Manila Standard - 2024 April 25 - Thursday

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey Requejo

AT LEAST 50 former and active police officials were contacted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the crime against humanity case against former President Rodrigo Duterte, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said.

In a post on X, Trillanes said he obtained highly credible information that the ICC investigators have already directly communicated with these PNP members.

This as the Department of Justice on Wednesday said the government is taking all the necessary steps to hold accountable erring law enforcers involved in extrajudicial killings.

“We guarantee that reforms are in place to change the mindset and attitude of erring law enforcers and make them responsible for their actions. We are taking all the necessary steps to strengthen the criminal justice system and hold to account the perpetrators of these violations,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in a statement.

Trillanes said since the former and active police officers were linked to the case against Duterte, their status may be elevated to being a suspect

By Charles Dantes

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

shuts down schools; public urged to adopt safety measures

SCHOOLS in some areas placed in-person classes under suspension after the country suffered under extreme heat in the past few days. This prompted warning for people to keep a tight rein on the amount of time spent outdoors. As the heat index bordered on dangerous levels, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan announced suspension of face-to-face classes on all levels—in public and private schools—in the City of Manila on

April 25 to April 26. The statement said, “This is due to the forecasted danger heat index level of 44°C according to the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.” Schools are also instructed to shift to asynchronous classes.

The months of March, April and May are typically

Monday. Romualdez and House Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Erwin Tulfo of ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo recently met with representatives of producers, retailers and grocery stores, who denied making any substantial price changes.

“I would ask Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga, committee on agriculture chairman, to immediately start the ball rolling for an investigation into the disconnect between farmgate and retail

Power supply thins out due to heat

By Alena Mae S. Flores

GRID operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said Wednesday the Luzon grid hit its highest peak load for the year at 14,016 megawatts which occurred at 2:54PM, breaching the projected peak for 2024 of 13,917 MW.

NGCP said the previous highest peak was at 13,864MW, which occurred on April 23, 2024 at 2:47PM.

Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan said in a TV interview that the high power consumption due to soaring temperatures resulted in thin power supply, especially the reserves.

“Because of the continuing increase in temperatures around us, we have again red and yellow alerts for Luzon and Visayas,” Marasigan said. He added that Mindanao is also affected as it was placed on yellow alert.

“We really need the help of consum-

ers to cooperate with our situation and we ask them to heed our call,” Marasigan said, citing the need for an efficient use of electricity.

Meanwhile,

NGCP lifted the red alert for Luzon grid at 4:05PM Wednesday due to improved power generation capacity. However, Luzon grid was still on yellow alert from 4PM to 11PM.

A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement.

A red alert status is issued when power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid’s regulating requirement.

Manila Electric Co. said that with the

help of our big-load customers who deloaded from the grid, it did not resort to manual load dropping (MLD) or rotational power interruptions despite the red alert yesterday, April 23.

“Since the Luzon Grid is still under yellow and red alerts on April 24, we once again asked for the committed deloading capacities of our commercial and industrial customers under the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) to help ease the demand,” Meralco said.

Meralco said it is ready to implement MLD as part of its responsibility to manage the system, if necessary.

“We again urge the public to continue practicing energy conservation and efficiency measures,” Meralco said.

20 to 22, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said yesterday.

“There are appropriate measures in place,” said Philippine Navy spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad.

He, however, declined to elaborate, citing security reasons.

Earlier, Trinidad said the number of Chinese ships in the WPS surged to 124 this week, double the usual average of 60 vessels in the past two months.

“This coincides with Balikatan. This upsurge is out of the normal,” Trinidad said.

BFAR Mission Commander James Abordo said the latest display of coordination between the Chinese maritime militia vessels and the Chinese Coast Guard prove that they are working together.

Despite the increase in Chinese vessels in the area, Trinidad said he expects Beijing to be less aggressive during the multilateral maritime exercise.

“The audio deepfake attempts to make it appear as if the President has directed our Armed Forces of the Philippines to act against a particular foreign country. No such directive exists nor has been made,” the PCO said.

“Deepfakes are an advanced form of digital content manipulation through the use of generative artificial intelligence,” it added.

The PCO is coordinating with concerned agencies to investigate the matter.

“Let us all be more vigilant against such manipulated digital content that are deployed by actors to propagate malicious content online and advance a malign influence agenda,” the PCO said.

“We encourage everyone to work with us in fostering a more aware, resilient, and engaged citizenry in our digital commons,” it added.

should they refuse to cooperate with the ICC.

ICC investigators can label the police officials as co-suspects, which could result in the imposition of travel restrictions against them, Trillanes said.

Earlier, President Marcos said his administration does not play politics with jurisdiction and sovereignty as he reiterated his position of not inviting the ICC to investigate his predecessor “more fully” despite differences with

the Duterte patriarch. Mr. Marcos said the ICC was “formed to conduct, to provide justice to areas where there is no judiciary” as he highlighted the country’s working police and justice system.

‘’We have a functioning police force. We have a functioning judiciary, and it is their responsibility to take care of that. We have made a great deal of progress in that regard where many policemen have already been removed from service because they’ve been found to be liable, cases have been filed. Many are already in jail,’’ he added.

A recent OCTA Research Survey

showed at least 59 percent of Filipinos support the Philippines rejoining the ICC, with 55 percent also in favor of investigating allegations of crimes against humanity during the previous administration.

In 2019, the Philippines, under thenPresident Duterte, withdrew from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, after the tribunal began a probe into his bloody drug war, followed by a formal inquiry in September 2021.

But the Hague-based tribunal said it retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the Philippines was a member from November 2011.

Duterte carried out his war on drugs from 2016 to 2022. Under this campaign, law enforcement authorities pursued suspected drug dealers and users, several of whom ended up dead by way of summary executions.

A 2023 US report that found that extrajudicial killings remained a serious problem in the Philippines.

Remulla, however, said there are no shortcuts in enforcing peace and order.

Amnesty International called on President Marcos to make a categorical “policy pronouncement” against the war on drugs as it noted that EJKs had persisted in 2023.

That has been the call ever since for China to respect international law and I expect them to behave this time,” he added.

A highlight of this year’s Balikatan is the sinking of BRP Lake Caliraya, the aging warship of the Philippine Navy that was chosen to be the target for the weapons capability exercise.

BRP Lake Caliraya was a Chinese made ship sold to the now defunct Philippine National Oil Company Shipping and Transport Corporation, then later transferred to the Philippine Navy for logistics purposes.

BRP Ramon Alcaraz, on the other hand, will have a joint bilateral maritime sail with France.

The location of the joint sail was yet to be disclosed as of press time.

The annual drills will be concentrated in the northern and western parts of the country, near the potential flashpoints of the South China Sea and Taiwan.

The joint drills involve a simulation of an armed recapture of an island in Palawan, the nearest major Philippine landmass to the hotly disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

The same exercise will be held in the northern provinces of Cagayan and Batanes, both less than 300 kilometers (180 miles) from Taiwan.

The Philippine Coast Guard will join Balikatan for the first time following several confrontations between its vessels and the China Coast Guard, which patrols reefs off the Philippines’ coast.

In another first, the drills will go beyond the Philippines’ territorial waters, which extend about 22 kilometers from its coastline.

prices of basic goods,” said Romualdez.

“The discrepancy between farmgate and retail prices of basic goods is alarming and warrants immediate attention. We cannot ignore the plight of our farmers who are struggling to make ends meet, nor can we turn a blind eye to the burden placed on consumers,” the House Speaker added.

“It is imperative that we conduct a comprehensive review of our laws to ensure that they effectively safeguard the interests of our farmers and consumers. We must take proactive measures to prevent profiteering and promote a fair and transparent trading environment,” the Speaker said.

Romualdez called on all stakeholders, including government agencies, industry representatives and consumer advocacy groups, to actively participate in the probe and

During their meeting, Jayson Cainglet of Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) informed Romualdez that the farmgate prices of rice, poultry, pork and onions have been maintained in the past three months, so there should be no increase in their prices. Romualdez assured the producers and retailers that Congress would look into the price discrepancy in the exercise of its oversight function as he also committed to conduct a thorough review of existing laws to protect the interest of both consumers and producers and deter profiteering.

would serve until 1992. During this period, he worked as chairman of the Senate committee on ethics and privilege and ad hoc committee on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

contribute to the formulation of effective policy interventions.

The review aims to identify and address loopholes that may contribute to profiteering and unfair pricing practices within the supply chain, he noted.

“We want to make sure that all the stakeholders in whatever industry or sectors are viable, if they are in the business side of it, so that it becomes sustainable so that we can continue delivering basic goods and services to the consumers at sustainable, affordable prices,” Romualdez stressed.

The Leyte representative said the House remains committed to supporting safety nets and even expanding them to cushion the impact of the rising food prices on the most vulnerable sectors of society.

said Saguisag co-authored laws that up to now uphold the highest standards in the public service.

the El Niño weather phenomenon. “It’s so hot you can’t breathe,” said Erlin Tumaron, 60, who works at a seaside resort in Cavite province, south of Manila, where the heat index reached 47 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

“It’s surprising our pools are still empty. You would expect people to come and take a swim, but it seems they’re reluctant to leave their homes because of the heat.”

The heat index was expected to reach the “danger” level of 42C or higher in at least 30 cities and municipalities on Wednesday, the state weather forecaster said.

The heat index measures what a temperature feels like, taking into account humidity.

dex reached 45C on Tuesday and was expected to hit 44C on Wednesday.

Tuesday’s actual high in the city was 37.1C.

In Dagupan city, north of Manila, university employee Edz Alteros said she and her colleagues no longer went out for lunch because of the heat. The heat index in Dagupan reached 47C on Tuesday.

“We get somebody to buy food and we eat inside the office,” Alteros, 27, said.

“The air conditioning is set at 1418C during the hottest part of the day, but we ease up at other times to prevent the aircon from breaking down.”

Global temperatures hit record highs last year, and the United Nation’s weather and climate agency said Tuesday that Asia was warming at a particularly rapid pace.

writer stand as a testament to his unwavering commitment to justice, truth and democracy,”

“We are grateful that, in his final months, he was able to spend time with relatives, friends, and countless supporters. He passed away knowing that he was much loved and respected,” Rebo added in the family statement. Saguisag was born on August 14, 1939 in Mauban, Quezon. According to his profile on the Senate website, he held different odd jobs from 1959 to 1962 before embarking on a stellar career as human rights lawyer. He was elected senator in 1987 and

In a statement, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri joined the nation in mourning the passing of Saguisag, whom he described as “a man of true honor, dignity, and integrity.”

Saguisag leaves behind a legacy of service and excellence that continues to be a benchmark for many young lawyers and public servants, according to Zubiri.

“He may have just served one term in the Senate, but his entire life was devoted to pursuing justice and fairness for every Filipino, particularly through such initiatives as the Free Legal Assistance Group,” said Zubiri. As a member of the Senate, Zubiri

Among these legislations were the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (R.A. 6713) and the Ombudsman Act of 1989 (R.A. 6770).

“While leaving an indelible mark as a true statesman, he also emulated and lived out the principle that those who have less in life should have more in law,” Zubiri noted.

The Saguisag family appealed for privacy as they grieve the passing of their patriarch. “We will soon announce details of the service honoring his life, and we look forward to the opportunity to gather and pay tribute to a life lived with integrity and purpose. Papa/Lolo has passed on, but his spirit will continue to inspire us to strive for a more just world,” Rebo said.

There was a 50 percent chance of the heat intensifying in the coming days, said Ana Solis, chief climatologist at the state weather forecaster, because of El Niño. She added that around half the country’s provinces are officially in drought.

The northern municipality of Aparri came under a heat index of 48C on Tuesday, the highest in the country, and was expected to hit 45C on Wednesday.

The actual maximum air temperature was 36.4C on Tuesday, with 35C forecast for Wednesday.

“It’s really hot here,” Eric Vista of the municipal disaster agency told AFP. Vista said rain showers on Tuesday night offered temporary relief, but it was “back to being super hot” on Wednesday.

Sweltering temperatures in the capital Manila forced many schools to switch to remote learning. The heat in-

The Philippines ranks among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Meanwhile, the NGCP placed the Luzon grid on red alert from 3PM to 4PM and yellow alert from 1PM to 3PM and 4PM to 10PM.

Available capacity was placed at 14,241 megawatts (MW) compared to a peak demand of 13,643MW.

The NGCP said four plants have been on forced outage since 2023, four between January and March 2024, and 12 since April 2024. Two are running on derated capacities, for a total of 1,840.3MW unavailable to the grid.

Manila Electric Co. said that with the help of our big-load customers who de-loaded from the grid, it did not resort to manual load dropping

lawyer Rebo Saguisag, his son, posted on Facebook.

to tackle inmates’ transfer

lighter fluid, aerosol cans, and alcohol inside their vehicles.

Earlier, a fire at the said NAIA parking complex destroyed 19 vehicles.

The airport chief stated that the heat index in the NAIA area was at a high of 42 degrees when the fire happened. Ines also ordered his men to cut and remove the grass in the area.

Initial unofficial reports found that the incident began from a small grass fire that spread quickly because of the strong wind. Joel E. Zurbano

Don’t carry flammable items inside cars: MIAA SC says 852 to take Shari’ah Bar examinations THE Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on Wednesday

THE Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday said a total of 852 examinees will take the Shari’ah Bar examinations on April 28 and May 2 at the Ateneo de Davao University in Davao City and the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh, chairperson of the Shari’ah Bar Examinations Committee, said, there were 906 applicants, but only 852 of them complied with the requirements for the examinations.

Of those qualified to take the examinations, 575 of them will take the online exams at the Ateneo de Davao while 200 will take the tests at the Economics Building of UP. Also 77 of the examinees will take the tests manually, using pen and paper, at the UP’s Malcolm Theater. Rey E. Requejo

By Rey E. Requejo

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has formed a technical working group (TWG) to speed up the transfer of prisoners from the New Bilibid Prison to regional prisons and to put up facilities that will hold persons convicted of heinous crimes.

Romualdez hails consortium’s OFW lounge project at NAIA

By Rio N. Araja

HOUSE Speaker Martin Romualdez thanked the consortium led by San Miguel Corporation CEO Ramon Ang for the consortium’s project to provide an even bigger space at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 for departing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Romualdez dropped by the NAIA-3 on Tuesday afternoon with Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe to check on the progress of the construction of the planned OFW lounge. “Here at T3, because more passengers will come here, we are very grateful to Mr.

