upright and starting to send data," Intuitive Machines said in its latest update on X.

"Right now, we are working to downlink the first images from the lunar surface."

A previous moonshot by another American company last month ended in failure, raising the stakes to demonstrate that private industry had what it took to repeat a feat last achieved by US space agency NASA during its manned Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

Lunar south pole

Underscoring the technical challenges, an onboard navigation system failed and Odysseus instead flew the final leg of its trip using anexperimental laser guidance system developed by NASA to run only as a technology demonstration.

Confirmation of landing was supposed to come seconds after the milestone, but instead nearly 15 minutes passed as announcers mused whether the craft had come down "off angle."

Finally, the company's chief technology officer Tim Crain confirmed "our equipment is on the surface of the Moon and we are transmitting," as applause broke out in mission control.

Odysseus touched down in Malapert A, an impact crater 300 kilometers (180 miles) from the lunar south pole.

NASA hopes to eventually build a long-term presence and harvest polar ice for both drinking water and rocket fuel for an onward journey to Mars under Artemis, its flagship program.

Senator...

From A1

“That is a funny political issue, my goodness,” the senator said after his wife, in a now deleted Instagram post, wrote: “Drip anywhere is our motto! Hehehe. I was going to be late so I had it done in my husband's office hehe I never miss a drip because it really helps in soooo many ways.”

Social media users were quick to screenshot the post before the actress took it down. On Reddit, users described the act as “inappropriate and disrespectful in so many ways.”

“If people see something wrong with the photo, I am sorry. There was no intention of disrespect. My wife

The current mission is "one of the first forays into the south pole to actually look at the environmental conditions to a place we're going to be sending our astronauts in the future," said senior NASA official Joel Kearns.

NASA's first crewed mission to the region is scheduled for no sooner than 2026. America's geopolitical rival China is also planning to sendits first crew to the Moon in 2030, ushering in a new era of space competition. Exclusive club

Hexagon-shaped Odysseus, which is about the size of a large golf cart, launched from Florida on February 15 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, boasting a new liquid methane, liquid oxygen propulsion system that traversed the quarter million mile voyage in quick time.

It carries six NASA science instruments, including cameras to investigate how the lunar surface changes as a result of the engine plume from a spaceship, and a device to analyze clouds of charged dust particles that hang over the surface at twilight as a result of solar radiation.

The rest of the cargo was shipped on behalf of Intuitive Machines' private clients, and includes 125 stainless steel mini Moons by the artist Jeff Koons.

The cargo can run for up to seven days before lunar night occurs, rendering Odysseus inoperable.

NASA paid Intuitive Machines $118 million to ship its hardware under a new initiative called Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), whichit created to delegate cargo services to the private sector to achieve savings and stimulate a wider lunar economy.

The first CLPS mission, by Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic, launched inJanuary, but its Peregrine spacecraft sprung a fuel leak and was eventually brought back to burn up in Earth's atmosphere.

Spaceships landing on the Moon must navigate treacherous terrain andrely on thrusters to control their descent in the absence of an atmosphere.

Until now, only the space agencies of the Soviet Union, United States, China, India and Japan had accomplished the feat, making for an exclusive club. AFP

loves to promote good looks and good health. This really cracked me up,” the senator said.

The Department of Health, however, weighed in on the hazards of using intravenous glutathione, noting this has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore is illegal.

“IV glutathione will whiten your skin and make you look really like caucasian, but it can damage your kidneys and kill you,” Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said.

“I’m telling you from the Department of Health: It is not safe. The FDA has not registered it for skin whitening. If there’s someone using it, it is illegal,” the DOH chief added.

Honor's new flagship phone features a camera with AI motion-sensing capabilities that can detect and automatically take a picture of a moving object at the best moment.

AI had already "kicked off" before the last MWC in 2023 but "a year later we have a much better idea of how operators and the mobileindustry can take advantage of it," said Peter Jarich, head of intelligence at telecoms industry group GSMA, the event organizer.

Senate...

From A1

The proposed House and Senate changes are on the grant of legislative franchises to and ownership of public utilities in Article XII, and ownership of basic educational facilities in Article XIV and advertising firms in Article XVI.

Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. and Deputy Majority Leader and Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre earlier cautioned the Senate against insisting on a separate vote.

“Our basic law does not say whether the House of Representatives andthe Senate have to vote jointly or separately on Charter change,” Gonzales said.

Camp...

From A1

Senate rules provide that persons who defy its subpoena to attend the chamber’s legislative hearings can be cited for contempt and held in its detention facility.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged Quiboloy, who said in a recent video that he has gone into hiding for fear for his life, to attend the Senate hearing to explain his side.

Gatchalian told Quiboloy not to hide because it connotes “guilt.”

Lawmakers from the House of Representatives also issued a stern warning to Quiboloy to obey a congressional subpoena and appear before a hearing on March 12 regarding the potential revocation of his network's franchise.

Quiboloy has repeatedly defied previous invitations to attend congressional inquiries on the franchise of Sunshine Media Network International (SMNI), which is under scrutiny for alleged franchise violations, including spreading fake news and red-tagging

Senior Deputy Speaker and Pam-

Hotter...

From A1

Minimal easterlies, and isolated and local thunderstorms are expected.

The Department of Energy, for its part, said it expects no yellow or red alert this year despite the anticipated prolonged El Nino.

"Based on the power outlook presented to us, every week we have apower outlook, so far we do not see yellow alerts or red alerts. One of the things that we are counting on... we should conserve (electricity)," Energy Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said at the sidelines of the agency's Business to Business Matching

Michael...

From A1

“Have you ever stopped to think about why they choose to spend their money on these expensive European brands, rather than supporting our very own Filipino designers? It's quite ironic how these celebrities proudly wear these designer clothes, but when it comes to Filipino designers, they suddenly want everything custom-made for them for free,” the Filipino designer said.

"It's a sad reality that many talented and hardworking Filipino designers have to face...They pour their hearts and souls into their creations, but are often undervalued

Aside from AI, discussions are expected to focus on the consolidation of the European telecoms market after the EU on Tuesday approved the merger of the Spain operations of French telecoms giant Orange with its Spanish rival Mas Movil.

There is also likely to be debate about whether big tech should contribute to the cost of deploying the networks their products rely on, a notion commonly known as "fair share."

The annual congress, which has been held in Barcelona since 2006, initially focused on phones but has since expanded to include all sorts of connected devices such as drones and robots. AFP

“Voting separately – that provision is being added by the Senate toour Constitution. For us in the House of Representatives, we stand with what's written in the Constitution,” Acidre said.

House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe said the Lower Chamber will deliberate next week on its resolution.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada, however, said that while he respects theopinion of House leaders, he believes “they are mistaken in their interpretation of the Constitution.”

"I hope my colleagues [in the House] will engage in a constructive and respectful dialogue and respect the Senate's constitutional mandate and prerogative instead of dismissing them," Estrada said.

panga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, Jr. said Quiboloy has an obligation to comply with the subpoena.

"No one is above the law," Gonzales said, adding that failing to do so could result in contempt charges and potential arrest. "We remind Pastor Quiboloy that he must comply with the subpoena, or we will have no choice but to hold him in contempt and proceed with his arrest," Gonzales said.

The FBI also has an active warrant of arrest against Quiboloy and his two associates–Teresita Dandan and Helen Panilag–who are currently wanted in the US over various cases.

The United States Embassy in the Philippines earlier expressed confidence that Quiboloy will “face justice for his heinous crimes.”

"For more than a decade, Apollo Quiboloy engaged in serious humanrights abuses, including a pattern of systemic and pervasive rape of girls as young as 11 years old, and is currently on the FBI’s Most Wanted List," US embassy spokesman Kanishka Gangopadhyay said.

"We are confident that Quiboloy will face justice for his heinous crimes," he added.

Event. She said DOE has already forecast potential electricity consumption this year and if it goes beyond the forecast, "we will have a problem." "That's why we are saying, let us maintain our conservation of energy," Guevara said. She said Luzon has enough power supply with a forecast available margin of about 300 megawatts to 700 MW even with the 70 percent of the hydro reduction. Guevara said Visayas' supply margin is thin—"anywhere from 8 percent"—so power supply is critical while Mindanao is expecting higher supply margins of 25 to 30 percent.

and underpaid,” he added. Cinco, who has dressed many international celebrities including Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Beyonce, and Jennifer Lopez, lamented that some Filipino influencers and celebrities “won't even comment to say thank you in your page." He ended his series of post with a piece of advice for influencers and celebrities who are planning to offer to “collaborate” with him: "Everytime some influencers and starlets ask me if I wanna do their wedding dress or red carpet dresses for collaboration or for free, I always tell them – what a wonderful life. Beautiful things in this world are not free... In other words, magbayad ka!!!”

PRESIDENT Marcos underscored the need to address broader nutritionalconcerns beyond rice consumption as he met with officials from the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

“It’s no longer just food sufficiency. There should be nutritional value given to the people. There’s very much that we could learn from [you]. IRRI has been actually continuing the research and development and when we went, I could see some of their rice is made not for the Philippines alone, the varieties are going all over the world,” the President said.

“It’s beyond [the issue of] food and rice in Asian countries. So, again, that just brings into very sharp focus how important [rice] isto us. But the other side of it is the nutrition side because of course, we cannot eat just rice. So, there has to be a source of vegetable, and protein. So, that’s why we are now tryi [solution],” he added.

Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, offered to develop additional rice and agricultural produce varieties tailored for local consumption.

The President welcomed the proposal, underscoring its potential tocontribute to achieving complete nutritional fulfillment for Filipinos.

Elouafi highlighted various initiatives such as iron-rich potatoes, high-protein maize, and Vitamin A-rich rice as examples of their ongoing efforts to combat nutritional deficiencies.

Oil...

From A1

"This adjustment is attributed to the worries about global demand and the expectations that cuts to US interest rates will take longer," DOE director for the oil industry management bureau Rodela Romero said. Romero said Friday's final trading at the world oil market will change the price movement estimates.

On Feb. 20, 2024, oil companies implemented an increase in the priceof gasoline, diesel, and kerosene by P1.60, P1.10 and P1.05 per liter, respectively.

Year-to-date adjustment of gasoline, diesel and kerosene stood at a net increase of P6.15, P5.40 and P1.50 per liter, respectively.

DOE data showed gasoline retails for P55.60 to P88.88 per liter,diesel from P54.35 to P84.56 per liter and kerosene from P73.25 to P83.88 per liter in the National Capital Region. Pump prices vary depending on the brand, location of the station, and market forces.

"The only possible thing that might happen is that you might have to run the more expensive plants, the rates will go up. But then, there is enough electricity. The cost of no electricity is P300 per kWh. Wedid some simulation for that. Do you want to lose P300 per kWh? We don't want that," she said.

Guevara earlier said no potential alert notices are expected in 2024provided the critical assumptions are achieved.