By Rio N. Araja

THE Quezon City government on Wednesday issued an apology for the poor handling of

Ramon Ang and Ma’am Cecille (Ang’s daughter) for accommodating not only the OFW lounge here but they want to accommodate a larger space that’s almost double the area,” Romualdez said. “The ones who want to give more, they are reduced from the first plan in the request. So, we really see that the operation here at [NAIA-3] will be better,” he added. SMC-SAP & Co.—the consortium of San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc. and Incheon International Airport Corp.—bagged the P170.6-billion publicprivate partnership (PPP) project for the comprehensive rehabilitation and operation of NAIA terminals.

“On behalf of the entire city government, therefore, I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to all those who were aggravated by the poor handling of our DPOS (Department of

and destroyed and confiscated the property of vendors while undertaking the task.

Mpeal through the Barangay UP Campus’ Punong Barangay, Lawrence Mappala.

work towards its goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2040, aligning with the Department of Energy’s target of reaching a 35% renewable energy share by 2030. Through partnerships with renewable energy suppliers and organizations like the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), SM Prime endeavors to reduce its environmental

IN BRIEF

Decent homes eyed for QC urban poor

QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte aims to provide informal settlers with decent homes, saying she believes that this sector of society “have a large part of the labor force that contributes to the growth and development of their city and the national economy.“ Belmonte disclosed her plan when several urban poor leaders led by Amihan Dipasupil, president of the Samahang Nagkaikaisang Magkakapitbahay sa 145 Calamba Street Inc. (SNMCI) visited her office for a dialogue.

The group seeks help for relocation following a court order to demolish their homes on a private land along Calamba St. in Barangay Sto. Domingo.

During the meeting, the mayor found out that the lot›s owner did not provide relocation or significant aid to the affected families. Teddy Brul

Reyeg takes over VisCom from Canlas

ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. has called on the troops to sustain the highest norm of professionalism in the discharge of their sworn duties in his speech at the changing of the guards in VisCom. “Continue to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and honor. Together, we will face the future with courage, resolve, and with the unshakable belief that the Visayas Brawner said in his remarks at the turnover of command in the region.

He also underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability in Central Philippines and urged the incoming commander, Lt. Gen Reyeg, to “embrace resilience, innovation, and adaptability.”

“The Visayas Command (VisCom) will always be a force to be reckoned with,” Brawner added. Reyeg took over in acting capacity from Cmdr. Oscar Canlas in ceremonies held at Camp Lapu-Lapu in Cebu City. Vince Lopez

Albay woman can operate payloader

NEVER underestimate women power. A 37-year-old Bicolana herself could not believe she is capable of doing a masculine job like operating a heavy duty payloader. May Acosta of San Isidro, Santo Domingo, Albay has just completed the scholarship grant offered by the Technical Education And Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in operating heavy duty machines. Acosta was among the 400 scholars from Albay province who were awarded certificates by TESDA after completing the required number of hours and onsite demonstration.

TESDA-Albay director Mariglo Macabuhay-Sese said the training was part of the 10,000 slots allotted to Bicol region offering technical and vocational courses like Heavy Equipment Operation and Welding with National Competency (NC) Level II which Acosta has just completed.

Acosta is a certified female Wheel Loader Operator now. Her education as well as those included in the 10,000 slots were funded by AkoBicol partylist. Rosas Olarte

Marcos nixes hike in illegal parking fines

By Charles Dantes

PRESIDENT Marcos on Wednesday halted the proposed increase in illegal parking fines in Metro Manila. In a video message shared on his social media account, the President expressed his understanding of the proposal’s intention, but emphasized his preference for disciplining motorists over imposing penalties.

“To continue the good service of our government, I did not allow the Joint Traffic Circular No. 01 of the Metro Manila Council regarding the provision to increase the fine for illegal parking from P1,000 to P4,000. It will remain at P1,000,” the President said in Filipino.

“While I understand the intention behind the proposal, I’ve decided to prioritize discipline over penalties. Ang Bagong Pilipino ay disiplinado (The new Filipino is disciplined). By focusing on individual responsibility we can create long-lasting solutions to our traffic challenge,” he added.

Under the Metro Manila Council (MMC) Joint Circular No. 01, parking fines would increase the financial penalty from P1,000 to P4,000. It was supposed to be implemented last April 15.

The President’s decision also echoes his previous directive to refrain from penalizing e-bicycles and e-tricycles operating on national roads in Metro Manila following the implementation of the ban on such vehicles that would have taken effect also last April 15.

Imee wants broader 4Ps to cover ill elders, PWDs

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Imee Marcos has urged the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to include bed-ridden senior citizens and severely challenged persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Marcos said they are looking at how the 4Ps can be expanded since there are still countless unserved poor Filipinos, who were not covered in the conditional cash transfer program, but this time making it “unconditional” for the sake of the most vulnerable citizens.

Earlier, Marcos, as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, conducted hearings on several bills proposing amendments to the “4Ps Law (Republic Act 11310)” and the institutionalization of the Assistance to Indi-

viduals in Crisis Situations (AICS).

“I have been saying for a long time, let’s not treat it as a conditional cash transfer, make it unconditional. And that’s the order of our Lord in the Bible—to take care of our elders and those who cannot work,” she told reporters. Since the program’s inception in 2007, 4Ps indicators have been limited to health and vaccination, and education. The senator emphasized it should offer “a more diversified menu to cover more poor beneficiaries.”

Marcos explained that there are other

causes of poverty not addressed by 4Ps. “From 2007, it should have been diversified. The two measurements are not enough: vaccination and education,” she said. The senator also urged the DSWD, in collaboration with other government agencies and non-government organizations (NGOs), to come up with practical “exit strategies” for 4Ps beneficiaries.

She said this will allow more impoverished Filipinos to avail themselves of the program, including the Alternative Learning System (ALS), adult education, entrepreneurship, and other employment activities. For 4Ps to succeed, Marcos said families must eventually be able to be self-sufficient. She cited a Commission on Audit (CoA) report stating that 90 percent of active 4Ps beneficiaries in 2022 were still well below the poverty line and would remain there.

Top college grads exempted from career service exams

By Ratziel San Juan

THE Civil Service Commission (CSC) on Wednesday encouraged college graduates with honors to apply for the Honor Graduate Eligibility (HGE) if they des ire a career in the public sector.

“Summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude graduates no longer need to take the Career Service Exam as they may avail of the special eligibility. We are eager to work with these bright and fresh minds to bolster the quality of public service,” CSC chairman Karlo Nograles said. Nograles, citing Presidential Decree No. 907, said HGE may be availed of by bachelor’s degree graduates regardless of the number of years of completion. It covers graduates of both conventional mode of learning, as well as Open Distance Learning (ODL). Those who are eligible for HGE include honor graduates of private higher education institutions (HEI) in the Philippines with bachelor’s degree recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), state/local colleges or universi-

ties with bachelor’s degrees included in their charters, or duly approved by their Board of Trustees or Board of Regents.

Meanwhile, for honor graduates through ODL, the open university, college, or institution must be recognized by the CHED as a degree-granting HEI. They must also have at least Level III accreditation or CHED-equivalent in the programs offered in the conventional classroom or traditional mode of learning. Filipinos who graduated with honors from reputable foreign schools may also apply for Foreign School Honor Graduate Eligibility (FSHGE).

However, the CSC clarified that HGE, HGE-ODL, and FSHGE grants do not include other academic honors, distinctions, or awards, such as Highest Academic Distinction, Dean’s List with Distinction, and Honorable Mention.

“These eligibilities for honor graduates are considered appropriate for first and second level positions in the government that do not require the practice of a specific profession and are not covered by Bar, Board, or other laws,” Nograles explained.

GOODBYE FOSSIL FUELS. Climate advocates aunt a streamer emblazoned with ‘Sayonara Fossil Fuels’ while protesting in front of the Japanese Embassy in Manila. April 24, 2024, to urge Tokyo to implement the total phase-out of public nancing for fossil fuel projects ‘which is causing the imminent catastrophe that is staring humanity in the face, by way of recordbreaking heat, oods and other calamities.’ Norman Cruz

Pinoy seamen banned from boarding ships in danger zones

By Vito Barcelo

THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has banned the deployment of Filipino seafarers for passenger and cruise ships that will sail through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden due to upsurge in attacks on shipping in the two areas. The DMW issued Department Order 2 after the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the International Bargaining Forum (IBF) classified as “High-Risk Areas” (HRAs) and “War-like Zones” (WLZs) the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The directive was issued based on discussions with the DMW and the Philippine Maritime Industry Tripartite Council (MITC). The DMW and the MITC agreed to address the urgent need for stricter protocols to ensure the safety of Filipino seafarers navigating the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Under the order, licensed manning agencies must sign an “affirmation letter” guaranteeing that the vessels their seafarers board will not navigate the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aden. This commitment, along with the vessel’s detailed itinerary, must be submitted to the DMW during the documentation of crew employment contracts or before their deployment. The order also stated that Filipino seafarers listed as crew members must also sign the affirmation letter acknowledging their vessel will not enter the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden. The DMW remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguard the well-being of Filipino seafarers, adding that these measures reflect the DMW’s dedication to ensuring safe working conditions and protecting Filipino seamen.

OPINION

UNFORTUNATELY for government, and woe unto us consumers, there are no quick fixes for the inadequacy of food at affordable prices.

Long has government been out of touch with the realities of the farm, and the market, that we now reap the wages of such neglect.

First off, let us forget that chimera of promised self-sufficiency in rice.

In 2010, when I was at NFA, I parroted the DA mantra of self-sufficiency, because I had to, but, after looking at the figures and the variables, I stopped mouthing the unreachable dream.

Not all lands can be planted to rice. Not all lands have access to enough water. Grass, which rice is, requires a lot of water, and in the case of rice, it is 5,000 liters of H20 per kilo of production.

Not all soils are palay-friendly, certainly not the clay-rich soils of most of Mindanao, which are best utilized for tree and fruit plantations.

Which is why that 20 peso per kilo rice was the most impossible of promises, and whoever told candidate Marcos that during the campaign should now be exiled into Turtle Island or Mavulis.

I do not understand why the highlyeducated Balisacan of NEDA still parrots that promise, while others downplay it as an “aspiration” that can at least be approximated.

Why, not even 25 pesos is doable, unless government subsidizes by the tens of billions.

DA and NIA tout a target of achieving 95-98 percent self-sufficiency by 2028. Even that is doubtful.

Better to gradually target from 8590 percent for the next five years, and amend our procurement laws to allow government to buy long, instead of on a need basis.

We import some three million tons a year these days, and all of that through the private sector, the buying costs of which are volatile and the selling prices left to market forces which in this country can be easily manipulated through hoarding as it passes through several cogs in the value chain.

Since rice is staple, and some even say “rice is life,” why not incentivize our rice traders and millers to put up rice mills in countries like Myanmar and Papua, and then sell the milled rice to our market?

No quick fixes —“—

If we buy only when there is a “shortage,” which is always, then we are at the mercy of exporting nations and their traders.

Western economic “advisers” always charge corruption with government-togovernment deals, because these are not friendly to their “free-market” mantra, where their grain oligopolists (yes Virginia, the whole commodity market is cartelized all over the world) stand to gain through market volatility.

We are Asian, and the biggest rice producers are Asian, in fact, ASEAN.

Then again, there is agrarian reform,

where we gave away land at marginal sizes of three to five hectares, and now on second-generation transfers, absolutely un-economic.

We’ve been talking about consolidation of ARBs to come up with economies of scale, starting with President Erap’s “corporatization”, and, before that, cooperatives where success, especially on rice, has been spotty.

Our land reformed farmers cannot mechanize; cannot modernize; cannot even buy in bulk inputs such as seeds and fertilizers.

They dig shallow wells or rely on rainwater when NIA is unable to supply them with irrigation. Rainwater is absent in El Nino; shallow wells have to be pumped up with petrol, which is expensive as well.

—“—

We need bold directions, because as we all know, food, and not only rice, is life

But if DAR and DA were to consolidate ARBs into more economical 100 hectare areas, and then incentivize business firms to use their corporate social responsibility initiatives into helping manage these, with a government agency (such as NFA before a rushed RTL castrated it) buying the produce at guaranteed prices, input costs reimbursed to the CSR-partnered private firms, then likely we can increase tonnage per hectare.

There are details too lengthy to this proposal for me to write in an article.

Think San Miguel, or MVP’s conglomerate, or Aboitiz, etc., all of whom have CSR programs while having adequate market reach apart from their army of consumer-employees.

As we write this article, the President directed the DA and DOF to craft easier processes to allow more food imports for the private sector. It is clearly a bandaid solution, if at all, to sticky food price inflation.

Will it work? I doubt it. The farming sector, the livestock producers are understandably wary, even if they themselves know it is a needless shot in the arm, optics and illusion at best.

In Mindoro last Tuesday, the President was assuring onion growers of cold storage facilities, palay farmers of better post-harvest facilities, etc., etc., etc.

Long have everybody and their mothers known these solutions, through years and decades. And it’s been two years when even “aspirations” have become unreachable.

Ano ba talaga, Kuya?

We need bold directions, because as we all know, food, and not only rice, is life.

‘Healthy addiction’: Sea saunas make waves in Ireland

DUNGARVAN, Ireland – For Sharon Fidgeon, a regular visitor to Ireland’s increasingly popular beach saunas, her weekend sessions “have become a healthy addiction” that tap into a centuries-old Irish tradition of toning up by getting sweaty.

On sandy Clonea beach on Ireland’s wind-battered Atlantic coast, the 52-year-old artist told AFP that alternating between the sauna and freezing seawater makes her feel “so incredibly alive.”

“Once you get down in the sea up to your neck, it really sets off the endorphins in your body,” said Fidgeon after a dunk in the two-kilometer-long bay near Dungarvan in County Waterford.

“And having the sauna here lets me stay in the sea that bit longer,” she said, putting on a dry robe and sandals before briskly stepping into the barrel-shaped structure on wheels above the beach.

In Ireland the COVID-19 pandemic launched a surge in sea-swimming as a bracing escape from lockdowns. Mobile saunas became a post-Covid “add-on”, according to Deirdre Flavin, who operates several along the Waterford coast, towing them to

beaches by car.

“The market is growing and steadily increasing, awareness is spreading, and people are enjoying the experience and coming back for more,” she told AFP as she fired up one of her saunas.

Aside from their health benefits, Flavin, 40, said the cosy boltholes are ideal havens in Ireland’s wild and often wet and chilly weather.

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Customers at another sauna lauded the activity for stress relief as well as aiding recovery after strenuous sports

“People can more comfortably seaswim all-year-round now as they can warm their body cores up after the dip,” she said while packing wooden logs into the sauna’s stove.