Guevara said generation companies, with the assistance of the DOE and other government agencies, must ensure that their committed power generation projects will meet target commercial operation date.

Swifties...

From A1

Brillon said one section was offered to Broadcast Communications students while another was opened to students from other courses. “For the first offering we decided to do Taylor Swift, but there will be other celebrities in succeeding semesters who will be part of this area of disciplines in our field,” she said. “Using Taylor Swift as an example situates the course in a transnational media ecology/ environment that’s vastly different from what has been previously studied,” Brillon added. UP follows the lead of institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and New York University in offering courses on pop culture icons.

NAIA is fourth worst airport in Asia—study

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has been categorized the fourth worst airport in Asia based on travelers’ accounts.

According to the Businessfinancing.co.uk., the NAIA ranked fourth with a rating of 2.78, ahead of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz International Airport (2.62) and Kazakstan’s Almaty International Airport (2.62).

The worst airport in Asia, on the other hand, was Kuwait International Airport with a rating of 1.69., the only airport with less than two stars in Asia, the review showed.

“Travelers frequently express dissatisfaction with unpleasant odors and unprofessional, slow boarding processes at the NAIA,” study stated.

Meanwhile, Noi Bai International Airport in Vietnam excels with an impressive business traveler rating of 6.80, especially cited for its efficient queuing system.

This was followed by Singapore’s Changi Airport with a rating of 6.63, China’s Hong Kong International Airport (6.48), Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (6.44), Japan’s Narita International Airport (6.23) and Haneda Airport (5.82), India’s Kempegowda International Airport (5.56), Taiwan’s Taoyauan International Airport (5.29), India’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Int’l Airport (5.22) and Indira Gandhi International Airport (4.60).

DMW nabs illegal recruiter for ‘fruit picker’ Japan jobs

AUTHORITIES on Friday arrested an alleged illegal recruiter promising “fruit picker” jobs in Japan in an entrapment at the compound of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in Mandaluyong City.

Members of the DMW-Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB) and the local police nabbed the suspect identified as Majorie Almarez, 33, a resident of Novaliches, Quezon City, after she accepted “boodle money” from the complainant whose name was withheld by the DMW.

In a news release, DMW officerin-charge Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the complainant was offered a job as a fruit picker in Japan with a monthly salary of PHP77,000.

Cacdac said the complainant was lured by the suspect after witnessing her receive payment from another victim.

However, the complainant confirmed that the suspect has no license from the DMW to offer jobs abroad.

Exactly 565 air force troopers complete their basic military training as Class “Matalasig” with their commander, Maj. Gen. Aristotle Gonzales as keynote speaker, in commencement rites held at the Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas. PAF photo

‘Pinoy seamen’s rights widened’

By Vito Barcelo

FILIPINO seafarers now have the right to refuse to sail through the Gulf of Aden and be repatriated instead, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced Friday.

DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo

Cacdac said Filipino seafarers who would not want to sail through the Gulf of Aden could be repatriated at the company’s expense and would receive compensation equal to two months of basic wage.

DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said Filipino seamen who would not want t0 navigate the gulf may instead

LAPID IS TUMAUINI’S ADOPTED SON. Senator Lito Lapid leads the blessing and inauguration of the Rodolfo B. Albano Astrodome in Tumauini, Isabela which also named him “adopted son” his contributions to the progress and development of the town.

be repatriated at the expense of their employer and would receive compensation equal to two months of basic wage.

The sailor’s right were defined in an International Bargaining Forum (IBF) decision expanding the scope of highrisk areas (HRAs) to cover the entire Gulf of Aden.

The expanded HRA now includes

the entire southern section of the Red Sea and the entire Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula, stretching across to the coast of Eritrea in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa.

Meanwhile, the DMW said the concerned seafarers are also entitled to receive a bonus equal to the basic wage payable for five days minimum daily compensation day if longer, a double remuneration in case of death and disability, and mandatory increase in security arrangements equivalent.

“The expansion of the scope of ‘high risk areas’ to include the Gulf of Aden

Bicol lawmaker pushes ‘long delayed’ expansion of Naga Airport

By Maricel V. Cruz

A LEGISLATOR from Camarines Sur on Friday expressed optimism that the expansion of the Naga Airport’s runway will be included in the Department of Transportation (DOTr)’s P14-billion program to rehabilitate and modernize regional airports.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said the widening and lengthening of the Naga Airport “has been long delayed.”

“We in Camarines Sur are optimistic that with the DOTr’s allocation of P14 billion for the improvement or modernization of regional airports, the long-delayed expansion of the Naga Airport’s

runway—so it can accommodate widebody jets like the Airbus A300 that are good for international flights—will finally see the light of day under the Marcos administration,” Villafuerte said. Villafuerte, who has long pushed the runway’s expansion from Naga to neighboring Pili, the provincial capital, recalled that this airport project was already ap-

proved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) during the presidency of the late President Benigno Aquino III, and then identified as a flagship project of the succeeding Duterte administration, “but this infrastructure modernization plan unfortunately remained on the drawing board in both administrations.”

serves as a necessary step towards providing stronger protection and promoting stricter security measures to safeguard Filipino seafarers and all seafarers working onboard ships navigating in such HRAs,” Cacdac said in a statement.

Cacdac urged employers of Filipino seafarers to comply with the new rules and implement risk mitigation measures such as rerouting vessels and deploying armed security personnel.

The DMW also batted for continued diplomatic efforts to ease tensions and to address the causes of the current conflict in the Middle East.

CHR welcomes opening of VIP lounge at NAIA

By Rio N. Araja

THE Commission on Human Rights

(CHR) on Friday lauded the completion and opening of a 24/7 free VIP lounge for overseas Filipino workers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.

“This initiative stands as a testament to our commitment to providing a comfortable and supportive space for the well-being and relaxation of our hardworking OFWs,” the CHR said.

The VIP lounge would be the first of many OFW lounges to open at international airports in Metro Manila, Clark and Cebu with the provision of a variety of food and beverage options, comfortable chairs, wi-fi and charging stations.

Republic Act 8042 or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 states that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) shall continue to formulate and implement welfare programs for overseas Filipino workers and their families in all phases of overseas employment — encompassing predeparture, on-site, and reintegration programs of OFWs.

PH, US launch security training facility in Cavite

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Philippines and the United States governments have jointly inaugurated the National Virtual Training Center (NVTC) in Silang, Cavite designed to bolster the training of public health personnel, veterinarian health workers, and first responders in meeting

biological and chemical challenges.

Funded by the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP) and Chemical Security Elimination (CSE) Program, the NVTC is a multi-million dollar advanced training and practical laboratory that will increase the quantity and quality of training programs that cover

multiple disciplines of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear security.

Through the NVTC, the Philippines will enhance its capacity to train current and future generations of laboratory specialists and first responders in detecting and preventing threats arising from weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), the US embassy in Manila said in a statement.

SC fines Mamba, lawyer for indirect contempt

THE Supreme Court (SC) has cited Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba and his counsel, indirect contempt, penalizing both with a P30,000-fine.

The SC imposed the sanctions after Mamba and his lawyer, the Macalintal Law office, failed to justify their filing of a petition for the issuance of a

temporary restraining order (TRO) and a writ of preliminary injunction, but withdrew the petition a week later.

“The Court is convinced that Gov. Mamba and Macalintal Law Office should be cited in indirect contempt under Rule 71, Section 3(c) of the Rules of Court,” the SC said in an en

banc decision.

In August 2023, the House of Representatives also cited Mamba in contempt and ordered him detained over his repeated failure to attend the inquiry on alleged illegal expenditures of the local government during the 2022 campaign period. Rey E. Requejo

In photo with the actorturned politician are Tumauini Mayor Venus Bautista and former Mayor Arnold Bautista. Senator Lapid’s office

GRINGO JOINS INTER-FAITH GROUP. Former senator Gregorio ‘Gringo’ Honasan

the call for a national inter-faith prayer gathering meant to foster reconciliation

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.

DA forms team to assist solons on smuggling law

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has formed a technical working group to assist lawmakers in amending the Anti-Agricutural Smuggling Act of 2016. This law is designed to protect the agriculture sector by declaring large-scale smuggling of farm products as economic sabotage—a crime punishable with life imprisonment.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has certified as urgent the passage of a new law that adds price and supply manipulaion of agricultural products as economic sabotage. It also increases the fine imposed against offenders.

The current law only identifies large-scale smugglers as economic saboteurs and punishes them with life imprisonment and a fine twice the fair value of smuggled farm goods and the total amount of taxes, duties, and other charges.

Smuggling of agricultural products like sugar, corn, pork, onion, and garlic is considered large

In a special order No. 227 dated Feb. 15, DA Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. designated lawyer Paz Benavidez II, DA assistant secretary for regulations, as head of the 8-member TWG that will prepare the department’s position and inputs for consideration of both Houses of Congress.

80% of textbooks set to arrive by July DepEd

STUDENTS in Grades 1, 4, and 7 can expect to receive 80 percent of their new textbooks by July 2024, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

This commitment comes after concerns were raised about the lack of textbooks in recent years.

“We’re confident we can deliver 80 percent of textbooks by July,” said Director Ariz Cawilan of the DepEd Bureau of Learning Resources.

The department has moved up the bidding process and aims to begin printing in April.

However, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) expressed concerns about the feasibility of this timeline, given the large number of books needed (eight million) and the tight time frame.

“The previous timeline was about six months for printing and about six months for delivery. So now, they’re saying that in the revised timeline, between April, May, June, July, what used to be one year will now be four months,” EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee said.

PH ratifies ILO accord on workplace

THE Philippines became the first Asian nation to ratify the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Convention No. 190 aimed at curbing violence and harassment in workplaces, the ILO said on Friday.

The Philippines is the 38th country in the world to adopt the convention, the ILO also said.

According to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Undersecretary Ernesto Bitonio, this convention “breaks new ground in its scope and ambition, transcending boundaries and embracing a world where work, family, and social lives

are increasingly intertwined.”

“[It] ultimately calls upon us to agree on a baseline of acceptable behavior that respects every worker equally as a human being, who has full freedom to choose and pursue the things that society values whatever [their] status, capabilities and sector are,” he said in a ceremony held at the ILO headquarters

in Geneva, Switzerland. Adopted in 2019, Convention No. 190 establishes the first comprehensive international standard addressing workplace violence and harassment. It sets a clear definition of these issues and outlines a framework for action. This includes preventing, protecting, and responding to incidents, as well as providing remedies, guidance, training, and awareness-raising initiatives. It offers protection to all individuals in the workforce, including interns, apprentices, and those with employer duties or authority.

This is also extended across various sectors, including public and private, formal and informal economies, and urban and rural areas, ensuring that everyone in the workforce has the right to a safe and respectful environment.

“This ratification marks an important step to preventing and eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work. It is time to make workplaces free from violence and harassment a reality everywhere, promoting and realizing social justice for all,” ILO Deputy Director-General Celeste Drake said in welcoming the Philippines’ ratification.

Alarcon named new Caceres archbishop

By Vito Barcelo

POPE Francis has appointed Daet Bishop Rex Andrew Alarcon as the new archbishop of Caceres, succeeding Archbishop Rolando Tria Tirona, who retired at the age of 77, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said.

8 rebels, policeman killed in clashes in Bohol, Negros—Army

EIGHT communist rebels and a policeman were killed this week during clashes between security forces and a Maoist insurgency group, the Philippine Army said on Friday.

The latest fighting happened on the central Bohol and Negros islands as government forces continue to battle

the long-running insurgency despite hopes of peace talks this year.

Five rebels were killed when fighting broke out Friday as army troops and police attempted to arrest the NPA’s leader in Bohol, Domingo Jaspe Compoc, who was among those killed.

“He (Compoc) is notorious... We have

Taguig holds disaster briefing for quakes, other emergencies

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Taguig City government, in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), organized a Diplomatic Briefing on Disaster Preparedness to help embassies and international organizations in Taguig to prepare for earthquakes and other emergencies.

Diplomats and international representatives from at least 20 embassies participated in the briefing, where they received information on how to prepare for an earthquake.

Jesus Domingo, the DFA Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Affairs, thanked and praised Mayor Laarni Cayetano and other local officials in Taguig for organizing the event.

Domingo gave a brief overview of

the “Big One” earthquake and the West Valley Fault.

The West Valley Fault has the potential to generate a large earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2, which poses a significant threat to people’s lives, buildings, infrastructures, and livelihood.

The government has identified Taguig as one of the cities in Metro Manila that will be severely affected by a massive quake if the Valley Fault System (VFS) moves.

The VFS indicates that areas in Taguig, including Bagumbayan, Bagong Tanyag, Upper Bicutan, Central Bicutan, Lower Bicutan, Maharlika Village, Pinagsama, North Signal Village, Central Signal Village, South Signal Village, Ususan, and South Daang Hari, are situated over the West Valley Fault.

been monitoring his group’s activities since last year,” regional military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Galorio told Agence France Presse (AFP). Compoc had a 2.6-million-peso (about $47,000) bounty on his head on charges of rebellion and multiple murders, among others.

A police officer was also shot dead and a second officer was wounded, a Bohol police spokesperson told reporters. On Wednesday, three other NPA rebels were killed and three soldiers wounded in gunfights on Negros island, the military also reported. AFP

In a statement, the CBCP said with his new appointment as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Caceres, Alarcon will lead the archdiocese and collaborate with the suffragan bishops of Daet, Legazpi, Libmanan, Masbate, Sorsogon, and Virac to address matters of regional importance.

Alarcon is currently serving in the Diocese of Daet, Camarines Norte, where he oversees the pastoral care of Catholics in Naga City, the heart of the Bicol region that is known for its economic, cultural, educational, and religious significance.

He was ordained as Bishop of Daet in 2019. The archbishop-elect was born in Daet, the provincial capital of Camarines Norte, on August 6, 1970.

PAO chief Acosta celebrates 23 years in service

President Gloria Arroyo to be the PAO chief in 2001. That was 23 years ago,” she said during her acceptance speech. “However, my assumption into office was Feb. 23, 2001,” she added. Despite her status in life, she said she has remained grounded.

opposition personalities led by (from right) Senator Risa Hontiveros, former Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles,  former Senator Leila De Lima, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, and former Senator Bam Aquino attend a mass at the EDSA Shrine Church in Ortigas. Manny Palmero

Rod P. Kapunan

Ex-USAF colonel runs Philippines SCS show

AN EX-US Air Force colonel is now running the show in Philippine foreign relations.

He is seen splashed on the front pages of almost all major Philippine mainstream newspapers and guesting solo on top network TV public affairs show telling one and all how his “assertive transparency” strategy on the South China Sea has been an outstanding success, how it complicates matters for and shames China.

This ex-USAF colonel is the author of the “transparency strategy,” which we are now hearing from the mouths of Filipino maritime police and national security officials as “Philippine policy,” because we can trace its conception and evolution to the bowels of the U.S. Naval Research Institute’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation based in Stanford University, U.S.A., and US naval intel team leader proudly dubbed “Myoushu Project.”

—“—

Teodoro led another spin-off, the troop increase for Batanes talking tough to provoke China on Taiwan on which the Philippines has no concern at all

The ex-USAF colonel, Raymond “Ray” Powell, is also a director of Sealight, the Gordian Knot Center group “tracking and reporting on ‘gray-zone activities like ‘harassment of legal activities such as responsible fishing, security operations or hydrocarbon exploration within a nation’s own exclusive economic zone, illegal incursions into other countries’ waters, intimidation measures such as vessel swarming, outpost and artificial island building’.”

Sealight hides its main objective which is to apply the “missing context fallacy” to create an anti-China narrative out of the South China Sea territorial claims disputes amongst the five littoral states surrounding the strategically critical body of water.

The missing context is before the Philippines was drafted into this U.S. project, China and all claimant countries had for decades already methodically engaged in dialogue and negotiations to achieve consensus and resolution cooperatively.

Since 2002, China and the ASEAN had the Declaration of Conduct followed by the now near-to-conclusion talks of a

Code of Conduct as basis for a peaceful and durable solution to the SCS territorial and maritime disputes.

The 1999 amicable agreement between the Philippines and China to allow BRP Sierra Madre to stay at Second Thomas Shoal and be resupplied only with humanitarian supplies preserved peace there for 25 years until the Philippines joined Project Myoushu in February 2023.

President Bongbong Marcos since the 2014 debates in the Philippine Senate and 2016 elections campaign questioned the US EDCA military bases pact but turned around in February 2023 to expand its presence, and signed on to Project Myoushu and Sealight’s “assertive transparency” using the Philippine Coast Guard to violate the standard “prior information” and “no construction materials to BRP Sierra Madre” agreement, and brought media to broadcast the consequent cat-chase-mouse encounters.

Powell’s “transparency strategy” failed after 11 months of proof-of-concept application by the PCG led by Commodore Tarriela, the National Security Council’s deputy Jonathan Malaya and others.

Defense secretary Gibo Teodoro led another spin-off, the troop increase for Batanes talking tough to provoke China on Taiwan on which the Philippines has no concern at all as Sen. Imee Marcos pointed out.

Powell’s failure is highlighted by his December 2023 comment to the USNI News, “The Philippines and the U.S. are going to have… conversations about what constitutes an ‘armed attack’ ” on a public vessel” as China successfully used non-lethal force consistent with international humanitarian law in exercising its sovereign control.

Tarriela followed in February 2024 to local media the “transparency effort” was not enough to make China budge – the little toy soldier hinting at war? We can only laugh!

In the first two weeks of February 2024, Powell went on a scorching TV, social media and mainstream newspaper frontpage blitz to promote the “transparency strategy” again to counter the drift of the DFA back into dialogue and cooperation with China as per call of President BBM for a paradigm shift to return to peaceful resolution. Powell argued on air that transparency complicated things for China, shamed and stymied China. None of that, everyone sees, is true.

The Philippines is the only one facing complications from the transparency strategy: DFA Sec. Manalo fears trade sanctions over SCS tensions, seeks US Trade Secretary Gina Raimondo meet this March but what can the latter offer to a half a world away with a faltering economy?

The EU or Japan are alternatives but both are in recession expected to last for years. Philippine foreign-assisted infra projects are zero in 2024 mainly due to loss of Chinese Belt and Road Initiative projects. (rpkapunan@gmail.com)

Not helpless

HAZE and worry now challenge nearly 350,000 residents of Tuba town and Baguio City in Benguet following forest fires there raging since early this month, not helped any by winds and the ferocious El Niño phenomenon.

The residents – men, women and children – have been suffering from the smoke and smell of burning grasses and trees in areas within the reservation site of the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio as well as in Barangay Tabaan and Mt. Sto. Tomas in Tuba, all up at 1,500 meters above sea level.

People living near camps 4 and 6 in Tuba are worried about their safety as the fires are drawing closer to their property.

We are glad firefighters, volunteers and community groups have joined hands to control the blaze, fanned by winds blowing from the eastern portion of Baguio and Benguet – the fires threatening residential areas and have since destroyed an initial 20 hectares of trees and vegetation.

And the winds have kept fanning and rekindling the flames while investigation is going on to determine the cause of the fire.

Eagle Eyes

Tony La Viña

TOMORROW, the Second Sunday of Lent, we hear a familiar story – The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel of Mark tells us that Jesus, together with Peter and James, and John his brother, led them up a high mountain.

There He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light.

It was a special grace for Peter and James and John to see Jesus transfigured.

They experienced a preview of the glory of Jesus risen from the dead and his glory in heaven. It was also a sneak peak of the glory all hope to partake in heaven.

Yet despite this intimate experience Peter did not remain faithful to him especially during his most trying time.

They had seen Jesus transfigured, heard the Father’s command to listen to Jesus, saw personally the miracles performed by Jesus yet they were scandalized by the Passion of Jesus.

Much like the disciples, we too experience and meet Jesus in special ways and yet we too often let him down.

EDITORIAL

And deforestation, unchecked, rears its ugly head. Weather events like high atmospheric temperatures and dryness, or low humidity, offer favorable circumstances for a forest fire to start.

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Where wildfires scorch the earth, deforestation becomes a serious problem for countries, the Philippines not exempted

With El Niño exhaling its wrath across the archipelago, and likely to be as harsh through the edge of summer, we can see how easily a wildfire can grow. Wind, high temperatures, and little rainfall can leave trees, shrubs, fallen leaves, and limbs dried out and primed to fuel a fire. Where wildfires scorch the earth, deforestation becomes a serious prob-

lem for countries, the Philippines not exempted.

The country is home to a vast array of unique flora and fauna, but deforestation has put many of these species at risk of extinction.

Over the years, the Philippines government has implemented various programs and initiatives to combat deforestation and promote reforestation. The battle is ongoing.

We see the Philippines has made significant progress in recent years in its efforts to combat deforestation, when it implemented programs and policies to promote reforestation, sustainable forest management, and biodiversity conservation.

One such is the National Greening Program, which aims to plant 1.5 billion trees across 1.5 million hectares of land by 2028, the program touching success in planting millions of trees, and it has created thousands of jobs in the forestry sector.

Aside from the National Greening Program, the Philippines also enacted laws and policies to protect its forests, which include the Forest Management Bureau’s Community-Based Forest Management Program, aimed at involving local communities in forest management and conservation efforts.

But the smoke, nay the haze, in Benguet should wake up the authorities – given that reports on the forest fires suggest they are not just partly true. They are.