Less alcohol, more wellness Further along the southern coast in

Better safe than sorry

reported influx lately of Chinese nationals in Cagayan province.

Representatives Joseph Lara of Cagayan’s third district and Faustino Dy V of Isabela’s sixth district had earlier filed resolutions in Congress calling for an inquiry into the presence of Chinese nationals in the Cagayan Valley region.

Lara said their presence “poses serious concern to national security,” considering the country’s maritime dispute with China.

For her part, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the Senate should conduct an inquiry and invite officials from the Department of National Defense, Bureau of Immigration and Commission on Higher Education, among other agencies, to shed light on the issue.

The DND should be invited to the probe, she pointed out, precisely because an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement site is located in that province. Then there’s armed forces Chief of

Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. who said the military is looking into the issue since some local officials in parts of Luzon had alerted authorities to Chinese nationals who were living in their communities but did “not know how to speak Tagalog.”

The AFP chief reported that when the houses of some of these foreigners were raided, firearms were found, leading to their immediate deportation.

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The controversy is likely to persist until Congress probe hears both sides

He urged local officials, especially mayors, governors and barangay officials, to always be vigilant and make sure that visitors in their areas were legitimate tourists, not “possible infiltrators…Let us help protect our territory, our sovereignty and our sovereign rights.”

Civic leader Teresita Ang See bristled at all this and slammed what she described as the “dangerous and

SOMETIMES, we are our own worst enemy.

Instead of our officials immediately getting together to formulate a response to the sudden influx of thousands of Chinese nationals to Tuguegarao, Cagayan purportedly to take up graduate courses without knowing a word of English, dak-dak lang tayo ng dak-dak.

We spend too much time talking about this issue without doing anything concrete.

This thing about the presence of large numbers of Chinese nationals of military age in the country is nothing new.

On top of that, there is also the reported 800,000 plus Chinese nationals who entered as tourists but have never been monitored to have left the country.

I do not know whether our national security officials realize the implications of having that large number embedded in the country while the media both local and international keep on ratcheting the so-called WPS tensions.

If one talks of military organizations, anywhere between 12 to 16,000 men composes a Division of fighting men.

If those 800,000 are still here, that translates to about 50 Divisions.

So, all the rhetoric about us not giving up an inch of our territory does ring hollow.

Why?

Because many of the people we are supposed to prevent from taking over the country maybe already here.

It is very much like what happened before the Second World War when Japan sent many fifth columns to the country years before the war started.

When the country was eventually invaded in January 1942, all that these people had to do was put on their uni-

County Cork, customers at another sauna lauded the activity for stress relief as well as aiding recovery after strenuous sports.

“A lot of the lads in the hurling team would like to get into the water and the sauna, it’s become a thing to do for teams,” said 20-year-old student Rory O’Callaghan, referring to the combative Irish field sport played with sticks.

Sauna owner Bronwyn Connolly suffers from arthritis and when indoor public spaces were shuttered during the pandemic she bought a small barrel sauna and towed it to Garrettstown beach.

“I was struggling a lot with pain, and the sauna and the cold water just eased it, a plunge in the sea after building up a sweat just seems to wash away all the worries,” she told AFP.

As sports teams and corporate groups began showing more interest she set about designing a bigger one, relying on books and YouTube videos for know-how.

unfortunate” stoking of “Sinophobia and racism,” adding officials who have weighed in on this matter should check their facts first.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III also cautioned officials to be “careful in echoing the allegations” raised regarding this matter. Pimentel pointed out the conflicting figures on the number of foreign enrollees in Tuguegarao City.

It was earlier said that were more than 4,500 Chinese students presently attending classes in one private university alone. However, the Bureau of Immigration said it only issued a total of 1,516 student visas to Chinese nationals in Cagayan last year.

The controversy is likely to persist until Congress probe hears both sides.

Is it Sinophobia and racism?

It could be, if taken at face value and without any context. But if cause and effect were to be examined, the concern—or perhaps even fear— over the big number of Chinese students in an EDCA site may not be totally unfounded.

Congress, therefore, conduct a thorough probe so that the issue can be properly addressed.

We are our own worst enemy

forms.

The difference now is that, in the case of China, it is 14 times bigger and stronger than Japan ever was.

The yearly Balikatan exercise for this year is about preventing an invading force.

But maybe we are already a bit late for that because with so many of those we are preparing to repulse are already here. We should be asking the question, what is the whole point?

What the government must do now is come out with rational and coherent policies to deal with such issues to protect our national security interests

Let us take the current case of the thousands of Chinese nationals in Tuguegarao who are supposedly enrolled in graduate courses.

In an interview with one school official, he said those so-called students do not or hardly speak a word of English and want to lease dwelling places for five years which should already trigger alarm bells.

As the famous fictional private detective Sherlock Holmes would like to say, this case is elementary. We do not have to be an Einstein to figure out what this situation is all about.

Why would thousands of Chinese students suddenly flock to Tuguegarao, Cagayan which is not generally ac-

With a large window on one side and gently curved tiered seating with a fire, a group sat chatting and marvelling at the view of ocean waves crashing below on the beach.

“It’s really becoming a social thing, where friends or even strangers can meet. Irish people are shifting to less alcohol-driven things and more wellnessdriven things,” Connolly told AFP.

Back in 2021 her first mobile sauna was one of the first in the country but now “they are on every beach in Cork”, she said.

‘Sweathouse’

According to the new wave of operators, the trend harks back to an ancient Irish sauna culture dating from the 1600s that went out of fashion early in the last century: the “sweathouse.”

Remains of hundreds of sweathouses -- igloo-shaped stone structures heated by turf fires and used for sweating out colds and fevers, and battling rheu-

knowledged as a learning center to take up graduate courses when there are so many other schools better suited to accommodate them?

The answer should be obvious to all.

If it were not for those additional EDCA sites which are all located in Cagayan, it is doubtful whether they will even want to go there to study or their presence there generate any controversy.

But because of the ongoing constructions on these AFP facilities, the suspicion is they are there to monitor what is going on which maybe presumptuous.

This is exacerbated by the fact that the Cagayan Provincial Governor is a confirmed Sinophile.

He has been very outspoken with his preference for China over the United States.

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with that but, as Provincial Governor, he should leave foreign policy matters to the national government and not be too vociferous in his objections to what the government is doing to strengthen the defense capability of the country.

His very staunch defense of China may make some to think he is an enabler of the Chinese government.

After all, foreign policy is not one of his job descriptions.

Furthermore, if there is any regional conflict, the whole country will be involved.

What the government must do now is come out with rational and coherent policies to deal with such issues to protect our national security interests.

There should be nothing wrong with Chinese students going to study in Tuguegarao but 6,400 students, if that number is correct, would raise some national security concerns.

matism and arthritic pain -- are dotted around the Irish countryside.

Yoga instructor Carol Ni Stasaigh and her husband Dara Kissane, an exercise physiologist, called their sea sauna on the County Wexford coast “Sweathouse” in a nod to the old ways.

“In ancient times people would have gone in for medicinal, religious purposes, or even hallucinogenic reasons,” Ni Stasaigh told AFP on Baginbun beach.

“We don’t guarantee any hallucinogenic things in our sauna, just hot and cold therapy and the release of endorphins,” she laughed.

Back in Waterford, toweling down at the end of her session, Sharon Fidgeon told AFP the link to the past was an important element of her sauna bathing experience.

“It’s an old Irish tradition. It’s really lovely to be part of something that is old and Irish. It’s magical and quite close to my heart,” she said. AFP

Anger spikes at universities as Gaza protests intensify

NEW YORK – Student anger with university officials and law enforcement fueled worsening tensions on several US campuses Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) after days of pro-Palestinian protests that have triggered mass arrests and shut down classes.

Some of America’s most prestigious universities have been rocked by protests in recent weeks as students and other agitators take over quads and disrupt campus activities, furious over the Israel-Hamas war and ensuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. At Columbia University in New York, the core of the spreading protests, organizers are calling for the university to divest from companies “that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation in Palestine.”

Hezbollah claims launching rockets at northern Israel

BEIRUT – Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group has said it launched dozens of rockets at northern Israel in response to the killing of two civilians in a strike blamed on Israel in Lebanon’s south.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah group and Israel have exchanged regular fire in the south of Lebanon since October.

Hezbollah fighters fired “dozens of Katyusha rockets” at northern Israel “as part of the response to the Israeli enemy’s attacks on... civilian homes, specifically the horrific massacre in Hanin and the killing and injuring of civilians,” the group said in a statement.

Local rescuers and official media said an Israeli strike on a house in Hanin, near the Israeli border, killed two members of the same family.

A civil defense source told AFP that “a woman in her 50s and a 12-year-old girl have been killed” in the strike, while several injured people from the same family were taken to hospital.

Lebanon’s National News Agency confirmed the deaths and said that six others were wounded in the strike.

“Enemy warplanes carried out a raid on a two-storey house, firing two airto-surface missiles and completely destroying it,” the NNA said, adding that the building housed “a family that had not left... since Israeli attacks started”.

Tens of thousands have been displaced on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border since near-daily skirmishes began following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered war in Gaza.

But Hezbollah has stepped up its rocket attacks on Israeli positions in recent days.

Treated water release halted in Fukushima

Earlier in the day, Hezbollah said it had launched drone attacks on northern Israeli bases in retaliation for the killing of a fighter Israel described as “significant.” AFP TOKYO – The release of treated wastewater into the ocean from Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant was suspended on Wednesday as a partial power outage affected the site, operator TEPCO said.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company said in a statement the system to cool reactors remained operational and “no meaningful change” had been detected at plant facilities that monitor radioactivity.

In 2011, the Fukushima-Daiichi plant on Japan’s northeastern coast went into meltdown after a huge earthquake and tsunami that killed 18,000 people. It was one of the worst nuclear disasters in history.

“At around 10:43 am, electricity source line A stopped,” Wednesday’s TEPCO statement said without giving details.

The release of water treated through a filtration process called ALPS also stopped at the same time, it said.

TEPCO added that a worker had been injured during an excavation operation.

“We are trying to figure out other details... there seems to be a link between this electricity loss and suspension of the ALPS operation,” a TEPCO spokesman told AFP.

“We are trying to figure out” a potential link between the injury and the electricity loss, he said.

The worker was conscious and not contaminated, but was seen by an onsite doctor and an ambulance was called. Last year, Japan began releasing treated wastewater from

Pro-Israel supporters and others worried about campus safety have pointed to anti-Semitic incidents and argue that campuses are encouraging intimidation and hate speech.

“Students have the right to protest, but they are not allowed to disrupt campus life or harass and intimidate,” Columbia’s vice president of public affairs Ben Chang told reporters Monday. “We are acting on concerns we are hearing from our Jewish students,” he said, adding that university officials were meeting “in good faith” with the demonstrators. Protesters meanwhile -- including a number of Jewish students in the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” -- say they’ve disavowed instances of anti-Semitism and are there to support Palestinians. AFP

Israel says US military aid sends ‘strong message’ to its enemies

PALESTINIAN Territories – Israel said Wednesday the US Senate approval of $13 billion in military aid sent a “strong message” to its enemies, with strikes pummeling Gaza in its war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Fears are rising that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will soon follow through on repeated threats to send troops into the southern Gazan city

of Rafah, where 1.5 million people are sheltering, many in makeshift encampments.

Israel says Rafah is the “last” major Hamas stronghold, but aid groups warn any invasion would create an “apocalyptic situation.”

Early Wednesday, hospital and security sources in Gaza reported Israeli air strikes in Rafah, as well as the central Nuseirat refugee camp.

“Everybody seems to be on a countdown to war across the largest displacement camp on Earth, which is Rafah,” Norwegian Refugee Council chief Jan Egeland told AFP.

Israel’s foreign minister on Wednesday thanked the US Senate for approv-

ing the military aid package hot on the heels of the House of Representatives.

“The Israel aid package that now passed both houses of Congress is a clear testament to the strength of our alliance and sends a strong message to all our enemies,” Israel Katz posted on social media site X. The aid comes against a backdrop of growing protests against Israel’s conduct of its war against Hamas, which has turned vast areas of Gaza to rubble and sparked fears of famine. Hundreds of students have been arrested in recent days at pro-Palestinian demonstrations on the campuses of leading universities in the United States, Israel’s top ally and military supplier.

Former US President Donald Trump, with attorney Todd Blanche (right), speaks to the press after attending his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on Wednesday. Trump faces a contempt of court hearing as part of his historic criminal trial, with New York prosecutors insisting the former president repeatedly violated the gag order issued to prevent him from intimidating witnesses. AFP

The United Nations says “multiple obstacles” continue to impede the delivery of urgently needed aid to civilians desperate for food, water, shelter and medicine.

But Netanyahu has vowed to press on with a planned offensive on Rafah, on the besieged territory’s border with Egypt.

Citing Egyptian officials briefed on the Israeli plans, the Wall Street Journal said Israel was planning to move civilians from Rafah to nearby Khan Yunis over a period of two to three weeks. Satellite images shared by Maxar Technologies showed tent camps that had recently been set up in that area. AFP

US Congress approves bill to ban TikTok

WASHINGTON, DC – The US Senate on Tuesday approved legislation requiring the wildly popular social media app TikTok to be divested from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or be shut out of the American market.

The measure was part of a $95 billion foreign aid package, including military assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, which has now cleared Congress and heads to President Joe Biden’s desk. In San Francisco, the FBI chief underlined security concerns about the popular Chinese-owned app. FBI Director Christopher Wray said that TikTok parent company ByteDance is “beholden to the Chinese government” which is “attempting to steal our AI and hack American technology every day.”

Americans must think of TikTok’s “power, access, capability, control” as being in the hands of the Chinese government and intelligence service, Wray said in an interview with NBC News.

who has since turned against his former boss. Pecker took the stand after a nearly 90-minute hearing during which Judge Juan Merchan was asked by prosecutors to hold Trump in contempt of court for violating a partial gag order preventing him from publicly attacking witnesses, jurors or court staff. Merchan heard arguments from prosecutors and defense attorneys but did not issue an immediate ruling. AFP

WASHINGTON, DC – The US Senate approved a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine late Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) that had been stalled for months in Congress, with President Joe Biden vowing fresh supplies to be delivered swiftly to the war zone as Russia makes battlefield gains.

The package of legislation also contains text that would ban TikTok in the United States if the popular social media app does not soon cut ties with its Chinese parent company.

In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday thanked the US Senate for approving a $61 billion aid package for his country.

“I thank Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for their strong leadership

Wray echoed concerns that TikTok poses a threat to US national security.

US and other Western officials have voiced alarm over the popularity of TikTok with young people, alleging it allows Beijing to collect data and spy on users. It has 170 million users in the United States alone.