The Transfiguration

cance as a firsthand witness to Christ’s majesty. This privilege extends beyond the Apostles; we, too, partake in its significance. The Transfiguration served to fortify the Apostles for the impending trial of Christ’s passion and death, offering them a glimpse of the future glory they would share.

—“—

This Lenten season, let us ponder on what we need to all do so that personal and social transformation

happen

Christ’s mission, that is, after he has confided to his disciples that he would have to “suffer many things, […] be killed, and on the third day be raised”.

Jesus knows they do not accept this reality — the reality of the Cross, the reality of Jesus’ death —, and so he wants to prepare them to withstand the scandal of the passion and death on the Cross, so that they may know that this is the way through which the heavenly Father will lead his Son to glory; by raising him from the dead.

And this will also be the way for the disciples: no one can reach eternal life if not by following Jesus, carrying their own cross in their earthly life. We can all agree that our country needs conversion. The poverty, injustice, and inequity of our society is difficult to bear.

This is the only conclusion when one is at the frontlines with environmental and human rights defenders, climate justice advocates, and indigenous leaders that are being attacked by the state and corporate interests.

By Adelle Chua

WE WERE second year high school students practicing a dance number for PE, to the tune of Cherish by Madonna.

The lunchtime and after-school practices gave way to an easy companionship – sharing of baon, swapping of stories on teenage misadventures, and good-natured ribbing about not quite getting our aerobic steps right.

It was not the last instance: later on that year, for a class on Technology and Home Economics, we were made to sew our own short pants and model them on a makeshift runway as a culminating activity. We found ourselves gravitating toward each other and deciding on another Madonna song: Vogue.

I particularly remember being uncomfortable because 1. the fabric my grandmother got me for my shorts was itchy and had a too-pink, too-blue floral print, and 2. cutting and sewing evenly were not my strong suit, and the shorts were tight on one thigh and loose on the other.

But while the performances were forgettable, the friendship that came out of them was not. Our group had seven core members, give or take a few who became close to us

for a time but who eventually drifted away.

It was a time before the internet, when summers and Christmas vacations meant we had no way of staying in touch aside from snail mail – you know, kids, the kind of letters your elders wrote longhand on scented stationery, put a stamp on, and sent with the hope it did not get lost among all the other things in the mailbox.

We thought of a name for our group and decided on “Teen Petite,” not realizing that decades later, the “petite” part would be aspirational.

Over the next 30-something years, we embarked on our individual adventures –college, courtship, marriage, children, careers, and other drama – some seeing each other more regularly than others.

There was, moreover, sickness and loss: Tummy was one of us, always the calm, kind, and mature one, ready with a piece of advice that could talk some sense into you without in any way being intrusive. But she had a heart disease that had plagued her since childhood.

I remember my last visit, and as we said goodbye to her from a corner of Makati Med, I wondered whether I would see my friend, my daughter’s ninang, ever again.

I never did. Tummy was gone at age 32.

The rest of us plodded along.

How do we respond to the reality of our sinfulness? Are we like Peter or Judas. Yet we are most fortunate because we have a loving father who is only too eager to extend his mercy to his errant children.

The Transfiguration of Christ was a profound experience witnessed by select Apostles. This divine revelation of Christ’s glorified form was a unique privilege, etched in the memories of the witnesses.

Even years later, St. John recalled the event, emphasizing the awe-inspiring sight of Christ’s glory.

St. Peter, too, writing to churches in Asia Minor, attested to this transformative encounter, underscoring its signifi-

For four days it was just like how it was when we were silly teenagers

The children grew up, the jobs became more demanding, the relationships more challenging.

Our parents grew older, more fragile, and we took care of them but lost some of them, too.

One tried to make a living out of the country.

Last year, to compensate for the time we should have caught up more regularly, we decided to have a weekend getaway when we could just be ourselves, not somebody’s mother or wife/ girlfriend, and certainly

Similarly, the Church presents this story during Lent, a season of self-denial and reflection, to encourage believers in their spiritual journey. Amidst the clamor of false promises urging worldly indulgence, the Transfiguration reminds us of the ultimate destination and the importance of steadfast faith in the Son of God. In mortifying ourselves during Lent, we strive for a future life of glory, guided by the assurance of Christ’s divine presence and promises.

According to Pope Francis, the Transfiguration occurs at a precise moment in

not a professional. So for four days it was just like how it was when we were silly teenagers practicing to those Madonna songs. We were up at dawn, met at the airport, and flew to Bangkok. We shared a giant room for six with its own kitchen and living area, and gorged on pad thai and mango sticky rice. We teased each other about shopping and packing miscalculations, and shared skincare routines, among others. We walked great distances, took what must have been hundreds of pictures, and ate some more. We rode a tuktuk where the driver was a madman zigzagging through the roads of Bangkok, squeezing in between vehicles at rush hour. By the end of the ride, our hearts had fallen to the floor of the vehicle, our fingers gripping the bars from terror.

A consolation: the driver, who was try-

Thirty-eight years after the EDSA revolution succeeded in overthrowing the US-Marcos dictatorship, as I wrote in the last column, our challenges have intensified.

This Lenten season, let us ponder on what we need to all do so that personal and social transformation happen. Like Peter, James, and John, we might be confused now but we will see the light with the Cross and the Resurrection.

Every day in Lent, it serves us all well if we pray, even shout out with passion this beautiful antiphon: “Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.”

Website: tonylavina.com Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

ing to make small talk while displaying his driving prowess, got us to our river cruise on time.

There was a lot of giggling and boisterous laughter, but I thought about Tummy as no doubt the others did even if we did not talk about her. It would have been great to have her around. We came back to Manila on the fourth day, ready to resume the lives we had put on pause. We could no longer be as petite as we were in high school — save for one, perhaps — but we were “Teen Petite” all over again and I felt good and warm and blessed for the lifelong connection.

adellechua@gmail.com

(Adelle Chua is an assistant professor of journalism at the UP College of Mass Communication. She was opinion editor and columnist for this newspaper for 15 years until 2021)

Trial of Austrian ex-chancellor Kurz wraps up

VENNA, Austria – An Austrian court on Friday started hearing statements from a Russian businessman, the final witness in the trial for alleged false testimony of former chancellor Sebastian Kurz, once hailed as a “wunderkind” of Europe’s conservatives.

The judge is expected to rule later Friday on the charge of alleged false testimony following the months-long trial.

Kurz has insisted he is innocent of having misled a parliamentary inquiry probing wide-ranging corruption scandals that brought down his first government with the far-right in 2019.

But the trial and other ongoing corruption investigations have damaged the reputation of the charismatic hardliner, who left politics in 2021.

Kurz, 37, did not speak to media before he entered the courtroom, smiling at the pack of reporters and others present.

The trial’s last day started with testimony from the Russian speaking via video conference from the Austrian embassy in Moscow.

He was called by the defense to discredit the prosecution’s key witness, former government official Thomas Schmid.

After that, the court is expected to hear a rebuttal from Schmid before the closing statements. AFP

West Bank drone strike killed militant planning attack – army

JERUSALEM –Israel’s army said Friday a Palestinian militant on his way to carry out a shooting attack was killed in a drone strike in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin a day earlier.

Yasser Hanun from the Islamic Jihad group had previously been detained for his involvement in the “terrorist organisation’s military activities,” the army said in a statement. The resident of Jenin refugee camp

“was eliminated while en route to carry out another shooting attack,” the statement said, without giving further details.

A witness said weapons in the car exploded after the strike on Thursday.

Hanun was involved in several shooting attacks targeting Israeli communities as well as shooting at soldiers and military posts in the West Bank, the army said. Palestinian news agency Wafa said two people were killed and four others wounded in the strike.

AFP footage showed a car severely burned from the hit, it’s roof torn as if by a can opener.

“Two successive missiles” struck the car, Usayd Shelbi, who witnessed

the strike, told AFP. “The situation was dangerous. The weapons in the car were exploding,” he said. The drone strike in Jenin came after three Palestinian gunmen opened fire at cars on a congested West Bank highway near a Jewish settlement on Thursday, killing an Israeli man and wounding eight others.

The gunmen were killed.

The West Bank has seen a surge in violence, to levels unseen in nearly two decades, since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began on Oct. 7. Israeli troops and settlers have killed at least 400 Palestinians in the West Bank since the war began, according to the health ministry in Ramallah.

Afghanistan – Taliban authorities publicly executed two men convicted of murder in a football stadium in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.

Both men were executed by multiple gunshots to the back in Ghazni city after Supreme Court official Atiqullah Darwish read aloud a death warrant signed by Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

“These two people were convicted of the crime of murder,” Darwish said. “After two years of trial in the courts

Biden holds poignant meeting with Navalny’s daughter, widow

SAN FRANCISCO – The Gaza war erupted after an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel which resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza has left at least 29,410 Palestinians dead, most of them women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

President Joe Biden had a private, emotional meeting with the widow and daughter of Alexei Navalny in California on Thursday, as his administration announced fresh sanctions against Russia over the death of the Kremlin opposition leader.

The visit at a hotel in San Francisco

of the country, the order has been signed.”

Thousands of people gathered in the stadium to witness the executions.

Families of the convicted men’s victims were present, including women and children, and were asked if they wanted to grant the condemned a last-minute reprieve, but they declined in both cases.

Relatives were also offered to carry out the execution themselves, in line with Taliban government implementation of Islamic law, but members of the security forces

came as the White House backed Navalny’s mother in her fight to retrieve her son’s body, which Russian authorities have refused to release days after he died in an Arctic prison.

Navalny’s team says the 47-yearold, President Vladimir Putin’s most outspoken critic, was murdered.

Biden could be seen hugging Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s widow, and leaning forward as he spoke with her and daughter Dasha, a student at Stanford University, in images released by the White House.

The president’s own history of loss — his first wife and his infant daughter were killed in a car crash in 1972, while his son Beau died of cancer in 2015 — has seen him often referred to as America’s Consoler-in-Chief. AFP

killed both men after they refused.

The executed were identified as Said Jamal and Gul Khan, both guilty of knife murders in September 2017 and January 2022 respectively, according to a Supreme Court statement.

The statement said Akhundzada had conducted an “extraordinary investigation” into their cases.

The Taliban administration in Kabul has not been officially recognized by any other government since it took power in 2021 and installed its strict interpretation of Islamic law. AFP

Islamic Jihad is fighting alongside Hamas militants in Gaza.

On Thursday, Israel launched deadly air strikes on Rafah after threatening to send troops in to hunt for Hamas militants in the southern Gaza city where around 1.4 million Palestinians have sought refuge.

Another 97 people were killed over the past 24 hours in Hamas-run Gaza, the health ministry said, as a US envoy was in Israel for fresh efforts to secure a truce. International concern has spiralled over the territory’s escalating civilian death toll and the desperate humanitarian crisis sparked by the war that followed Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack against Israel. AFP

US to level more sanctions as Russia claims Ukraine

gains

MOSCOW – President Vladimir Putin on Friday hailed the “authentic heroes” fighting in Ukraine on the eve of the second anniversary of the offensive, bolstered by gains against ammunition-starved Ukrainian troops.

Putin’s message came on Moscow’s “Defender of the Fatherland Day” patriotic holiday, which has always been a chance for military pomp and Kremlin-sponsored patriotism.

In Washngton, DC, President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the US Congress to approve additional aid for Kyiv, saying in an interview broadcast Thursday (Friday in Manila) a failure to do so will cost Ukrainian lives.

The United States plans to impose sanctions Friday on more than 500 targets involved in Russia’s war in Ukraine, as Moscow claims fresh battlefield advances two years after its invasion.

Ukraine, grappling with hold-ups to much-needed Western military aid, has been pushed back from the front line in recent months.

Already outgunned, Kyiv is rationing ammunition as political wrangling in Washington, Ukraine’s biggest ally, stalls a critically needed $60-billion aid package.

Russia has for months been ramping up arms production and driving massive resources into its renewed offensive, exacting an enormous human toll.

“There are no more tears, our country has been going through what has been happening for two years now,” Oleksandra Terekhovych said as Ukraine endures another winter at war.

“We live with horror inside of us.”

The Russian defence ministry on Thursday announced the capture of Pobeda (‘victory’ in Russian), a frontline village about five kilometres (three miles) west of Donetsk city.

Last week, it said it had seized the former Ukrainian stronghold of Avdiivka.

With no end to the war in sight, Ukraine’s army is struggling with recruitment as well as depleted resources. AFP

DRONE STRIKE. People inspect a burned car in Jenin on Friday after a Palestinian man was killed and four others wounded in an Israeli strike on a car in Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said. The drone strike in Jenin came after three Palestinian gunmen opened fire at cars on a congested West Bank highway near a Jewish settlement on Thursday, killing an Israeli man and wounding eight others. AFP

MEMORIAL SERVICE. Relatives and friends attend a funeral ceremony for Valentyna Leonicheva, 74, Lyudmyla Kravchenko, 46, Sergiy Kravchenko, 23, at the site of their home, destroyed by a Russian missile strike, in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, on Friday amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP

FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS. Activists of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) dressed as aliens feed on mock up human meat during a protest urging people to go vegan in Mumbai on Feb. 23, 2024. AFP

BOI clears P329-b Danish offshore wind projects in PH

THE Board of Investments (BOI) said Friday its One-Stop Action Center for Strategic Investments (OSAC-SI) granted a green lane certification to Copenhagen Infrastructure New Market Fund Philippines Corp. (CINMF PH) for its three offshore wind power projects in North Samar, Pangasinan, La Union, Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte provinces on Feb. 19, 2024.

Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo presented the green lane certificates of endorsement to CINMF PH executives during a brief awarding ceremony at the BOI main office in Makati City.

A pioneer in offshore wind projects, CINMF PH is the first 100-percent foreign-owned company to be awarded renewable energy service contracts in the Philippines. It is an affiliate of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), the world’s largest fund manager dedicated to renewable energy investments and a global leader in offshore wind.

CINMF PH was awarded with three wind energy service contracts in the Philippines in March 2023. The offshore wind projects will have a combined capacity of up to 2,000 megawatts (MW) of power, with a variety of components including wind turbines, foundations, cables and substations.

The specific configuration will be defined through a rigorous procurement process, additional engineering and environmental evaluations re-

PAL named Asia’s most punctual airline in January

By Darwin G. Amojelar

CIRIUM, a London-based aviation industry source for data analytics, identified Philippine Airlines as the most punctual airline in the AsiaPacific region in January 2024, with an impressive 86.85-percent on-time performance.

PAL moved up to the number one ranking in January, a month after securing the second most punctual Asia-Pacific airline rank in December 2023.

“Philippine Airlines was the regional leader in January with an OTP of 86.85 percent, a near 4-point improvement from December’s performance,” Cirium said.

“We thank our PAL Group team for the dynamic team effort and commitment towards enhancing business efficiency and operational performance. We are likewise grateful to our government authorities for ongoing airport and airspace system improvements that enabled us to perform more efficiently,” PAL president and chief operating officer Capt. Stanley Ng said in a statement.

“Philippine Airlines will continue to work in unison with government and industry partners to sustain and boost on-time performance in the interest of the flying public and the travel and tourism industry at large,” Ng said.

quired by both national and international legislation and norms.

Niels Holst, partner and co-head of the Growth Markets Fund lauded the Marcos administration’s vision for renewable energy, pointing out that CIP’s portfolio of projects in the Philippines presents an exciting prospect of accelerated deployment of offshore wind in the country.

“The Marcos government’s vision for renewables has been instrumental in attracting significant interest from a global leader in offshore wind like CIP, first with the removal of the foreign equity restrictions in November 2022, then the issuance of Executive Order 21 in April 2023 for a coordinated approach to offshore wind, and now the award of the Green Lane status to our projects, which we highly welcome,” Holst told BOI officials.

Przemek Lupa, associate partner and Asia Pacific lead for the Growth Markets Fund said significant work has been done by their teams to progress the three projects since the execution of the wind energy service contracts in March last year.

DUTY-FREE TOUR.

Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) director-general Ernesto Perez (left) and Duty Free Philippines Corp. chief operating officer Vicente Pelagio Angala lead a tour of the latter’s facility at Ninoy Aquino Ave. in Paranaque City on Feb. 23, 2024. ARTA checks the company’s compliance with the requirements of Republic Act No. 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018. Joseph Muego

DOE to release nuclear power roadmap in February

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Department of Energy (DOE) will release the nuclear power roadmap this month to pave the way for the country’s first nuclear facility by 2033, an official said Friday.

“Our roadmap means that if we have an objective in 2033, we have to do so many things to prepare our capacities and our supply chain so that we can build a nuclear power plant by then,” DOE Undersecretary Sharon Garin said at the sidelines of the agency’s business to business matching event.

She said the roadmap spells out the responsibilities of each agency towards the realization of the country’s nuclear power industry. “How many scientists we need, what do the schools need, what our campaigns will be, and everything else,” Garin said.

Garin said the DOE identified 12 possible sites to install a nuclear power facility, but still needed to conduct site evaluation.

She said among the considerations are safety and structural integrity during earthquakes, which means the facilities should be away from fault lines.

“We have done desktop review for siting through our multi-agency committees,” Garin said. She said the roadmap excludes the mothballed 620-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. “But we need funding for the feasibility of Bataan. And we’re working on that also,” Garin said. She said the new feasibility study would update the previous studies conducted on BNPP.

“The previous one is not enough. So we want a new feasibility study. And Korea is willing to do that. We are just waiting for some approvals or disapprovals. But it will also determine our path...If we don’t finish the feasibility study this year, at least we can already decide. Do we go with Bataan or no? So at least, we can do some decision-making based on the

feasibility study,” Garin said. Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the DOE is pursuing nuclear as the agency is “open to all technologies.”

“Right now, we are not looking at renewable energy as providing for example baseload power. We need other sources of power in order to balance the viability of the renewable energy, but at some point, it is possible that new technologies, including energy systems,” he said.

He said the DOE wanted to roll out its programs once the relevant laws are passed.

“There are some indications that okay, if the regulatory and legal framework is already in place, then the commercial roll out of certain nuclear technologies are going to be there, then we can start planning for 2032 at the earliest,” the energy chief said.

He said DOE was looking at a modest figure of 1,200 MW of nuclear generation capacity by 2032.

Bangko Sentral issues taxonomy guidelines on sustainable finance

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said Friday its policy-making Monetary Board approved the adoption of the Philippine Sustainable Finance Taxonomy Guidelines (SFTG) for banks to promote sustainable finance. The SFTG is a classification tool for identifying whether an economic activity is environmentally and socially sustainable.

BSP Governor and Monetary Board chairman Eli Remolona Jr. said the issuance of a taxonomy is a crucial step in our sustainability journey. “It provides high level guidance in determining the greenness of an investment. But this is just the first step to what I expect

DOTr opens Laguindingan airport bidding to Aboitiz challengers

THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) is inviting local and international companies to challenge the unsolicited proposal submitted by Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. for the upgrade, expansion, operations and maintenance of the Laguindingan International Airport.

The Laguindingan International Airport PPP Project, an unsolicited proposal from Aboitiz InfraCapital, was accepted by DOTr and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) following the provisions of Republic Act No. 11966 or the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code of the Philippines.

The comparative challenge process involves the submission of comparative proposals to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain the Laguindingan International Airport under a 30-year concession period.

Swiss Challenge is a form of procurement, usually required in an unsolicited project, that provides other parties an opportunity to challenge the bid of the proponent.

“The comparative challenge process will be conducted pursuant to and in accordance with the procurement rules and procedures applicable for unsolicited proposals set out in the PPP Code,” the DOTr said.

The agency said prospective challengers may participate in the challenge process and be given access to the virtual data room upon payment of a non-refundable participation fee of P250,000 or $4,500.

The Laguindingan International Airport upgrade project was identified as one of the infrastructure flagship projects of the national government.

It aims to enhance connectivity to the Northern Mindanao region, which includes the five provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon and Camiguin, along with the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. Darwin G. Amojelar

MerryMart raises 2030 target revenues to P150b on aggressive expansion plan

GROCERY chain operator MerryMart Consumer Corp. (MM) said Friday it is upgrading its 2030 target revenues to P150 billion from P120 billion on aggressive expansion plan.

“The MerryMart Group is steadfast and determined to transform MerryMart Consumer Corp. as a major consumer group in the Philippines with the adjusted 2030 vision to generate consolidated systemwide sales revenue of P150 billion,” MM said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

It said it continues to expand its brickand-mortar stores which now reached 127 operating branches. It recently added

a new two-hectare distribution center in Laguna which would be operational this year. The center will cater to MM stores in South Luzon. This is expected to widen MM’s market coverage and make its current logistics operations more efficient. MM said that aside from its planned new distribution center, it also planned to roll out two in Luzon, three in Visayas and three in Mindanao to achieve the first 10 network nationwide. MM said it is also enhancing its wholesale’s super app, which saw an exponential growth in registered users. Jenniffer B. Austria

will be a long iterative process of calibrating the document to fully capture the conditions of the Philippine economy,” he said. The first version of the SFTG focuses on two environmental objectives such as climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation. Future iterations will cover biodiversity and circular economy.

The SFTG uses the traffic light system such as “green,” “amber” or “red” in classifying an activity: “Green” is for to SFTG-aligned activity, “amber” for partially aligned and “red” for not aligned. An “amber” classification includes activities that are in transition to remedy an actual or potential harm done. Darwin G. Amojelar

Aboitiz, partner complete purchase of Coca-Cola PH

By Jenniffer B. Austria

CONGLOMERATE Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV) announced Friday that it, together with partner Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Plc. (CCEP), completed the acquisition of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. (CCBPI). AEV and CCEP acquired CCBPI from The Coca- Cola Company (TCCC) for $1.8 billion.