These critics also say TikTok is subservient to Beijing and a conduit to spread propaganda. China and the company strongly deny these claims. AFP

in advancing this bipartisan legislation, as well as all US Senators on both sides of the aisle who voted in favor of it,” he posted on social media minutes after the bill passed.

The United States has been the chief military backer of Ukraine in its war against Russia, but the new aid package that includes vital military supplies had been stalled for months in Congress.

“I equally appreciate President Biden’s support and look forward to the bill being signed soon and the next military aid package matching the resoluteness that I always see in our negotiations,” Zelensky added.

“Ukraine’s long-range capabilities, artillery, and air defense are critical tools for restoring just peace sooner.” AFP

COUNTDOWN TO WAR. Police officers detain people as protesters block the street near the home of US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in the Brooklyn borough of New York during a demonstration by pro-Palestinian Jewish groups on the second night of Passover calling on Schumer to stop arming Israel amid its retaliatory assault on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Early Wednesday, hospital and security sources in Gaza reported Israeli air strikes in Rafah, as well as the central Nuseirat refugee camp. AFP

FOREIGN AID. US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, speaks during a news conference ahead of a vote on a foreign aid package at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Wednesday. The Ukrainian military has been facing a severe shortage of weapons. Days after the Republican-led House of Representatives cleared the aid, part of a massive $95 billion in assistance to allies including Israel and Taiwan -- the Democratic-controlled Senate followed suit, passing the broader package with bipartisan support on a 79-18 vote. AFP

NU secures playo for twice-to-beat incentive

(Women)

FOUR-PEAT-SEEKING National

University continued to own the number of top seed Far Eastern University, repeating with a 25-22, 25-21, 25-20 win to clinch at least a playoff for a twice-to-beat incentive come the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Volleyball Final Four, Wednesday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

The Bulldogs were the only team to beat the Tamaraws in the elimination round to enter the semifinals with an 11-3 record.

NU escaped FEU last March 6, 2522, 21-25, 25-14, 23-25, 18-16. NU now hopes for a De La Salle University (10-3) loss against University of Santo Tomas on Saturday to secure the twice-to-beat advantage.

The Bulldogs will play the Green Spikers in a playoff for No. 2 if the Taft-based side beats the Golden Spikers. “Sobrang happy ako sa naging performance namin. Importante lang sa amin mag training lang ulit kami kung ano man ang mangyari sa last game ng elimination round,” said Bulldogs’ head coach Dante Alinsunurin as they are assured to face La Salle in the next round but what their rank would be remains hanging in the balance.

The Tamaraws, who wrapped up the eliminations with the best record at 12-2 that secured them the Final Four incentive, will take on the fourth-ranked Golden Spikers (8-5) in the other pairing.

It was tied at 16 in the third period when Joshua Retamar decided to do things on his own with an attack and a kill block to go with an FEU error to create the much-needed separation, 19-16.

then chipped in for the NU win in one hour and 27 minutes.

Paris-bound Fil-Am gymnast to vie in Asian Championships

By Peter Atencio

THE 11th Asian Senior Gymnastics Championships is up next for LeVi Jung-Ruivivar as she gets ready for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Levelling up her routine in the uneven bars will get the 17-year-old Ruivivar in competitive shape when the Paris games come.

The Fil-American gymnast went right back to training, as soon as she has fully rested after leaving Doha, Qatar, where she delivered her finest 2024 World Cup Series performance, following stops in Cairo, Cottbus and Baku.

In the final leg, Ruivivar earned the silver medal in the women’s uneven bars following a great routine, beating close rival Alena Tsitavets of Belarus, a contender for the slot to the Paris Olympics in the four-leg series.

“I’m training in Dallas for the next 4 to 5 weeks before the Asian Championships. This will get me ready for the Olympics,” said Ruivivar, who is now in the Richardson area, the location of the training center for gymnastics in Texas.

Ruivivar will compete with a team, which includes Emma Malabuyo and Aleah Finnegan, who also made it to the quadrennial meet with Carlos Yulo. Malabuyo missed the cut in the Paris Olympics when she competed in World Cup series, but won the silver last year in the floor exercises of the Asian Championships.

Finnegan settled for the bronze medal in the vault also last year.

Jung-Ruivivar, an incoming freshman at Stanford University, utilized two rotuines during the finals that she has never done before, thereby impressing the judges with the difficulty that went with it. This led to JungRuivivar’s Olympic qualification. Debuting for the Philippines last March in the Cairo leg, Jung-Ruivivar did a Stalder full inbar move, done with legs tucked on either side, while doing a forward swing.

With online instructions from coach Ivan Goriatchkine, she did a pak salto, where she does her handstand a bit longer, before swinging down, and dismounting with a double back flip.

“These are the two things that I have never done before,” said JungRuivivar, in an interview with the Manila Standard.

PSC, French Embassy to hold Olympic Volunteer Course

THE Philippine Sports Commission, in partnership with the French Embassy and the France Volontaires-Philippines, will conduct a volunteer training course for nine Filipino volunteers that will be part of the backbone for achieving successful staging of the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games. The training course will be held on April 25 and 26 at the VIP Room of Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall, constituting lectures aimed to awaken the sense of pride and level the expectations

of chosen volunteers. Volunteers will also be taught about French culture as part of their preparation as Committee Assistants and Sports Facilitators in different sporting associations. They will be together with other 45,000 people that will welcome, direct, and guide spectators and athletes. “We fully support the cause of this program, it reflects the country’s determination of contributing to the exceptional experience for all delegates the Paris 2024 wants to give, and symbolizes our solidarity

with the international sporting community,” PSC chairman Richard Bachmann said. Application for the volunteering program started in August 2022 with 112 applicants trimmed down to nine as announced on July 14, last year, during the French National day hosted by its embassy in the country.

Selected volunteers were given prior immersions in major sporting and volunteering events including FIBA Draw Festival, Sports FirstAid Training, French Language

class, and French Volunteering Day. The composition of Filipino volunteers came from various professions including youth leaders Jeneca Rombaon and John Vincent Balawen, para-athletes Daisy Jane Omega and Brylle Samgel Arombo, athlete-coach Monica Chavez, Romina Manahan, and Ezra Balin git. Entrepreneur Isaac Jefferson Coloma and multimedia specialist Mari Gabrielle Faro will be completing the cast of the volunteer program.

Archers favored over Saints; tossup between Lions, Scorpions

ECOOIL-La Salle is the hands down favorite over Go TorakkuSt. Clare when the two teams battle each other in Game 1 of the PBA D League Aspirants’ Cup semifinals series on Thursday at the Ynares Arena in Pasig City.

That’s not the case though in the other series between Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda and Centro Escolar University.

Jaded observers believe the matchup, a rematch of their classification round duel, could go either way.

The top-seed and two-time defending champion Green Archers test the mettle of the Saints at 4:30 p.m., while the Red Lions and the Scorpions clash at 7:30 p.m.

EcoOil-La Salle smothered Go Torakku-St. Clare, 90-63 in the classification phase and is expected to encounter little trouble in the semifinals largely due to its deep bench. Also, the reigning UAAP

Fabulous ace prizes up in Camp John Hay GC Invitational

BAGUIO—Participants of Camp John Hay Golf Club’s Invitational member-guests tournament will have a great time to beat the sum mer heat as they go for fabulous prizes for hole-in-one starting on Friday.

A Toyota Vios at Hole No. 4, a Club Car golf cart on No. 18, P100,000 cash and XXiO driver on No. 15 headline the prize list in the 18th edition wherein 115 two-man teams are expected to trek up.

Also up for grabs are a XXiO driver and P10,000 cash at Nos. 11, a TSR Drive plus P10,000 cash at No. 6 and an IPAD and P10,000 cash on No. 13.

Hole in one sponsors include Toyota, Warbird Security Agency, Federal Management & Maintenance, Golf Cart PH, Sacyat Law Office, Connectify Inc. and Travellers Insurance Surety Corporation.

“We came up with these prizes in all par-3 holes to make it more exciting for the players,” said general manager Jude Eustaquio of CJHGC, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The 18th Invitational is in partnership with The Manor and Forest Lodge at Camp John Hay and Le Chef with Golforce Inc.., AIP Construction, Cebu Blue Bloods and Abomor Equipment Sales Corp. Megatesting Center, MRT Dev. Co., Bishop Carlito J. Cenzon Foundation, Inc., Addessa Corporation Baguio are silver sponsors.

Bronze sponsors are Kaiser International Health Group, Poblador Bautista Reyes Law Offices, The Turf Company, Baguio Blue Bloods, Cordillera Golfers Foundation Inc., AR Eustaquio Construction & General Services, Baguio Craft Brewery/Mylk Tea, Reaping Fresh Farm Corp. and BGC

Kongkraphan

From A8

Game Thursday (Ynares Arena, Pasig City) 4:30 p.m.: Go Torakku-St.Clare vs. EcoOil-La Salle 7:30 p.m. – CEU vs Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda

champion Green Archers are highly motivated to win another championship.

In contrast, the Marinerong Pilipino/San Beda- CEU duel promises to be interesting.

The secondseeded Scorpions stunned the Red Lions, 72-63, in the classification phase, something that could work to their advantage in the semifinal series in terms of confidence. But the Red Lions are title hungry and vengeful. They certainly focused on getting back at the Scorpions and set up a title rematch against the Green Archers, who swept them in the tournament last year.

The LPGT South Pacific leg champion last year rued a number of birdie chances, including a flubbed three-footer on No. 13 and a birdie putt from pin-length high on No. 15 that resulted in a three-putt miscue.

“I also struggled to hit the greens, so I need to work on my short game,” said Bisera, who tied Wad Phaewchimplee, who also carded a 71, and Chih-Yun Wu, who matched par 72, at fourth

Forty-three players advanced to the final round of the of the championship co-sanctioned by the LPGA of Taiwan and the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour with Chihiro Ikeda fighting back with a 74 to salvage a spot at joint 39th with a 151. Also pooling seven-over totals were Kanyanat Saithip and Prima Thammaraks, who both shot 74s, Alisara Wedchakama, who struggled with a 75, and Unyong Polnamin, who fumbled with a 77.

However, withdrawals due to extreme heat were noted with Mikha Fortuna and Samaporn Khangkhun forced to retire after experiencing dizziness.

Fortuna, who opened with a 75, had a two-over card and quit after back-to-back bogeys from No. 2 on her way home, while Khangkhun had a four-over card in the day and 10-over total when she withdrew with three holes to play. Pear Pooratanaopa fired a 70 to move to seventh at 142, while while Queen Meesom-us groped for a 75 after a 69, tumbling from second to joint eighth at 144 with Dussavi Soopimjit and Han-Hsuan Yu, who carded 71 and 72, respectively.

Peng Taguibolos, Choi Diao, Nico Almendras, and Michaelo Buddin

LeVi Jung-Ruivivar waves to the crowd following her routine in the 2024 World Cup Series in Doha, Qatar.

PSC chairman Richard Bachmann

PH 3rd in SEA with most qualified athletes for Paris

By Randy Caluag

WITH just over three months remaining until the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Philippines currently boasts 12 confirmed qualifiers and is expected to add more as it currently ranks third among Southeast Asian nations in terms of secured Olympic spots.

Leading the pack is Thailand, which currently holds the highest number with 30 athletes set to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics, as of the latest update on April 20, 2024, based on the data gathered with seasia.com, a respected media website that covers the region.

Lady Pirates stay unbeaten in NCAA volleyball

LYCEUM of the Philippines survived an opening-set meltdown as it turned back Emilio Aguinaldo College, 1625, 25-18, 25-19, 25-12, on Wednesday to remain unscathed in five outings in NCAA Season 99 women’s volleyball at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

Johna Dolorito did almost everything as she came through with 10 points that all came off attacks while spearheading their floor defense with team-highs 11 receptions and 10 digs.

Joan Doguna, Janeth Tulang and Hiromi Osada likewise came through by scattering 14, 11 and 10 hits, respectively, for the Lady Pirates, who have moved a step or two closer from claiming a Final Four seat.

LPU, however, blinked early and allowed a determined EAC to steal the first set and snare the chance of putting blemish to the former’s immaculate slate. It wasn’t meant to be though as Dolorito and the Lady Pirates woke up from a deep slumber, dictated the pace from thre and snared the triumph.

The Lady Generals remained winless in five tries.

To advance, LPU would need to win at least two of its four elimination round assignments to advance.

College of St. Benilde kept its mighty streak going after it downed Arellano University, 25-16, 25-20, 25-14, yesterday in NCAA Season 99 women’s volleyball at the Filoil EcoOil Arena. The Lady Blazers have now won 35 straight including six this season that put them a step closer from claiming a Final Four spot, or, if they keep on rolling, three wins away from sweeping their way straight to the finals.

4 PH fencers shoot for Olympic seats in Dubai meet

By Peter Atencio

THREE Filipino fencers Nathaniel Perez, Noelito Jose and Hanniel Abella left Tuesday to join Samantha Catantan in flood-ravaged Dubai, host of the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament on April 27 to 28.

Abella, Jose and Perez are deep into preparations a day after travelling from Manila to Dubai, a densely-populated desert city in United Arab Emirates, which was damaged following unusually heavy rains that unexpectedly flooded the metropolis last week.

They will be in Fujairah to seek elusive qualifying slots for the Philippines.

Catantan will join them after a long journey from the United States, where she is a student-athlete at Penn State University.

This will be their second qualifying meet together, with Catantan almost making it to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

The last time around, Catantan reached the women’s foil semifinals of the Asian OQT in Tashkent, but bowed to Yana Alborova, an Uzbekistan naturalized from Russia, 10-15.

Following behind is Indonesia at second place with 21 athletes, while Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam have 11, 9, and 6 qualifiers respectively.

Meanwhile, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste have yet to secure any Olympic spots for Paris.

Filipina rower Joanie Delgaco became the 12th qualified athlete after finishing fourth in the Final A of the women’s single sculls at the World Rowing Asian and Oceanian Qualification Regatta held in the Republic of Korea over the weekend.

A day prior, Fil-American gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar secured her spot at the Paris Olympics during the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha, where she earned a silver medal and garnered sufficient qualification points.

Additionally, the country is guaranteed three qualifiers under the universality rule—one in athletics and two in swimming—bringing the unofficial Filipino Olympian count to 15.

These athletes will join their fellow Filipinos, including EJ Obiena (Pole Vault), Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finnegan, and Levi Jung-Ruivivar (Gymnastics), Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, and Aira Villegas (Boxing), as well as the weightlifting trio of Vanessa Sarno, John Ceniza, and Elreen Ando, at the Games scheduled for July.

Weightlifter Rosegie Ramos is awaiting official confirmation as the 12th Filipino to qualify for Paris, pending the announcement from the International Weightlifting Federation regarding the Games’ roster.

She slipped to second place at 138. Punpaka Phuntumabamrung briefly positioned herself to challenge for the top with a four-under card with four holes remaining at the front. But a stroke of misfortune on the par-3 No. 6 dashed her hopes, resulting in a triple bogey and a 70 and keeping her in third place at 140, three strokes behind Kongkraphan. Describing her stellar play, Kongkraphan attributed her success to her aggressive mindset, saying: “I challenged myself and played very aggressively.” Despite encountering challenges with the slow greens, she capitalized on every opportunity, underscoring the importance of maintaining focus and enjoyment of the game rather than fixating on the outcome.

Looking ahead to the final round, Kongkraphan expressed her commitment to remaining on the attack

Later, Catantan took her first gold medal in the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games.

Two years later, she sustained a left knee injury during the semifinal round of the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games, A torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) that required surgery put Catantan into months of recovery.

This year, Catantan showed she has recovered nicely, coming up with a 10th-place finish in the US NCAA Division 1 Championship.

The 28-year-old Perez is part of the grassroots’ program of the QCSep Fencing Team under coaches Amat and Christian Canlas of the sports program of Quezon City District 1 Councilor Joseph Juico.

EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD Alex Eala, now on a career-best world ranking, pulled off the biggest win of her young professional career after upending world No. 41 Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, at the Madrid Open. Eala, a wild card entry off her new and upgraded WTA ranking of 156 this week, played aggressively after losing the first set, sending in crucial points in winning the second set, 6-4

With Tsurenko ahead, 4-3, Eala stayed consistent and took the next three games to close the third set, 6-4.

“Having a positive mentality really helped and focusing point by point. Before the match, we discussed I should have good intensity and good body language. I think that’s what got me through the tough times during the match,” said Eala in on social media.

So far, Eala earned a total of $52,061 or P2.992 million in pro campaign this year and now has four-year tally of $231,299 (around P12.27million)

After her win, Eala received an inspiring hug from father, Mike, who watched from the stands.

She reached the Round of 64 on Thursday, where she will face Sorana Cirstea of Romania (WTA No. 30).

Eala is set to compete in the French Open qualifiers at the end of the month and hopes to push her rankings up to hopefully qualify for the Paris Olympics.

She recently picked up $1400 in winnings after making it to the Oeiras Ladies Open Round of 32 last week.

mode and focusing on executing her game plan, noting: “I guess a 10-under total would win. But it will boil down to putting, so I have to stay in the fairways and make the putts.”

Chen missed completing a fourbirdie spree with a muffed putt from close range on No. 4, after which she struggled to maintain her rhythm and focus under the scorching afternoon sun.

“The heat really got to me in the afternoon and I lost my concentration,” said Chen.

Unlike Kongkraphan, she’ll be relying on her long game as she pursues a breakthrough victory and the top prize of $18,000.

Despite a strong finish on the frontside with birdies on the last two holes for a second straight 71, Florence Bisera remained five strokes off the pace at 142, recognizing the need to fine-tune her short game and execute flawlessly to snatch the victory on the demanding Luisita layout.

Alex Eala

SMIC spending up to P114b to expand property, retail businesses

By Jenniffer B. Austria

SM INVESTMENTS Corp.

(SMIC) of the Sy family said Wednesday it is spending between P110 billion and P115 billion this year primarily to support the expansion of its property and retail businesses.

SMIC senior vice president for finance Franklin Gomez said in a news briefing following the company’s annual stockholders meeting said the 2024 capital expenditures would be higher than P80 billion thje group spent in 2023. Gomez said the group would allocate the bulk of this year’s spending for its property unit SM Prime Holdings Inc. at P100 billion.

The balance will go for the expansion of its retail unit which seeks to open 400 Alfamart stores, SM’s minimart grocery format, and 100 department stores, supermarkets and specialty stores this year.

SMIC’s banking arm BDO also continues to expand coverage nationwide as it intends to open 100 to 120 branches this year.

Most of the group’s expansion plans are also geared towards the provincial areas where growth is much faster compared to the National Capital Region. Gomez said while headwinds in the market remain, the group continues to invest in its businesses, which still have significant room for growth.

SMIC is also investing in emerging sectors through projects such as its commitment to supporting clean energy sources.

3 new officials named to complete DOF’s leadership

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed three undersecretaries including a chief economist to complete the leadership team of the Department of Finance led by Secretary Ralph Recto.

“I thank the President for appointing such highly competent officials. They are all valuable additions to my team at the DOF. I am confident that they will lead their respective offices with great skill, dedication and integrity,” Recto said.

Charlito Martin Mendoza takes on the role of undersecretary for the revenue operations group (ROG), overseeing the operations of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Before his appointment, Mendoza served as district collector for the BOC Port of Cebu from July 2019 to October 2022.

Meanwhile, Domini Velasquez was appointed undersecretary heading the office of the chief economist (OCE), which is a specialized unit dedicated to analyzing data on emerging economic developments, providing early warnings and recommending response measures aimed at anticipating and addressing key economic issues.

The new chief economist has over 15 years of experience in macroeconomic research and policy analysis. Velasquez spent most of her career in the government, particularly with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), where she provided economic analysis and advice for the country’s development plan. Darwin G. Amojelar

March budget deficit fell as revenues grew over 11%

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE national government’s budget deficit narrowed to P195.9 billion in March 2024 from P210.3 billion a year ago, as revenue grew 11.32 percent year-on-year, the Bureau of the Treasury said Wednesday.

advances from government-owned corporations.

Collections from other offices, which include non-tax revenue such as privatization proceeds and fees, slowed down in March compared to the same period last year. This can be attributed to a one-time return of unutilized funds in 2023 and lower Malampaya proceeds.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) collected P145.3 billion in March, a 3.11-percent increase from 2023. The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) also saw a significant rise in income for March, driven by higher dividend remittances and interest on

The BTr said this improvement stemmed from strong revenue collection, compared to a modest 3.18-percent rise in spending. Government revenue collection increased to P287.9 billion in March 2024, despite a 0.23 percent decline in tax revenues. The decrease was attributed to fewer working days due to holidays and a contraction in Bureau of Customs (BOC) collections. Revenue in the first quarter reached P933.7 billion ($17.2 billion), or 14.05 percent higher than the first three months of 2023. Tax revenues and nontax revenues amounted to P820.3 billion and P113.4 billion, respectively.

National government expenditures rose 3.18 percent year-on-year in March. The lower subsidies to government corporations helped temper the growth in spending.

The Philippines registered a primary deficit of P125.0 billion in March, a decrease of 16.33 percent from last year. The year-to-date primary deficit also reflected a significant drop from a year earlier.

proposed legislative and policy measures to support the digital infrastructure sector. These measures include streamlining the permitting process, energizing telco towers, rationalizing spectrum user fees and amending the national building code to exempt telco and ICT facilities from lease fees in buildings and other developments. Darwin G. Amojelar

Consumers warned vs. substandard products

By Othel V. Campos

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the private sector are working closely to safeguard consumers and the construction materials stakeholders against substandard products.

DTI assistant secretary for consumer protection group (CPG) Amanda Nograles said the agency is working closely with industry groups involved in the manufacture of wood, glass, steel and cement. She noted reports of houses that were readily knocked down after a few years because they were built with substandard materials.

Nograles emphasized the importance of using quality construction materials. She said CPG is counting on the efforts of Task Force Kalasag, a DTI-led group that advocates for consumer protection nationwide. The unit started as a government arm that cracks down on Vape Law violators. It has expanded its role to other consumer goods that have serious consumer issues. The DTI is also intensifying consumer awareness to steer them away from buying substandard materials.

Nograles asked consumers to buy certified products that conform to the national product standards, ensuring their quality and safety.

P933.7 billion P1.2 trillion P272.6 billion

First-quarter revenue collection

First-quarter expenditures

First-quarter budget deficit

Globe blacklists

36,549 SIMS

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said it blacklisted 36,549 SIMs from other networks in the first quarter of 2024, a 62-percent increase compared to the previous year.

Globe said this significant increase reflects its intensified campaign to combat cyber threats like spam blasts, online fraud and other illegal activities.

Globe said it also deactivated 841 SIMs from its network in the first quarter of 2024 after they were identified as potential sources of spam or scam SMS, or misuse. This figure marked a 30-percent year-onyear increase from the 647 Globe SIMs deactivated a year earlier.

“We have zero tolerance for abusive SIMs that undermine network security and compromise customer experience. Our accelerated deactivation efforts demonstrate our unwavering resolve to fight these cybersecurity threats head-on,” said Globe chief information security officer Anton Bonifacio. Darwin G. Amojelar

Pryce’s income

up 39.5% in Q1

LISTED Pryce Corp. said Wednesday its first-quarter net income grew 39.50 percent to P713.68 million from P511.54 million in the same period last year, driven by the improvement of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) margins particularly in Luzon.

The company said its revenues went down by 9.5 percent to P4.69 billion from P5.18 billion due to a drop in the average contract price (CP) by 10.50 percent to $633.67 per metric ton from $708.17 per MT and a decrease in the sales volume.

“The drop in the CP has a consequent effect of lowering domestic LPG prices, while the decrease in sales volume is caused by the return of the market to the pre-pandemic out-of-home consumption levels as Pryce is predominantly a household retail-oriented business,” the company said.

“The household consumers returned to dine in restaurants and other commercial establishments post the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Pryce said. Alena Mae S. Flores

PXP Energy incurs lower core net loss

PXP Energy Corp. reported a lower core net loss of P2.6 million in the first quarter of 2024, compared to the P6.6-million loss in the same period last year on higher volume of crude oil sold from Galoc oil operations, reduced recurring overhead and higher interest income. Consolidated net loss attributable to equity holders of the

Chi

OceanaGold lowers final IPO price to P13.33 a share

By Jenniffer B. Austria

said this price level would give investors an upside in terms of higher dividend yield versus what the real estate investment trust firms were promising. OGPI will sell up to 456 million secondary common shares, owned by selling shareholder OceanaGold (Philippines) Holdings Inc., The offer shares represent 20 percent of its outstanding capital stock.

Net proceeds from the offer will go directly to the selling shareholder. The company will not receive any proceeds from the offer.

The shares will be listed and traded on the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) under the symbol OGP.

It will be the first company to list on the local bourse this year.

Offer period will run from April 29 to May 6, with listing on the PSE is scheduled on May 13, according to the latest timetable submitted by the company.

Sabin Aboitiz, strategic lead convenor of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), introduces the state of the private sector in the Philippines during the business matching forum and networking session for New Zealand Prime Ministers Christopher Luxon and his business delegation. The Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (OSAPIEA), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Board of Investments (BOI), organized the session to pitch the compelling investment advantages of the Philippines to Kiwi companies.

ACEN plans to invest P72b to finance RE projects this year

By Alena Mae S. Flores

AGroup’s power generation arm ACEN Corp. is looking at capital expenditures (capex) of P72 billion this year to roll out its domestic and international renewable energy portfolio, company executives said Wednesday.

ACEN plans to finance its capex through a combination of internallygenerated funds and loans. It allocated bulk of the capex amounting to P40 billion for its Philippine power business. “We expect to continue our rapid expansion through 2024 as we work towards our aspiration to reach 20 gigawatts [GW] of renewables capac-

ity by 2030,” ACEN president and chief executive Eric Francia said at the sidelines of the company’s annual stockholders meeting.

“The cash in our balance sheet is just under P40 billion. So that’s obviously going to fund a lot of these capex. Plus, additional financing from mostly from bilateral loans, whether

Philippines needs an effective technology to actively monitor the marine environment and ensure its long term sustainability and legal use.

For starters, the seas around the Philippines are a critical source of food. Each and every vessel roaming our waters has to be surveilled to discourage overfishing and protect the marine environment.

Tracking vessel ownership operators and their crew, for instance, will give fishing authorities a lead in their job and help in the preservation of aquatic environment dynamics. It will also determine if all players in the open seas are complying with international, regional and local regulations.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier had sensed the critical role of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in addressing the problems on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUUF) fishing.

As the DA chief last year, Mr. Marcos ordered to the Department of DA and BFAR to implement Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 266, which requires commercial fishing boats to install

it’s mostly at the project level, project finance from banks basically,” Francia said. He said the company was looking at overall spending of $15 billion to realize the 20-GW target by 2030.

“We’re now roughly at 5 GW. So, to get to 20 GW, we need 15 GW. It’s around $1 million per megawatt. So that’s $15 billion. These are approximate figures. We expect roughly 60 percent of the funding to come from debt, whether it’s from banks or the debt capital markets. The 40 percent or roughly $6 billion from equity sources,” he said.

ACEN has over 3.3 GW of capacity in operations and under commissioning and about 1.5 GW of capacity under construction.

ACEN also signed agreements or won competitive tenders worth over 1 GW of capacity, which effectively surpasses the company’s goal of reaching 5 GW of renewables by 2025, or almost two years ahead of schedule.

Francia said the Philippines continues to be ACEN’s core market, accounting for about 40 percent of its generation portfolio.

“Our Philippine renewables output increased by 35 percent to 1,145 gigawatt-hours with the commissioning of new solar and wind farms...The significant increase in capacity resulted in a stronger net seller position for the Philippine business, amidst elevated electricity prices. This resulted in a robust financial performance,” he said.

Stocks climb as US production data bolster hopes of Fed monetary easing

THE Philippine stock market rose Wednesday following the strong showing by US and Asian markets.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index surged 65.95 points, or 1.01, percent to close at 6,572.75, while the broader all-shares index climbed 16.56 points, or 0.48 percent, to reach 3,463.46.

First Metro Securities said the PSEi went up after US manufacturing data came lower than expected, which kept alive expectations of US Federal Reserve easing this year.

“On the local front, investors digested the country’s budget deficit was P195.9 billion in March,” First Metro said. Total value turnover was thin at P1.54 billion.

Meanwhile, other Asian equities extended the week’s gains Wednesday following a strong rally on Wall

Street and another record in London, as traders cheered more upbeat earnings reports and data indicating a slowdown in US economic activity. Analysts also said a recent pullback in markets provided an opportunity to step back in, while easing Middle East tensions were also providing much-needed support.

All three main indexes in New York enjoyed a bump Tuesday, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 each piling on more than one percent.

General Electric, Spotify, and diaper and paper product brand Kimberly-Clark were among the companies posting strong gains after releasing quarterly reports. Microsoft and Alphabet are among the other top firms set to announce their results this week.