“CCBPI, the exclusive bottler and distributor of TCCC products in the Philippines, is profitable and has attractive growth prospects,” AEV said. Under the terms of the deal, AEV acquired 40-percent stake in CCBPI, while CCEP purchased the remaining 60 percent. The closing transaction was finalized after all conditions precedent to the transactions were completed as of Feb. 23, 2024, the parties said in a statement.

AEV and CCEP received early this month clearance from the Philippine Competition Commission for the transaction.

“The acquisition would build on AEV’s portfolio diversification into the branded consumer goods space,” AEV said.

GINEBRA’S AWARD. Ginebra San Miguel Inc. (GSMI) bags the Award of Excellence in the recently concluded 20th Philippine Quill Awards for its television commercial ‘Huling Patak ng Bagong Tapang’ under the marketing, advertising and brand communication category. Representing GSMI during the awarding are (from left) GSMI brand manager Edwin Raphael Tobias, business intelligence research head Ma. Lourdes Ozaeta, business intelligence manager Jorgette Kristine Bulacja, group product manager Paolo Jose Tupaz, marketing manager Ron Molina, business affairs and communications manager Nadia Abcede, brand assistant Vanica Bernal, The Huddle Room chairman and CEO Dimples Cruz and Dentsu Philippines country CEO JC Catibog.

SM’S 85TH MALL. The SM Group continues its commitment to spur local economic growth and homegrown brands through its property arm SM Prime Holdings Inc. SM Supermalls opened the doors of its 85th mall in Santo Tomas, Batangas on Oct. 27, 2023. Situated at the foot of the picturesque Mt. Makiling, SM City Sto. Tomas is located just south of Manila. The opening marks another milestone in the group’s strategic development towards the regions, making it accessible to other nearby growth centers such as Laguna and Quezon, and a gateway to what the city and Batangueños can offer. This is the fourth mall in the province, following the openings of SM City Batangas, SM City Lipa, and SM Center Lemery in 2004, 2006 and 2017, respectively.

Diamante shines for Knights; Lions win

GEORGE Diamante went on a second half tear as he powered Letran to an 86-69 victory over previously unbeaten Mapua on Friday and back into back-to-back title contention in NCAA Season 99 junior basketball at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

The 6’5” co-Defensive Player of the Year a season ago erupted for 28 points, 21 of which came in the second half when the Squires turned a onepoint halftime deficit into their fourth victory in five outings.

It was also Diamante, who sparked that dizzying blitz unleashed by the reigning champions in the third quarter when they outscored the Red Robins, 28-13, which included 10 from Letran’s athletic big. He completed his strong performance with 13 rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block.

It came just a couple of days after he dropped a blistering 21-point, 16-carom, eight-dime, four-steal and one-block masterpiece in an 88-79 triumph over Lyceum of the Philippines U. Mapua absorbed its first defeat after four wins in a row.

In the second game, San Beda shut down College of St. Benilde in the final minute and a half to snatch a gripping 64-62 victory, the former’s third in five outings.

Down by two points, the Red Cubs threw the defensive anvil on the Junior Blazers and held them to just a

Ancajas seeks KO win in WBA fight vs. Inoue

By Randy Caluag

JERWIN Ancajas has gained the respect of his opponent due to his courteous demeanor and his impressive boxing profile.

With 24 knockouts in 34 victories, Ancajas has established himself as a formidable force. This reputation will be put to the test as he faces Takuma Inoue for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Super bantamweight title at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.

Inoue, the defending champion with an 18-1 win-loss record, acknowledges

Ancajas as his biggest challenge in the ring and even refers to him as his idol.

“He is the best fighter I’ll ever face, so I want to be focused. I want to fight until the end, and I want to win the fight,” said Inoue during the press conference following their weigh-in on Friday.

The younger brother of the renowned Japanese Monster Naoya Inoue expressed his respect for Ancajas, say-

ing he had watched Ancajas’ fights and would only realize the challenge when they finally meet in the ring on Saturday. Both Ancajas and Takuma successfully made the 118-pound weight limit. Ancajas is entering his most significant fight since moving up to a heavier weight class after holding the International Boxing Federation’s 115-pound title from 2016 to 2022. Ancajas faced back-to-back setbacks in the sunset of his superflyweight career, bowing twice to Fernando Daniel Martinez, in losing his belt in February 2022, and experiencing another defeat in October of the same year, both by unanimous decision.

Rebounding keys Gilas’ breakaway in 2nd half vs. HK

AT first, Hong Kong managed to surprise an undermanned Gilas Pilipinas with the duo of Shiu Wah Leung and Ricky Wang pulling through with big plays in the first half.

But Team Philippines still pulled through by dominating the boards and stamping their class in the middle as they crushed Hong Kong, 94-64, at the start of their campaign in the FIBA Asia Cup

2025 Qualifiers Thursday night at the Tsuen Wan Stadium in Hong Kong.

Gilas, which missed two key players to injury, finally got their game going, with returning cager Justin Brownlee leading the way and finishing with 16 points and seven rebounds. This was Brownlee’s first match after steering to the Philippines to the gold in the 19th Asian Games.

Brownlee got the support of big men

Kevin Quiambao and Kai Sotto as the second half got under way, with the Philippines slightly ahead, 41-37.

Chino Hills, California.

By Peter Atencio

LAUREN Hoffman will most likely get a universality slot to the Paris Olympics.

The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association has entered Hoffman’s name as an official representative of the Philippines, next to the country’s top pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena.

The 24-year-old Hoffman, whose entry now awaits official confirmation from World Athletics, got picked after she joined six women’s 400-meter hurdle events last year. This earned Hoffman enough points to be in contention for Olympic qualification. With the outdoor season set to resume by April, the Virginia-based Hoffman now has world quota rank of no. 31, three ahead of Robyn Brown (34), who is from

“We entered her name in the (Olympic qualification) system, for a change of status. Now, we wait for formal word from World Athletics,” said PATAFA secretary general Jasper Tanhueco.

Under the universality rule, National Olympic Committees may enter one male athlete and one female athlete if they have no athletes of that gender meeting the entry standard.

A total of 40 will be picked by the International Association Athletics Federation to be part of the Paris meet.

Before Hoffman was signed in for a universality slot, she and Brown needed stay within qualification ranking range or hit the entry standard time of 54.85 seconds during the indoor season between July 2023 to June 2024.

When the outdoor season starts late

“I thought Hong Kong came and played a great first half and shocked us,” said Cone.

Hong Kong ended their encounter with Leung leading the way and with the help of Wang, who made 15 points on five treys.

The Chinese cagers managed to keep matters close at halftime, 41-37, with Oliver Xu’s driving layup in the last two seconds.

“We did not think that they would play as well they did. Number 6 (Shiu) and no. 10 (Wang) really surprised us with their ability to pursue and shoot the ball, and Yang to be able to get to the rim. So we were surprised and tentative,” added Cone as they got over their experience with the Hong Kong ballers.

The Philippines’ defense and Sotto’s dominant presence under the boards saw Gilas moving ahead by 25 points, 71-46, before the fourth canto got under way.

With Gilas taking control of the boards

this year, Hoffman will see action in four IAAF meets to earn points and maybe the hit the entry standard time.

Tanhueco said the PATAFA seeks to have three Philippine representatives in the Paris Olympics, with Obiena already qualified.

John Cabang Tolentino is seeking Olympic qualification in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, with his ranking now up at 30, from 37 last week.

Tolentino is set to join the World Indoor Championships set to start on March 1, with Obiena.

Recently, Hoffman obliterated the Philippine national record in the women’s indoor 400-meter run, when she finished second in the heats at 53.71 seconds at the Clemson Paw Invitationals at the Clemson Indoor Track & Field Complex in South Carolina.

through Sotto, they managed to come up with 56 rebounds, with Hong Kong struggling with 24.

Quiambao unloaded 15 points while the 7’2” Sotto ended up with 13 points and 15 rebounds for Gilas.

Dwight Ramos also helped control the boards with nine points and six rebounds.

The Philippines moved away when Brownlee unleashed a trey, which came during a 10-2 run, moving Gilas away from a 43-39 lead to a 62-45 edge lead with 2:57 remaining in the third.

Only 11 players will see action in first window, with June Mar Fajardo out on a calf injury, and AJ Edu out of comission due to a meniscus tear.

Japeth Aguilar, who has un-retired because of Gilas’ manpower situation, played 11 minutes for six points, three rebounds, and two steals.

The Philippines will next host Chinese Taipei on Sunday at the Philsports Arena. Peter Atencio

Ancajas’ manager, Joven Jimenez, decided that his ward should move up to a more comfortable weight as he earned the title fight against Inoue after a convincing victory over Wilner Soto of Colombia with a fifth-round knockout.

Despite the courteous gestures exchanged between Ancajas and Inoue during their first meeting, including bows, smiles, and handshakes, Ancajas is determined to deliver an impressive win on fight night. “Maganda kung knockout,” he vowed. Before Ancajas steps into the ring, another Filipino fighter, Jonas Sultan, will see action against Riku Masuda in an eight-round bantamweight contest.

Crossovers aim for solo lead against Athletics

WITH a deep roster, Chery Tiggo coach Kung Fu Reyes is optimistic about their title campaign in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, eyeing win No. 2 against Strong Group at resumption of the elims at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Saturday (Feb. 24).

New recruits Ara Galang and Aby Maraño helped deliver the goods as the Crossovers rolled past the debuting Capital 1 Solar Spikers in last Tuesday’s inaugurals of the league’s centerpiece tournament.

Pitted against another newcomer in the Athletics at 2 p.m., Reyes anticipates minimal resistance, considering the opponent’s recent three-set loss to the Petro Gazz Angels.

Despite the challenge of managing a lineup with added star power, Reyes views it as a “good problem” while underscoring the importance of assessing players’ performance in training.

“It’s a good problem,” Reyes said in jest.

He acknowledges the abundance of outside hitters but expresses confidence in the reliability of his talented squad, which includes Mylene Paat, Cza Carandang, Cess Robles, Pauline Gaston, Shaya Adorado and the Laure sisters – EJ and Eya.

“Somehow, masakit sa ulo, madami kaming outside hitters,” said Reyes. “Ang magiging gauge namin is kung sino yung 100 percent, sino ang mas maganda ang performance, sino ang pinaka-consistent sa training.”

Takuma Inoue and Jerwin Ancajas are shown during their weighin. Wendell Rupert Alinea

JOEL D. LACSAMANA, Editor

AYALA Malls, a unit of real estate giant Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), is investing P13 billion for the redevelopment of four of its iconic malls in Metro Manila and Cebu in response to changing consumer preferences in the digital and postpandemic era.