Managing our fisheries, marine environment key to food security

vessel monitoring devices that could track them and serve as the mechanism to report their catch.

But implementing the vessel monitoring system, or VMS, backfired amid accusations that it was tainted with corruption and overpricing.

But implementing the vessel monitoring system, or VMS, backfired amid accusations that it was tainted with corruption and overpricing. Sure enough, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal from service of BFAR

National Director Demosthenes R. Escoto over his involvement in the allegedly anomalous awarding of a P2-billion contract for the VMS project in 2018.

In a 22-page decision written by Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer I Cezar

M. Tirol II and approved by Ombudsman

Samuel R. Martires, the anti-graft body found Escoto guilty of grave misconduct. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. appointed career official Isidro Velayo Jr. as officer-incharge of BFAR following the ruling.

The dismissal order on Escoto could lead to the cancellation of his civil service eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification to hold public office and prohibition from taking civil service examinations.

If the dismissal cannot be executed due to separation from service, it will be converted into a fine equivalent to one year’s salary for the respondent. This fine is payable to the Ombudsman and may be deducted from the

respondent’s retirement benefits, accrued leave credits, or any other receivables from his office. The administrative case against Escoto originated from his actions as chairman of the BFAR’s Bids and Awards Committee. The Ombudsman ruled that there was “substantial evidence that Escoto committed grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.”

The anti-graft body said Escoto’s actions as BAC chair culminated in the award of a “very favorable contract” to United Kingdom-based SRT Marine Systems Solutions Ltd. SRT-UK obtained the contract to supply technology and equipment for the Integrated Marine Environment Monitoring System Project Phase 1, also known as the PHILO Project. The PHILO Project aimed to enhance marine resource protection and combat illegal fishing by instituting VMS for commercial vessels above 30 gross tons operating within the country’s exclusive economic zone, including procurement of transmitters and transceivers. The project was initially set to be funded through a loan from the French government, with a contracted budget of P1.6 billion, requiring bidders to either be French or part of a joint venture with a French entity.

In 2017, SRT-France, a subsidiary of SRT-UK, was declared the winning bidder by the DA-BFAR. However, the French government later disqualified it due to its British ownership.

It turned out that SRT-France was only a month-old company with no manufacturing or engineering facilities in France, causing the collapse of the French loan agreement.

In the following 2018 bidding, SRT-UK won the contract, although the project’s budget increased to P2.09 billion, financed locally.

The Ombudsman said Escoto, while in the exercise of his official function as BAC chair, “clearly gave unwarranted benefit or advantage to SRT-France and SRT- UK.”

“Although the award of the contract to SRTFrance was cancelled, the unwarranted benefit they gave to SRT-France to participate in the bid and to be post-qualified despite its ineligibility constitutes a willful violation of the law and established rule,” the Ombudsman said. The Ombudsman noted that instead of procuring the originally planned 3,736 units of VMS transceivers, Escoto obligated the government to purchase 5,000 units.

“This is a contractual obligation that is grossly disadvantageous to the government and unreasonably beneficial to SRT-UK,” it said.

Jenniffer B. Austria with AFP

AN ARCHIPELAGO like the Philippines has its hands full in scouring the seas surrounding it. The waters of the Pacific Ocean in the east, West Philippine Sea, and the Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea in the south are so vast and rich in marine resources that they pose an enormous challenge to monitor them. The

BUSINESS

PFDA seeks P30-b budget to upgrade 18 fishing ports

By Othel V. Campos

THE Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) said P30.1 billion is needed to upgrade over a dozen regional and subregional seaports into deep-water facilities over four years.

It said in a statement the initiative supports the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) vision of establishing nationwide agri-logistics hubs. Based on the initial financing requirement of developing 18 ports, the PFDA will need P6.04 billion in 2024 and P24.08 billion next year to steer the plan to action.

PFDA said that of the 2024 budget, P4.2 billion will develop seven regional ports including four fish ports in Davao, General Santos, Iloilo and Zamboanga and the three deep water ports in Cebu, Palawan and Surigao City.

The balance will be for subports with deep water ports of 3 to 5 hectares.

The 11 subports identified for development by PFDA are those in Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte; Pagudpud, llocos Norte; Bongao, Tawi-Tawi; San Jose, Occidental Mindoro; Cataingan, Masbate; Infanta, Quezon; Pantao, Albay; Kalmansig, Sultan Kudarat; Bataan; Mati City, Davao Oriental; and Cadiz, Negros. Agriculture Secretary and PFDA chair Francisco Tiu Laurel supports PFDA’s goal of using the regional ports to become entry and exit points for agricultural items to reduce the cost of transporting farm and fishery products across the islands.

Aside from deepening access channels to the ports to accommodate fully laden Panamax vessels, the PFDA’s multi-year development plan also includes building silos, cold storage, agricultural processing areas, cargo handling facilities, quays, shipyards, fuel depots and pipelines.

Central Luzon leads agri,

CENTRAL Luzon emerged as the top contributor to the Philippines’ value of production in agriculture and fisheries in 2023, accounting for 13.5 percent of the total at constant 2018 prices, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed Wednesday.

It said the national value reached P1.76 trillion. Northern Mindanao and Western Visayas followed Central Luzon with shares of 10.1 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively. Central Visayas, meanwhile, post-

ed the fastest annual growth in the sector at 7.6 percent. MIMAROPA Region and Eastern Visayas followed at 7.0 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively.

Bicol Region registered the steepest decline in the value of agri-

fishery output—PSA

cultural and fishery production at 7.6 percent. Western Visayas and SOCCSKSARGEN also saw reductions of 5.7 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively.

The total value of crop production reached P1.00 trillion in 2023.

Northern Mindanao held the top spot with a share of 11.7 percent, followed by Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon at 10.6 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively. Central Visayas recorded the highest annual growth in crop production at 24.3 percent.

Livestock production, valued at P0.26 trillion, was led by CALABARZON (13.1 percent), Central Visayas (12.7 percent), and Northern Mindanao (11.3 percent). Central Luzon exhibited the highest year-on-year growth at 30.0 percent, followed by MIMAROPA Region (16.9 percent), Ilocos Region (14.1 percent), and CALABARZON (12.2 percent). Poultry production, also valued at P0.26 trillion, was dominated by Central Luzon (27.0 percent), CALABARZON (19.3 percent), and

PLDT, partners to deploy new tech for forest conservation

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE PLDT Group is teaming up with Huawei Technologies Phils. Inc., the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to deploy the technology of US-based non-profit organization Rainforest Connection (RFCx).

The partnership aims to strengthen local forest conservation efforts and enhance enforcement of environmental laws.

Under the tie-up, RFCx “Guardians”

By

which are bioacoustics monitoring devices, will be deployed to the protected forest areas of Taytay, Palawan.

The Guardians can capture sounds of the forest, including those from chainsaws used for illegal logging and gunshots, among others sounds.

RFCx Guardians, powered by solar energy, are installed high in canopies of trees and equipped with the capacity to capture sounds within a three-kilometer radius.

Collected data are transmitted via wireless technology to the cloud for analysis using Artificial Intelligence and

Japan’s Taisei takes 25% stake in PGEC unit BOI,

Corp., one of Japan’s biggest general contractors, signed an investment framework and shareholders agreement with PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC) to take a 25-percent equity stake in the latter’s subsidiary Rizal Green Energy Corp. (RGEC). The investment covers the funding, construction and operation of an initial portfolio of four solar power facilities totaling 112.6 megawatts (MW). This includes the 41-MW Limbauan project in Isabela, the 25-MW Bugallon project in Pangasinan, the 19.6-MW San Jose project in Nueva Ecija and the 27-MW Dagohoy solar project in Bohol. Taisei Corp. has been in the Philippines since 1982 operating as a general contractor mostly on official development assistance (ODA)-funded infrastructures but the partnership deal with the Yuchengco-led firm is its first equity investment in renewable energy (RE) outside Japan.

“We are honored that Taisei Corp. has chosen the Philippines to make its first overseas equity investment in RE. Following on the 2022 partnership we forged with Kyuden International Corp., Taisei’s entry not only validates PGEC’s performance and integrity as an RE developer and partner but also testifies to the vastly improved energy investment climate in the country under the present administration,” PGEC chair Milagros Reyes said.

“We are very pleased to be able to contribute to renewable energy in the Philippines, which is experiencing remarkable development, and more importantly, to participate in this project as a business partner with PGEC,” Taisei executive vice president Jiro Taniyama said.

Machine Learning technology, allowing for the identification of possible illegal activities.

With the RCFx Guardians, and through a connected platform called “Arbimon”, forest rangers can monitor a wider area more efficiently which would otherwise be almost impossible for foot patrols given the size of the forest.

With the collected data from the Guardians, the rangers have access to improved threat intelligence, allowing them to zero-in on specific areas and help facilitate corresponding action to stop illegal activities in protected forests.

THE Board of Investments (BOI) and the Bulacan provincial government signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to enhance cooperation in promoting and facilitating investments in the province.

The agreement marked the 35th partnership between BOI and a local government unit (LGU) and signified an important milestone for Bulacan as the first province in Central Luzon to have an official partnership with BOI.

Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando and Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo signed the agreement during the launch of Invest Bulacan Plus on April 5, 2024.

Invest Bulacan Plus aims to promote, leverage, upscale and synergize development and investment promotion efforts for Bulacan’s sustainable and inclusive growth. Rodolfo acknowledged Bulacan’s geographical advantages and emphasized the potential for its independent development.

“Seeing the development in this province, I think we could really work at developing Bulacan for Bulacan not just because it is

near Metro Manila, not just because it is the gateway from Metro Manila to Central Luzon and vice versa—but because of its impressive economic development,” Rodolfo said.

The MOA aims to strengthen the partnership between the two parties in promoting Bulacan as an investment destination. It also streamlines processes and provides support to investors through the establishment of a One-Stop Action Center for Strategic Investments (OSAC-SI) in the province.

Under the agreement, the Bulacan province will provide the BOI with updated information on investment opportunities, government support and local incentives.

It will also allow BOI representatives to assist enterprises in the submission and follow-up of applications for business permits and licenses.

Meanwhile, the BOI will conduct investment seminars and provide technical assistance to the

Northern Mindanao (9.5 percent). Eastern Visayas (24.2 percent), BARMM (11.24 percent), and MIMAROPA Region (11.19 percent) saw the most significant annual increases.

The total value of fisheries production amounted to P0.24 trillion. Central Luzon again emerged as a leader, contributing 18.1 percent. MIMAROPA Region (28.9 percent), NCR (19.3 percent), and Caraga (6.3 percent) registered the highest annual growth in fisheries output.

RELIEF DISTRIBUTION. The Chinese Filipino Business Club Inc. (CFBCI), under the leadership of president Samuel Lee Uy, in collaboration with Ford Tractor Philippines, distributes relief goods on April 16 to over 600 families affected by a fire incident in Isla Puting Bato, Tondo, Manila. Michael Wong Ho

Central Luzon emerges as the top contributor to the Philippines’

Air-con unit maker doubles profit amid hot weather

By Jenniffer B. Austria

CONCEPCION Industrial Corp.

(CIC), a leading air-conditioning and refrigeration appliance manufacturer, said Wednesday it doubled its firstquarter net income to P186 million from a year ago with the early onset of the hot dry season.

CIC said in a stock exchange filing first-quarter sales reached P3.8 billion, a 33-percent increase from a year ago on strong growth across business segments.

The company attributed the strong first-quarter performance to improved retail presence and distribution channels, wider product portfolio and the impact of the prevailing hot weather.

“We are pleased that we have exceeded the commitment for the quarter which is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our people, and the effectiveness of our strategies which have been in motion since 2023,” CIC chief finance Rajan Komarasu said.

CIC’s home appliance subsidiary

Concepcion Midea Inc. booked sales of P5 billion, up 34 percent from a year ago, while the consumer business recorded P2.8 billion in net sales, up 33 percent year-on-year.

The air conditioning product sales grew 30 percent, while refrigeration products recorded an increase of 60 percent in sales due to consistent monthly sales performance, following the launch of new models and improved retail presence.

BCDA raises dividend payout to gov’t to P1.1b

By Othel V. Campos STATE-RUN Bases Conversion and Development Authority

(BCDA) said it doubled its support for the national government this year, remitting P1.1 billion in dividends to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr).

BCDA president and chief executive Joshua Bingcang said the additional funding would contribute to government spending and economic growth initiatives in 2024.

“The BCDA’s higher dividend remittance to the national government reflects its sustained good financial standing amid efficient revenue generation and expenditure management. This year, we are remitting more than the share mandated by the law as testament to our commitment to nation building,” he said.

The state agency doubled its remittance from P527 million in 2023.

This brought BCDA’s total dividend contribution to the national government to nearly P9.6 billion since it was established in 1992.

The BCDA also contributes to the BTr through guarantee fees for the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) loan and proceeds from its asset disposition program.

Program proceeds are distributed to various beneficiary agencies, with the Armed Forces of the Philippines being the primary recipient.

GSIS posted 21% income growth to P37b in Q1

By Darwin G. Amojelar

GOVERNMENT Service Insurance System (GSIS) said Wednesday its net income climbed 21 percent in the first quarter of 2024, driven by rising revenues and investments.

GSIS said net income amounted to P37 billion from January to March, up from P30.75 billion in the same period last year.

The state-run pension fund for public sector workers said the growth in profitability was driven by strong revenues reaching P85 billion, up 17 percent year-on-year.

“Our commitment to support the nation’s growth story saw increases in GSIS investments in key sectors such as real estate, infrastructure, food, energy and mining. Further, the GSIS is boosting revenue streams as it focuses on building efficiencies in its various businesses,” said GSIS president and general manager Jose Arnulfo Veloso. GSIS said its income from financial assets went up by P28 billion or 45 percent from March 2023. Veloso said GSIS would like to be a catalyst supporting investments in various sectors to bring down the cost of power and allow vertical integration for mining companies to process raw materials into intermediate and finished products.

Lazada to continue support for Filipino entrepreneurs

LAZADA Philippines renewed its commitment to support the growth of Philippine entrepreneurship.

“What we do at Lazada is simple: we build entrepreneurs and make selling easy for everyone,” Lazada Philippines chief executive Carlos Barrera said.

Lazada teamed up with actress Gabbi Garcia to launch Sandy and Shine—a jewelry and accessories brand inspired by her passion for fashion.

“We’re very excited to take this next step with Gabbi, who has partnered with Lazada throughout the years on livestreams and LazBeauty,

and launching her first brand with us just last year,” Barrera said.

“By investing in our sellers, we get to grow a vibrant marketplace where buyers can access a wide assortment of quality products and get the best possible online shopping experience,” he said.

Mishie de la Cruz, head of affiliates at Lazada Philippines, echoed this sentiment, expressing enthusiasm for supporting Garcia’s entrepreneurial journey “every step of the way”.

Garcia encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams fearlessly, emphasizing the importance of passion and a great support system

from platforms like Lazada.

“When you meet people who give you the right support, don’t be afraid and just go for it. Especially if it’s something that you’re passionate about and makes your heart flutter,” Garcia said. Lazada’s collaboration with Garcia exemplifies the firm’s commitment to empower individuals to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into reality.

The recent launch of the Sandy and Shine Official Flagship Store on LazMall marked a significant milestone, with the actress actively involved in curating the product range.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Asialink, Creador sign P4-b investment agreement to boost SME lending in PH

ASIALINK Finance Corp. and Creador, a Southeast Asian private equity firm, signed a P4-billion investment agreement to boost SME lending in the Philippines.

Asialink’s affiliates Global Dominion Financing Inc. and South Asialink Finance Corp. are also expected to benefit from Creador’s investment, amplifying its impact of more financial solutions for businesses across the country. Asialink recognized the opportunity to expand its reach to the underserved market segment which consists of small business owners encountering challenges in securing financing through conventional financial institutions.

The collaboration between Asialink and Creador heralds a new era of growth and opportunity, promising to broaden access to SME funding throughout the nation, the two parties said in a statement.

Omar Mahmoud, managing director and country head of the Philippines at Creador said the collaboration with Asialink marks an exciting chapter for SMEs in the Philippines.

“Through our investment, we aim to unlock new avenues of growth and opportunity, empowering hardworking entrepreneurs to thrive in today’s dynamic business landscape while Asialink expands its footprint, particularly in Visayas and Mindanao, diversifies its offerings, and harnesses data-driven approaches to digitize its services,” Mahmoud said.

“Asialink has been instrumental to the thriving business community across the Philippines. However, we recognize that there is still a large underserved population who find it difficult to access proper funding for their businesses and participate fully in economic activity,” said Robert Jordan Jr., CEO of Asialink.

The fund said that as of end-March 2024, its total assets increased 10f percent to P1.74 trillion from a year earlier.

Bolstering its commitment to support its two million members, GSIS enhanced its lending program to allow its members to better manage their finances and ease their debt burden.

It said that as of March 2024, the Multi-Purpose Loan Flex (MPL FLEX) program disbursed P136 billion to 506,000 members since September 2023.

Veloso also that fund life of the GSIS pension fund is now at 2058 because of sustained investment returns. Net gains on sale and mark-to-market valuation of local equities and exchangetraded funds (ETFs) resulted in revenues amounting to P10 billion, higher by 234 percent from March 2023.

GSIS interest income from fixed income securities reached P9 billion in first quarter of 2024, including holdings in USD and PHP sovereign bonds, short-dated Treasury Bills and corporate bonds.

BINONDO

Liwayway owner receives China Friendship Award

By Michael Wong Ho

Carlos Chan, owner of Liwayway Holdings Company Limited, the company behind the popular Oishi brand, was awarded the China Friendship Award at a ceremony in Beijing on April 22.

Chan, a Filipino businessman, was recognized for his contributions to China’s economic development and his role in fostering strong business ties between China and the Philippines.

Representatives from China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) and Wan Li Jun, chairperson of the All China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, presented the award.

The China Friendship Award is a prestigious honor given to foreign experts who have made significant contributions to China’s social and economic progress. This year, 50 individuals received the award, and Chan’s recognition highlights the vital role Liwayway Holdings has played in China’s growth.

Established in 1946, Liwayway Holdings began as a marketing company in the Philippines. Under Chan’s leadership, the company expanded its operations to include food production, with the Oishi brand becoming a household name in the Philippines.

In 1993, recognizing the potential

Wai Ying has gained popularity for its delicious

of the Chinese market, Liwayway opened its first factory in Shanghai, becoming one of the first foreignowned companies to manufacture goods specifically for Chinese consumers.

Oishi’s success in China can be attributed to its focus on adapting to local tastes and preferences while maintaining high-quality standards. The brand is not only known for its delicious snacks but also for its commitment to social responsibility initiatives, making it a model for corporate behavior in China.

“Oishi established its first factory in Shanghai City in 1993. I am a witness, participant, and beneficiary of China’s open-door policy,” Chan said at the ceremony.

“Over the past 31 years, Oishi has closely followed the pulse of the Chinese market, seizing opportunities as they arise.”

Chan’s achievement is a testament to the success that can be achieved through collaboration and a shared vision for prosperity.

Filipino-Chinese Amity Club attends Canton Fair

By Julie Ann Lope

THE Filipino-Chinese Amity Club attended the 135th Canton Fair in Guangzhou, China from April 14 to 17, 2024.

Chairman Cai Chang Yu led the delegation of 50 representatives from the association and its branches across the Philippines, with Chen Wen Hui serving as the honorary leader.

Vice chairman Penita Ong, Cai Ming Feng, Li Jia Qing, Zhang Nian Xi and Xu Rui En were also present un the event.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Vice Chairman Xie Hui Rong and all the leaders of the Guangdong Overseas Chinese Federation for their warm reception and guidance during past Canton Fair activities. Their continuous support and care for our association are deeply appreciated by all members.

Fostering friendship between China and the Philippines, advancing economic and trade exchanges, and promoting cultural interaction are paramount objectives for our association.” Cai said. The first phase of the exhibition showcased a wide spectrum of indus-

tries, including electrical appliances, electronic consumer goods and information products, industrial automation, intelligent manufacturing, processing machinery, power equipment and general machinery.

The exhibition highlighted innovations in engineering and agricultural machineries, new materials and chemical products.

Attendees were treated to displays of new energy vehicles, smart travel solutions, vehicles, auto parts, motorcycles, bicycles, lighting products, electronic and electrical goods as well as hardware and tools.

Wai Ying: A culinary oasis in the heart of Binondo

IN THE heart of Manila lies a treasure trove of culinary delights waiting to be discovered. Binondo, the oldest Chinatown in the world, is a melting pot of cultures, history and, most importantly, food. From bustling street markets to cozy family-owned eateries, Binondo offers a culinary journey unlike any other.

One of the well-known restaurants in the area is Wai Ying. Whenever you inquire about restaurant suggestions in Binondo, Wai Ying is consistently mentioned as a must-visit spot. It has gained popularity for its delicious and authentic Chinese cuisine, particularly its wide selection of dim sum and other traditional dishes at affordable prices.

Wai Ying offers a casual dining experience with an active atmosphere, making it a favorite spot for locals and visitors alike.

The restaurant is celebrated for its

FFCCCII supports gov’t move to ease agricultural imports to stabilize food prices

THE Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII), expressed support for President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s decision to ease agricultural imports.

FFCCCII president Dr. Cecilio Pedro said these measures would ensure affordable food prices and stabilize inflation. He emphasized the need for such actions to be temporary, urging the government to focus on long-term reforms and modernization initiatives to enhance agriculture and uplift the livelihoods of local farmers and fishermen.

FFCCCII also expressed support to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel’s leadership and reform initiatives to improve agriculture productivity and growth in the country.

President Marcos’s directive, outlined in Administrative Order No. 20 dated April 18, aims to remove nontariff barriers and streamline administrative procedures related to agricultural imports. It is intended to address the constraints that contribute to increased importation costs and limited farm goods supply, ultimately leading

to higher domestic prices of agricultural commodities.

The order, effective immediately, includes directives on the processing and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances, guidelines for sugar and fishery product importation and instructions to expedite the processing of agricultural imports.

A surveillance team will be formed to monitor importation and distribution, prevent illegal practices, and ensure the effective implementation of the order.

The Department of Agriculture said it is investigating the cause of the recent price movements, while also noting a decrease in the forecast for rice importation. Tiu-Laurel advocates for increased budget allocation in 2025 to support agriculture sector plans, focusing on irrigation systems, modernization, and post-harvest improvements.

Despite challenges, the government remains committed to addressing food security concerns and supporting initiatives to stabilize prices and improve agricultural productivity for the benefit of all Filipinos.

extensive menu, which features a variety of dim sum classics such as siomai, hakaw, chicken feet, siopao and dumplings.

Wai Ying serves a range of other Chinese specialties including noodle soups, congee, rice toppings and roasted meats.

Each dish is prepared with fresh ingredients and expert culinary techniques, ensuring an authentic taste of Chinese culinary tradition.

Wai Ying’s commitment to quality and consistency has earned it a loyal following over the years. Whether diners are looking for a quick bite or a leisurely meal, the restaurant offers a satisfying dining experience suitable for all occasions.

In addition to its dine-in service, Wai Ying also provides takeout and delivery options, allowing customers to enjoy their favorite dishes in the comfort of their own homes. Julie Ann Lope

CGHMC

to host lecture on robotic assisted surgery

THE Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center (CGHMC) is set to host a lecture on the advancements in robotic assisted surgery, focusing on treatments for male and female conditions.

event will take place on May 4, 2024, from 2 p.m. to 5p.m. at the 6th floor auditorium of the CGHMC main building.

Liwayway Holdings Company founder Carlos Chan (left) receives the China Friendship Award.

and authentic Chinese cuisine, particularly its wide selection of dim sum and other traditional dishes at affordable prices.

Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) president Dr. Cecilio Pedro

Vilma Santos advocates for film preservation and restoration

Barretto, Anak is about a Filipina overseas contract worker whose social circumstances compel her to leave her family and accept a higherpaying job in a more prosperous Asian country. Unaware of her husband’s death, she is greeted with resentment and hatred from her children when she finally returns to the Philippines.

“Because of ABS-CBN’s Sagip Pelikula digital restoration program, we can share these stories with the new generation so they can appreciate works from the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early 2000s,” shared National Artist Lee, who wrote the script for this drama film centered on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). The film received awards for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting

Very Wang Nickie Wang

AWARD-WINNING actress Vilma Santos has taken on a passionate advocacy, urging both government and private sectors to support initiatives aimed at preserving and restoring classic films produced from the ‘70s to the 2000s, which were recorded in film format.

the senior actress spoke to reporters about the critical importance of safeguarding these cinematic treasures for future generations.

“This effort is really for the Z generation,” Santos emphasized, highlighting the educational and inspirational value of these films. “It’s vital for them to learn and be

inspired by the experiences of their mothers, grandmothers, and our society during those times.” Santos, along with National Artist for Film Ricky Lee , was a guest of honor at the latest event hosted by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Cine Icons program, which brought special screenings of Bagong Buwan and Anak to the University of Santo Tomas on April 15.

Starring Santos and Claudine

Actress (Amy Austria ) at the 2001 Film Academy of the Philippines. Vilma Santos also won Best Actress of the Year at the 2001 Star Awards for Movies.

“This cause has become my personal advocacy,” Santos shared, reflecting on her interaction with students during a talkback after Anak screening. “I feel immense joy when connecting with the Gen Z crowd and millennials. Today, I witnessed the students’ enthusiasm in hearing about our experiences.”

The event marked the CCP’s debut at UST with the Cine Icons program, showcasing Santos’ commitment to promoting Filipino filmmaking and nurturing film appreciation among younger generations.

Remembering a beloved recording specialist

ARTISTS and music scene professionals who had experienced Sonic State, a recording haven in a home somewhere in the middle of Metro Manila, surely witnessed the brilliance of Chrisanthony “Notnot” Vinzons – that studio’s well-loved sound recording engineer who happened to be a rock star himself, in particular, the lead guitarist of the band Letter Day Story

I can only imagine the shock felt within the music community after the band revealed that Not had passed away. He’s certainly a big loss, considering the magnitude of his role in producing some of the biggest hits in the past decade, and the obvious that a full life ahead of him had been sadly cut short.

The talented instrumentalist and recordmixing expert died last April 16 at the age of 38 due to health problems. His wake was held in Daet, Camarines Norte where he relocated at the height of the pandemic.

Touchbass

Yugel Losorata

Before his demise, Sonic State, which reflected the trained ear and skill of its owner Jonathan Ong, who essentially mentored Not, had already become part of recording lore. I can attest to Not’s exceptional work, as our group The Pub Forties recorded four songs at Sonic State, including our debut digital single “Road Rage” which we released in 2017. In late 2022 when I asked him to mix a set of new songs for our band’s EP, he expressed his delight at settling back in his hometown province, where, according to him, access to fruits and vegetables is right in the backyard. Sadly it was his unhealthy routine, apparently exacerbated by chain smoking and fasting, that led to the decline of his health. “Rock in heaven kapatid! We will miss you and mahal na mahal ka namin Notnot,” expressed his bandmates in the Letter Day Story Facebook page.

The comment section of that post was inundated with messages of sympathy from people in the Philippine music scene, many of whom I know personally. Somehow the pain of losing a friend eases a bit knowing that countless others in some circles you associate

yourself with are also mourning like you do. Letter Day Story frontman Dex Yu, whom I spoke with over the phone, said, “Maraming na-touch sa music scene si Notnot and ang bait niya talaga. To us his bandmates, he’s more than just a guitarist. Legend siya sa music.”

That’s no exaggeration, Not, a perfectionist and principled good-natured fellow, was crucial in crafting several recordings by marquee artists like Juan Karlos, Leanne & Naara, Gloc-9, IV of Spades, among others. He was also the guitarist of an eclectic act called Dhruva Tara Letter Day Story (LDS) is planning to release new songs partly to honor the memory of their fallen comrade, including one called “Dahil Sa’yo” which Not wrote.

I first met the guy when I covered the Nescafe Soundskool that gave LDS, which then was also composed of bass player Oli Agustin, and drummer EJ Arabit, their break. The group released an album under Sony Music.

I had watched LDS perform live several times. Part of their act was for the members to suddenly pause at a particular stop when

performing an upbeat track. That proved to be effective among audiences.

A few years later I was at a press conference and found Not and Jonathan (Jon) in attendance. They were there as faces of the revered Sonic State.

It’s a big plus that Not was a music major. He, along with Brian Lotho, the studio’s other sound engineer, could read music, employed Jon’s garbage in, garbage out rule to a T, and would break basic rules for the sake of artistry.

Not had a way of engaging clients in good conversation. While listening to The Cure’s “Lovesong” during a break from our recording, he stressed how the keyboard player and lead guitarist were curiously upstaging each other during instrumental gaps, but without ever sacrificing the arrangement flow amid the iconic groove of the bass. I got what he meant. That assessment from him affected the way I positively listened to records.

On another occasion, I dropped by Sonic State and found members of IV of Spades recording their upcoming single at the time called “In My Prison.” Not was proud of what they had done; he asked me to listen to it. He was dancing to the tune and he smiled when I said that the arrangement was reminiscent of Duran Duran’s signature style.