Leading the charge to transform the customer retail experience with the redevelopment of ALI’s flagship malls this 2024, is ALI Director and Senior Vice President for Leasing and Ayala Malls President Mariana Beatriz Zobel de Ayala. Bold ambition Her strategy involves transforming Ayala Malls’ four premier malls -Glorietta, Greenbelt, TriNoma, and Ayala Center Cebu (a total of about 400,000 square meters of gross leasable area) -- to address the needs and tastes of a new era. “Ayala Malls wants to redefine third spaces, to give customers exciting memorable places where they can interact with each other and the brands they love,” explained Zobel. “This bold ambition is the heart of the visionary reinvention of Ayala Malls.”

In a press briefing last week , Zobel noted that “this is the first time in our history that we will embark on renovating at least four of our major flagship malls at once.” The P13 billion budget does not include Greenbelt 1 which will be completely rebuilt.

“Ayala Malls wants to redefine third spaces, to give customers exciting memorable places where they can interact with each other and the brands they love. This bold ambition is the heart of the visionary reinvention of Ayala Malls,” Zobel added.

Changes to stay relevant

Noting that some of these malls are already 30 years old, Ayala Malls Inc. Chief Operating Officer Paul Andrew Birkett said, “we are now at this revolutionary stage where we

Ayala malls get P13-b ‘reinvention’

NEW SPACES. The architects behind Ayala

have to make changes in order to stay relevant.”

For this, ALI has tapped global experts, foreign architects and designers: Buchan of Australia for Glorietta and Ayala Center Cebu, Gensler of the US for Greenbelt, and CAN Design Ltd of Hong Kong for TriNoma.

The redevelopment will start this quarter for the four malls with TriNoma set to be the first to be completed in the last quarter of 2025 while Glorietta, Greenbelt 2, and Ayala Center Cebu to be finished in 2026. Greenbelt 1, which will be a new build, will be closed by April 2024 and will be completed

Designing legacies

ALSONS

The new residential community is strategically located within Avia Estate, SOCCSKSARGEN Region’s first township development that in-

tegrates prime residential communities, first-class leisure amenities, wide retail and commercial offerings, reputable educational institutions, and government support facilities in one address.

Exterior and interior features will be refreshed to reflect a modern and fresh aesthetic, intuitive wayfinding and circulation, and a more cohesive customer experience.

Lush greeneries and open spaces—a signature Ayala Mall feature—will continue to be a key element, with outdoor parks and al fresco spaces seamlessly integrated into the mall dynamics. Sustainability, a facet of the new design

“The redevelopment will unleash the full potential of the malls’ retail spaces, enhance areas for convergence and experiences, and create spaces

STRUCTURAl topping off for the Urban Deca Cubao was recently held by 8990 Holdings Inc and Megawide Construction Corporation. Urban Deca Cubao is a 47-storey, high rise mixed-use development, the latest project built by Megawide for 8990.

The

that challenge Ayala Malls’ retailers to bring their best,” Zobel declared.

Sustainability is also an important facet of the new design, and will allow businesses to grow and flourish, while being more efficient in its operations with lower environmental impact.

The makeover will not just focus on aesthetics but will enrich the overall mall experience, Zobel said. Each Ayala Mall will be a remarkable space where customers can discover and enjoy unique and best-inclass experiences for retail, dining, entertainment, and leisure.

There will be a reimagined mix of local and global brands that are

specially curated for each mall’s market and communities, and new concepts for customers to discover.

Re-setting priorities

Speaking to the Manila Standard, Zobel acknowledged that “much has changed for all of us – both during and before the pandemic.”

“We’ve seen habits changes, preferences evolve, and priorities re-set. With this, we feel it is an opportunity to usher in a new era for Ayala Malls – and a new experience for our customers,” she noted. “What motivates us in all that we do is the opportunity to build spaces that people love,” she averred.

BUILDING

Malls’ redevelopment. (From left to right) : Mariana Zobel de Ayala, President of Ayala Malls; Paul Birkett, Chief Operating Officer of Ayala Malls; AC Legarda, Vice President of Ayala Malls and Area Head for Greenbelt; Hamm Katipunan, Area Head of Makati.

1 in 2 cybersecurity pros say formal education useless in current job

AMID acute shortages of cybersecurity professionals, acting information security (InfoSec) experts are questioning the relevance of the formal education they received, Kaspersky’s new global research shows. The survey revealed that one in two cybersecurity professionals were not able to confirm the usefulness of their academic training when it came to helping them in their role. As a result, these experts have to invest their resources in further training to tackle the ever-evolving threat landscape and keep up with industry developments.

According to ISC2, the world’s leading organization for cybersecurity professionals, the existing cybersecurity workforce needs to grow almost twofold to run at full capacity and support the global economy. To explore the root causes for the current cybersecurity skills shortage and the lack of InfoSec professionals, Kaspersky commissioned a global study that takes a closer look at the educational aspects of the problem and the influence it has on the career paths of these experts.

Many InfoSec experts point out that the education system is detached from the realities of cybersecurity, resulting in a lack of applicability when it comes to real-life work experience: almost every other professional believes the knowledge taught in formal education was somewhat (14%), slightly (13%) useful or of no use at all (24%) when it came to fulfilling their job duties.

To determine the factors that might be holding back the educational field, respondents were asked whether:

• the training staff in their college or university were experienced in cybersecurity

Many InfoSec experts point out that

a lack of applicability when it comes to real-life

• they had access to the latest technologies and equipment

• they were provided with experience in real-life cybersecurity incidents

• they were offered internships with real job experience

Less than half of respondents said their college or university program offered them hands-on experience in reallife cybersecurity scenarios as live projects: 23 percent “strongly agreed” with this statement, and 26 percent “somewhat agreed”. In addition, access to the latest technologies and equipment, and the quality of internships emerged as the weakest aspects of cybersecurity education for most regions.

The regional picture varies with respect to the way respondents perceive the quality of the formal training they’ve received. The META region turned out to have the poorest quality of cybersecurity education as judged by respondents, as it scores less than 3 points on all assessment criteria, while LATAM has the highest-rated cybersecurity learning schemes, scoring

certain challenges when it comes to keeping up with developments in the cybersecurity industry,” comments Evgeniya Russkikh, Head of Cybersecurity Education at Kaspersky. “The rapidly evolving nature of cyber threats means that educational programs often struggle to ensure their content is up to date, leaving cybersecurity professionals with knowledge gaps. At Kaspersky, we help universities overcome these challenges and ensure continual learning and adaptation for young professionals by integrating the leading expertise of our industry experts into educational curriculums so that they combine practical hands-on experience with theoretical knowledge.”

To tackle the cybersecurity skills shortage, Kaspersky suggests a multifaceted approach focused on the academic field, the InfoSec workforce, and businesses:

1. Higher education institutions can upgrade their curriculums by partnering cybersecurity players and integrating the latest industry knowledge into their training programs. Kaspersky has a special program for universities to integrate cybersecurity expertise: the Kaspersky Academy Alliance, which offers program participants access to world-class knowledge on cyberthreats, lectures and training sessions, as well as the latest technologies.

2. Young professionals can supplement their academic training with real-life job experience by completing an internship in an information security or R&D departments. Follow the news on Kaspersky’s LinkedIn page to be the first to find out about openings in the internship program.

more than 3.7 points on average.

While one issue is the quality and relevance of educational programs, another is the availability of cybersecurity and InfoSec training per se. For instance, half of the current cybersecurity experts believe that

the availability of cybersecurity or information security courses in formal higher education is either “poor” or “very poor”. Among professionals with 2-5 years of experience, this figure soars to more than 80 percent.

“Cybersecurity education is facing

ePLDT, the ICT subsidiary of PLDT, is now Alibaba Cloud’s Premium Partner in the country in a move demonstrating its commitment to serving the digital needs of local enterprises through leading cloud solutions. With the expanded multi-cloud portfolio, including Alibaba Cloud, ePLDT becomes more equipped to better support its enterprise and public service customers in their digital transformation.

By integrating PLDT Group’s robust telecommunication and digital infrastructure with Alibaba Cloud’s proven technologies, the partnership aims to deliver cloud solutions with a focus on cloud computing, storage, and security to support local enterprises. For instance, Alibaba Cloud’s hybrid backup recovery and hybrid disaster recovery provide an additional layer of assurance for customers enhancing their security stance as their data resides in the cloud.

As the leading public cloud service provider in Asia Pacific, Alibaba Cloud launched a local data center in the Philippines in 2021. It offers proven cloud technologies, including elastic compute services, database storage and back-up, disaster recovery, security, and machine learning and data analytics capabilities.

“This alliance with Alibaba Cloud is a substantial step towards helping more local enterprises in their digital transformation journey,” said Victor S. Genuino, President and CEO of ePLDT and VITRO, Inc. “As we continue to help companies navigate through the complexities of technology, we also pave the way for a digitally transformed Philippines.”

The partnership also aims to support the growing interest of local enterprises in adopting cloud technology. This was based on an Alibaba Cloud commissioned survey unveiled in 2023 where they found that 85% of Philippine businesses plan to fully migrate to the cloud within two years. Over 90% say they

will increase cloud investments in 2023 driven by the rapid growth of the local data center market and the government’s steadfast plan for digitalization.

“Alibaba Cloud has always been committed to empowering local enterprises wherever we operate,” said Allen Guo, General Manager for the Philippines, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. “Together with PLDT Enterprise, ePLDT, we aim to support Philippine businesses with proven and trustworthy cloud solutions that meet their digitalization goals.”

ePLDT is Alibaba Cloud’s first Premium Partner in the Philippines for 2024.

As Alibaba Cloud continues to expand its footprint in the country, the PLDT Group stands ready to support its growth by providing connectivity and digital in-

frastructure needs. “This partnership is a testament to PLDT’s ability to provide our enterprise customers with end-to-end business solutions that span connectivity and digital infrastructure to network, cloud, and data center offerings,” said Jojo Gendrano, SVP & Head of Enterprise Business Group at PLDT and Smart. “PLDT is always prepared to support enterprises in their digital pivot, helping them achieve their desired business outcomes. Together, we aim to support our collective vision with both public and private sectors, contributing to the advancement of the country’s digital thrust.”

To learn more about ePLDT’s multicloud offerings, contact your Relationship Manager or visit www.ePLDT.com

3. International competitions run by various companies and organizations also provide cybersecurity professionals with a chance to develop their skills by solving various cybersecurity challenges. Kaspersky runs the Secur’IT Cup, a global competition for students from all over the world and from various academic backgrounds. Participants have the chance to compete for an award while building an understanding of what it is like to work in the industry.

4. Acting cybersecurity professionals can opt for continuous learning, undertaking additional training courses and certifications. Kaspersky provides a wide range of knowledge on information security for IT professionals, offering both professional education for individuals and corporate training.