I also remember Not excitedly introducing me to the new band he was working with named Ben&Ben. He was like telling me there was something about the group. Of course, he was right.

With me here in the States, I worked with him remotely for the mix of The Pub Forties EP Escape To Alcaraz “Plan ko gamiting layer yung mga lead vocal takes para mag-create ng uniqueness sa vocals,” he said.

That was a reflection of how he cared about every project he handled. His last message after he sent me the EP’s final mix: “All good, Sir! Ingat kayo parati.”

It’s hard to understand why some people die before their time. Yet, somehow, acceptance means embracing wonderful memories. I feel blessed to be a recipient of Not’s extraordinary ability to create finely cut records. Fans and listeners of LDS will always enjoy the music he has made with his bandmates.

Vinzons (rightmost) also served as the lead guitarist of Letter Day Story

A special screening for ‘Anak’ was held at the Frassati Auditorium in UST

Notnot Vinzons was known for being a skilled recording engineer that played a vital role in the iconic tracks of several musicians in the industry

Actress Vilma Santos (left) stars alongside Claudine Barretto in director Rory Quintos’ 2000 film ‘Anak’

After a special screening of the restored version of Anak at the Frassati Auditorium of the University of Santo Tomas,

LIFE & SHOWBIZ

The Muhlachs taking television by storm – again

IF THERE’S one family that inspires Filipinos as role models of unwavering love and devotion in an industry marred by countless heartaches, it would be the Muhlach family.

From when Aga and Charlene first met on the set of the iconic 90’s sitcom, Oki Doki Doc , to their much-publicized wedding in 2001, their union has blossomed into a beautiful family.

“When I proposed, it was quiet. And then it came out in the papers after one week. Nagulat talaga kami. Lumabas sa diyaryo, we’re getting married. That was one of the best decisions I ever made was marrying Charlene. Up to now, I wake up saying, ‘Thank you, Lord, for my wife’,” Aga Muhlach shared about his wife, Charlene Gonzales-Muhlach Aga and Charlene are a rare breed; one is a matinee idol turned dutiful father, and the other a beauty queen who became an exemplary wife and mother. Their children, the equally smart and good-looking twins Andres and Atasha , inherited not only their parents’ beauty and mass appeal but also

their passion as artists.

Most importantly, the Muhlach children have also acquired their parents’ familyoriented values, an uncommon trait in modern-day showbiz. Aga and Charlene vigorously upheld notions of a traditional family and promoted old-school parenting. Their decision to give Andres and Atasha a “normal childhood” gave the twins the opportunity to grow into the well-grounded yet headstrong adults that they are now.

The Muhlach family will soon star together for the first time in TV5’s newest family sitcom, “Da Pers Family”. Viewers can expect not just the sheer star power of this beloved household, but also the warmth and authenticity that define them both on and off screen.

“We had a very normal childhood. They made sure to make us experience a normal life, going to school, playing sports, and even my friends and the people around me, they never treated me as such,”Atasha shared.

“Because growing up, we lived in the province, in Batangas, so we got to experience all these things with my brother. So it never really felt any different until recently, when we got older, when they would take us to the premiere night, it was like, ‘Whoa, this is what it’s like!’,”she added.

The Muhlach twins were not allowed to have smartphones until they turned 17, a deliberate choice aimed at preserving their innocence during their most crucial

learning years. And as both spent most of their childhood in Batangas, they learned the values of simplicity, patience, and responsibility.

Aga and Charlene also encouraged their kids to engage in activities that nourished their creativity, intellect, and interpersonal skills. From playing basketball to eating their favorite pan de coco and pan de regla, their childhood was filled with happy memories of exploration and genuine bonding. Their choice to give their twins an unforgettable old-school childhood serves as a testament to their love and dedication as parents.

Over the decades, the Muhlach family grew into the nurturing and solid one we see today, all before the public eye. Aga, Charlene, Atasha, and Andres were first seen on TV together in a popular fast food TV commercial way back in ‘90s, then again more recently in 2018. Later on, the Muhlach family featured as guests on an episode of Aga’s TV5 show, Pinoy Explorer . This was their first ever moment when they all appeared on a TV show. Together as a family, the Muhlachs now all tread the same path. Now that Andres and Atasha are following in their parents’ footsteps, these promising young stars are still strongly guided by their deep appreciation for life’s simple joys. Catch Da Pers Family this May 2024 on TV5. For more updates, follow TV5’s social media accounts or visit www.tv5.com.ph

THE liver, your body’s unsung hero, filters toxins, makes proteins, and stores vitamins. However, liver disease silently steals lives in the Philippines.

A staggering 16,500 Filipinos died from liver complications in 2022. Fatty foods, lack of exercise, and certain medications contribute, to making over 18 million Filipinos vulnerable. Even those with normal weight are at risk.

World Liver Day (celebrated on April 19) highlights the need for action. Experts recommend healthy eating, exercise, and potentially, supplements.

LAC, a leading health and wellness provider, champions proactive liver care with LAC Activated Liver Protector. This herbal blend combines traditional wisdom with modern science to support optimal liver function.

“Our mission has always been to empower individuals on their lifelong wellness journeys—this commitment extends to liver health,” says Evelyn Teo, LAC Global CMO. “Especially with the evolving lifestyles of Filipinos marked by shifts in dietary habits, increased stress, and higher exposure to toxins, maintaining optimal liver health has become imperative to counteract modern health challenges and sustain holistic well-being.”

LAC offers a range of supplements for various needs, promoting a balanced and fulfilling life.

Headquartered in Singapore, LAC Global is one of Asia’s largest specialty retailers in nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals, herbal, and other specialty supplements in Anti-ageing and Beauty, Immunity, Weight Management, Sports Nutrition, and Energy.

Six reasons why ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ is a must-watch in 2024

GEN Xers saw their own lives reflected in Bridget Jones’ antics, millennials grew up watching her navigate adulthood, and today, Gen Zers are discovering her diary anew.

The 2001 film adaptation of Helen Fielding ’s bestselling novel Bridget Jones’s Diary is still as relevant as ever. And now that it’s coming to Lionsgate Play, a new generation of fans can experience the magic for themselves.

But what makes this rom-com such a lasting classic? Here are just some reasons why it continues to capture hearts and minds.

1. Bridget’s the most relatable heroine She’s not perfect. She’s not a size zero. She’s not always confident or put together. But that’s precisely what makes Bridget Jones so lovable and relatable. In a world of social media filters and unrealistic beauty standards, Bridget reminds us that it’s okay to be imperfect and embrace our flaws.

2. The humor is impeccable

The film is packed with brilliant comedic performances that have us laughing out loud every time. Plus, Bridget’s hilarious inner monologue makes for some of the most iconic scenes in rom-com history.

3. The romance actually feels real

From Hugh Grant ’s charming playboy

Daniel Cleaver to Colin Firth ’s uptight but endearing Mark Darcy, the love triangle in Bridget Jones’s Diary is the stuff of dreams. But what makes it so special is that it doesn’t feel like a fairytale romance. Bridget’s relationships are messy and complicated, just like real life.

4. The soundtrack is a bop Who doesn’t love a good rom-com soundtrack? The Bridget Jones’s Diary OST is packed with nostalgic gems like Gabrielle ’s “Out of Reach” and Geri Halliwell ’s “It’s Raining Men”. Listening to it instantly transports us back to the early 2000s, and we’re not complaining.

5. It’s a timeless story of self-discovery

At its core, Bridget Jones’s Diary is a story about a single woman trying to navigate life and love in her thirties. Bridget goes through ups and downs, fumbles, and makes mistakes, but she ultimately learns to love and accept herself for who she is. And that’s a message that will never go out of style.

6. There’s another Bridget Jones film in the works

That’s right, we’re getting more Bridget Jones on the silver screen! The adaptation of Helen Fielding ’s book Mad About the Boy will be the fourth Bridget Jones movie, and it’s due to hit cinemas in 2025. What better reason to revisit the original film?

So if you haven’t watched Bridget Jones’s Diary yet, now’s the perfect time to do so. Embrace the timeless charm and relive the magic all over again. And for those who have already seen it, why not rewatch and rediscover what makes this film so special?

After all, it never gets old.

Bridget Jones’s Diary premieres on Lionsgate Play on PLDT Home and Smart this April 26.

From left: ‘Da Pers Family’ stars Atasha Muhlach, Charlene GonzalesMuhlach, Aga Muhlach, and Andres Muhlach

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

By Abigail Adriatico

IN CELEBRATION of its 18th year of being one of the leaders within the industry of beauty, skincare, and wellness, Beauty Elements Ventures, Inc. (BEVI) is set on further expanding its reach within the Filipino market through the introduction of new products.

As the proponent of the kojic soap brand Kojie.san in the country, BEVI has found success throughout the years. While the iconic soap takes on a prominent place in the market, BEVI has also decidedly secured its business’ growth through exploring other ventures and diversifying its products.

Kelcey Chua, Senior Brand Manager of BEVI’s iconic kojic soap brand Kojie.san, spoke about the new Kojie.san +, which diversified its line of products through the introduction of new ingredients paired with kojic acid.

“We understand that there are different needs of our growing consumer base so we wanted to add the ingredient favorites like the kojic acid + glycolic acid, kojic acid + salicylic [acid, and] kojic acid + Vitamin C, just so that our consumer can experience the full line,” said Chua.

PLDT Home, in partnership with Smart, SM Cares, and SM Cyberzone, launched an e-waste recycling drive called #PLDTHomeBeKindRecycle in time for the Earth Day celebration on Monday. The initiative aims to promote responsible disposal of electronic waste and contribute to a more sustainable future. Special e-waste recycling bins will soon be placed in select SM Supermalls and PLDT-Smart Sales & Service Centers. Residents can drop off their old electronic devices at these bins, which will then be processed by PLDT Home’s recycling partners.

“We are grateful to our partners for making this happen,” said John Gregory Y. Palanca, SVP for Sales & Development, PLDT-Smart, at the launch of the program. “I look at these boxes,

it’s probably the most beautiful execution for a sustainable box.”

PLDT Home brand ambassador Denise Laurel also expressed her support for the program. “You’re helping the future of the next generation. The population is getting bigger, the world is getting smaller as it heals so any ounce of help we can do for the future, for the next generation, gives a lot of comfort to mothers like me,” said the actress. “Of course, it makes me happy as an advocate and an avid customer, I’m glad that I support the right companies.”

The #PLDTHomeBeKindRecycle program serves as a great opportunity for the consumer of electronic products to dispose of their e-waste responsibly. By participating in this program, they are helping to protect the environment and create a more sustainable future. Nickie Wang

There is also the new Diamond Skin by Kojie.san line which is a premium rejuvenating facial set. Chua explained that the line was meant to target the current trends of facial sets as there was a demand for it within their market.

The brand was also relaunching its Life by Kojie.San product line, a line of liquid food supplements targeting health and wellness concerns. It caters to individuals seeking improvements in sleep quality, detoxification, and anti-aging.

Chua noted that BEVI’s innovations are designed to keep up with the current demands of the market when it comes to beauty.

“Beauty is forever evolving, right? So what’s beautiful today can be different tomorrow… that’s also our basis in terms of developing new products–the evolution of beauty and how we can keep up with that mismatch,” the executive explained.

BEVI’s hygiene brand Defensil, which features a range of pimple defense and alcohol products, has also announced its newest line of antibacterial soaps with five scents which are Clean Ivory, Spring Breeze, Sunshine Fresh, Cool Arctic, and Soft Blossom.

Apart from that, BEVI has also stepped into the pet food market through the launch of its Happy Bites by Top2Tail line which includes a range of dog food fit for their different life stages.

“We have [dog food] for [puppies], for adults (small breed and large breed). We also have [one] for active working dogs, then [for the] first [time] in the Philippines, [we have dog food] for senior dogs. So for every [dog’s] life stages, you’ll be having a complete and balanced solution,” said Mich Almonte, the brand manager of Happy Bites by Top2Tail. BEVI has also announced its expansion into eCommerce, global distribution expansion, and digital marketing initiatives through Basic Integrated Global, Inc. (BIGi), analytical and testing laboratories through SPC Microtech, manufacturing services through Beauty Elements Ventures Manufacturing, Inc. (BEVM) and One Stand Point Manufacturing Corporation (OSP), and manufacturing bottled products through

By Angelica Villanueva

SM BEAUTY is turning up the heat more this summer as it recently launched “So Much Heat” campaign, offering its customers everything they need to look and feel their best under the scorching sun. In its first-ever Summer Socials event, SM Beauty celebrated its summer campaign that aims to provide hot deals on a wide range of summer beauty must-haves.

“Today, we are celebrating summer with our campaign, ‘So Much Heat’ at SM Beauty. It’s already in full swing but to be honest, when we were planning for this campaign, we didn’t think that it would literally be so much heat,” said SM Beauty Business Development Controller

Anna Llamas

The campaign went beyond just hot deals on summer essentials. It’s also a celebration of the season, encouraging customers to embrace the vibrant energy of summer. “SM Beauty offers the widest

selection in terms of summer essentials that will keep you glowing and of course, sun-protected,” she added. Whether you’re prepping for a beach trip or just need to stay cool and fresh with the continuous rise of heat index, Llamas added that being the top beauty destination in the country, SM Beauty makes sure that “we’ve got it all for you” with its wide range of selections of beauty essentials –both local and international.

“This 2024, there’s so much in store for everyone. At SM Beauty, we continuously strive to expand our selection of not only local but also international brands and products to upgrade our store environment,” continued Llamas. Llamas also emphasized the importance of inclusivity and diversity with SM Beauty. “I want to share that when we talk about SM Beauty, we mean inclusive beauty. At SM Beauty, we celebrate ‘So Much Beauty’ because there is a space for everyone,” she

stated.

She also suggested that this is the perfect time to stock up on suncare, personal care items, cosmetics, haircare products, and skincare essentials to achieve all your beauty goals as SM Beauty also offers hot deals exclusive to its SMAC members.

SM Beauty customers can pamper themselves with amazing discounts with its. Enjoy up to 50 percent off on select products and an additional 10 percent off when customers get to spend an amount of P2,500. At SM Bacoor, shoppers can also get an extra 10 percent off on girls’ teen wear from participating brands. On the other hand, more promos await SM mallgoers with its hair blowout deals starting from April 25 to May 1 where haircare and styling products are going on for more discounts of up to 50 percent off. SMAC cardholders can also visit the So Much Heat summer pop-up booth at SM Makati, for a chance to get a personalized jelly pouch.