AS part of its bold and responsible AI innovation, Google announced that Bard is now called Gemini which comes with a paid version namely Gemini Advanced. Currently accessible via web, Gemini and Gemini Advanced will soon be available in the country as apps on iOS and Android. The rationale behind naming Bard as Gemini stems from the intent of reflecting the advanced technology of Google powering the generative or chatbot AI. Gemini is available today in over 40 languages and more than 230 countries and territories at no cost including the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Gemini Advanced is a subscription service powered by Google’s largest and most capable state-ofthe-art AI model to date, Ultra 1.0. In blind evaluations with third-party raters, Gemini Advanced is now the most preferred chatbot compared to leading alternatives. Gemini Advanced is far more capable at highly complex tasks like coding, logical reasoning, following nuanced instructions and collaborating on creative projects. Gemini Advanced not only allows people to have longer, more detailed conversations; it also better understands the context from previous prompts.

For example, Gemini Advanced can be a personal tutor — creating stepby-step instructions, sample quizzes or back-and-forth discussions tailored to learning styles. It can also help with more advanced coding scenarios, serving as a sounding board for ideas and different coding approaches. It can help digital creators as well to go from idea to creation by generating fresh content, analyzing recent trends and brainstorming improved ways to grow their audiences, and so much more!

Gemini Advanced is available as part of the new Google One AI Premium Plan for $19.99/month, starting with a two-month trial at no cost. This plan gives people the best of Google AI and Google’s latest advancements, along with all the benefits of the existing Google One Premium plan, such as 2TB of storage. In addition, AI Premium subscribers will soon be able to use Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Slides, Sheets and more (formerly known as Duet AI).

Gemini has already rolled out on Android and iOS phones as an app in the U.S. in English, and will be fully available in the coming weeks. Soon, people will be able to access it in more locations, countries and languages.

Try Gemini on the web now: gemini. google.com.

the education system is detached from the realities of cybersecurity, resulting in

work experience

By Jasper G. Valdez

FThese devices had smaller screens, sported protruding hinges, and came with the mini version of the telephone keypad, the opposite of what we see in production and use in the present.

Foldable phones of today are leagues above compared to their ancestors. They’re designed to be bigger and thinner in form, all screen with smaller bezels, sans the protruding hinges, and packing the most recent camera setup and processing chip. Take for example HONOR’s newest entry into the foldable device block of the smartphone market, the Magic V2.

The latest iteration in the Chinese smartphone maker’s Magic V series, the HONOR Magic V2 encapsulates what a foldable smartphone should be—compromising little and giving its users a performance worthy of applause.

Let’s breakdown the reasons why: Thinnest of them all

Out of all the book-style folded phones available now, the HONOR Magic V2 takes the crown when it comes to being the thinnest and lightest.

Weighing at only 231g and measuring a mere 4.7mm when unfolded and 9.9mm thick when folded, this device is a marvel of mobile engineering. This extra compact composition makes it a more portable option as a daily driver than other foldables out on the market. As a matter of fact, the device in its folded form functions just like a regular smartphone— thanks, in part, to a new titanium alloy hinge mechanism developed by HONOR.

The only downside is the phone’s lack of an IP rating, which means you have to be careful with the device when near liquids or bodies of water.

Innovative Displays

The HONOR Magic V2 features two cutting-edge LTPO OLED screens: the foldable internal display and the cover panel.

The internal display unfolds to a massive 7.92 inches with a vibrant 2K resolution. Its spacious screen facilitates seamless multitasking, particularly with the split-screen function.

Meanwhile, the 6.43-inch cover display boasts a peak brightness of 2500 nits and mirrors a traditional smartphone experience, promoting intuitive interaction while on the go. On top of this, both displays support

adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+, making sure high-quality viewing is achieved in whatever form you choose.

Superb Shooting Capabilities

The number of cameras a phone has is not indicative of how well it shoots pho-

AT the heels of its clean sweep of *Ookla® **Speedtest Awards™ in February, leading Philippine fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is proving yet again its fiber technology is second to none as it boosts its FiberX plans by as much as 600 Mbps for free for its existing customers.

In celebration of its successive wins, Converge held a lighting ceremony of its Manila headquarters, illuminating it in dazzling purple as well as key areas across the country. Converge also lit up Plaza Anghel in Angeles City, Fort San Pedro in Cebu City, and Damosa IT Park in Davao City. The brilliant display was simulcast online and in front of media guests, brand ambassadors, and subscribers symbolizing Converge’s commitment to connect and brighten the lives of Filipinos nationwide. Recently crowned as the ***fastest and most awarded internet service provider in the Philippines, Converge is enabling this speed boost in gratitude to its over 2 million customers.

tos, however, HONOR’s five-camera foldable seems to be saying otherwise.

Getting into specifics, the Magic V2’s principal camera setup features a powerful 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide shooter, and a 20-megapixel telephoto lens. This impressive primary camera array consistently delivers images with stunning clarity and saturation, specifically in ideal lighting. But in dim or lowlight environments, the camera suffers from detail loss

works to ensure that the necessary and vital regulations PAGCOR sets for gaming companies in the Philippines are strictly observed,” he says. However, Tsui likewise hopes that DigiPlus customers would practice responsible gaming on their own to derive the most fun and enjoy-

Consistent with its vision to empower Filipinos and businesses, the free upgrade of its affordable and unlimited bandwidth FiberX plans introduces boosted packages for a faster and superior digital experience. The company’s flagship FiberX 1500 plan now has 300 Mbps, an upgrade from 200 Mbps. Converge previously upgraded the plan in June 2022 from 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps, and again in November 2022 from 100 Mbps to 200 Mbps.

“As more customers turn to our solutions for their internet needs, we stay rooted to our commitment towards exceptional service as shown by our wins in the Ookla Speedtest Awards. This speed upgrade is our way to say we are in full #BoostMode in ensuring our customers can enjoy a much better online experience with us as their connectivity partner,” said Converge CEO and Co-Founder Dennis Anthony Uy.

Other plans with speed increases include FiberX Plan 2000, FiberX Plan 2500 and FiberX Plan 3500,

everything without trouble—from running graphic-intensive games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact to streaming, calls, and music playback. This is thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a top-of-the-line processor from last year.

Powered by AI

HONOR introduced several new AIbased features to the Magic V2—one of which is called Privacy Call. This AI-driven directional sound technology prevents sound from leaking during calls, ensuring that conversations remain private.

Another notable addition is Magic Text. It recognizes text content within images, converting it into editable text. This feature comes in handy for digitizing handwritten recipes or notes, provided the handwriting is legible and clear.

Verdict

It’s not a stretch to say that the HONOR Magic V2 embodies the pinnacle of today’s foldable phone technology. With its slimmer, lighter design, it’s the first foldable to come extremely close to the build of a traditional bar smartphone when folded— taking the portability to a new extreme.

Though smaller in form, HONOR manages to pack the Magic V2 with the most premium features, making it a powerhouse that does not rely on its good looks or gimmicks but shows its worth on how excellent it performs in all aspects.

Release and Pricing

The HONOR Magic V2 officially launched in the Philippines on February

and the photos come out looking a bit washed out. When it comes to taking selfies, the Magic V2 will be right up your alley with two 16-megapixel selfie shooters: one on the cover panel and one on the internal screen.

Long-lasting and fluid performance

Apart from being the thinnest, the HONOR Magic V2 boasts of impressive power with its 5,000-mAh silicon carbon battery that offers an all-day experience under moderate to heavy use.

Charging was also stress-free as it came with a 66W power brick capable of juicing up your device from 0% to 100% in under an hour.

Performance-wise, the V2 handled

ment from their games.”

There are a number of ways for enthusiasts to maintain a healthy and positive relationship with gaming. Consider these tips based on advice given by the Responsible Gaming Council (RGC): Set limits. When gaming, it’s important to set limits on two things: budget and time. Before you start playing, keep a firm budget in mind. Never play with money you can’t afford to lose, and do not ever borrow money from others to play.

Meanwhile, deciding on a clear-cut time and schedule for your gaming sessions will keep you from spiraling into overindulgence. Set an alarm to tell you when your gaming session is over. Playing within your means will prevent gaming from taking over your daily life. Only play with a clear mind. Be sure to monitor your mental and physical states before starting a gaming session. Do not engage in gambling when feeling upset or stressed as these may cloud your judgment and deter you from making sound decisions. At the same time, do limit alcohol intake while playing. Stay sober and level-headed at all times.

which now have speeds of 500 Mbps, 700 Mbps, and 1 Gbps respectively. Subscribers on work-fromhome or learn-from-home arrangements using the award-winning Converge Time of Day plans also received speed boost of up to 1 Gbps which will enable them to get double their subscribed bandwidth from 7:00 a.m. to 6:59 p.m. for the Day Plan, and from 7:00 p.m. to 6:59 a.m. for the Night Plan.

Gaming-focused GameChanger subscribers also get a major speed boost of at least 500 Mbps up to 1 Gbps, allowing for an ultra-high-speed, high prioritization, low latency, and low jitter gaming experience. The nationwide and automatic speed increase special offer will be effective from today until March 31, 2024. All existing residential subscribers with subscription plans ranging from FiberX Plan 1500 to 7000 are eligible for the speed boost. No additional eligibility criteria, cost, or sign-up is required.

21 in four colorways -- Black, Silk Black, Silk Purple, and Gold.

HONOR Magic V2 has an SRP of P79,999 with exciting pre-order freebies until March 1, 2024, HONOR Watch GS 3 and Harman Kardon Aura Studio 4 HIFI Speaker worth P28,000! HONOR Magic V2 is now available for pre-order on HONOR Experience and Partner Stores or online via Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop! It’s expected to be priced between P69,000 to P92,000 depending on the storage variants available: the 12GB/256GB model, the 12GB/512GB version, and the ultimate variant with 16GB/1TB storage.

Lastly, taking frequent breaks may help, too. Step away from the gaming table or phone, and feel free to indulge in some physical activity before coming back to play.

Do not ‘chase’ your losses. Always get into each gaming session prepared to lose the money that you’re putting in. Games featured at DigiPlus locations and on the BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, and PeryaGames apps are predicated on chance, which means there’s never any guarantee of a return on your payments.

Avoid the “sunken cost syndrome” of trying to get a positive outcome because one has put too much resources into one effort. Stick to your budget and be ready at any time to cut your losses and move on.

Andy Tsui is optimistic that customers that take these tips seriously are assured of a positively pleasurable gaming experience. “DigiPlus endeavors to strictly implement PAGCOR-approved regulations and guidelines as customers use our gaming facilities,” he states.

“This way we are confident that we can create safe spaces for them to have fun and enjoyment at all times.”

The HONOR Magic V2 compared to another smartphone: Thin is in.

The author with fellow Manila Standard writers

Sample photos

When gaming, it’s important to set limits on two things: budget and time.