Manila Standard - 2021 February 12 - Friday by Manila Standard

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Bill eases LGU vaccine buy

Palace-certified measure enables them to make advance payments—Galvez By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas

HE President will certify as urgent a bill exempting local government units (LGUs) from procurement rules when purchasing COVID-19 vaccines, the country’s vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said Thursday. During the hearing of the Senate finance committee, chaired by Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, Galvez said they favor the measure. Galvez said the effectivity of the exemption should be until the end of the year, instead of September as proposed in the bill. Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines President Dakila Carlo Cua said this would be a relief for LGUs, especially since the date for the advance payment on their purchases is drawing near. He said LGUs would welcome the measure, because they can speed up the purchases of vaccines without worrying they would be charged for violating the Government Procurement Reform Act. Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, author of the measure, said the law would allow LGUs to make advance payments to drug manufacturers— something that is disallowed under the Government Procurement Reform Next page

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM FEBRUARY 11)

543,282 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

1,734 31,478 NEW

ACTIVE

11,469

500,335

423

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

VOL. XXXV • NO. 02 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

RED-LETTER DAY. Colorful lanterns adorn the walkway and a tunnel in Lucky Chinatown Manila to welcome the Spring Festival or the Chinese Lunar New Year on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, ushering in the Year of the Metal Ox. (See infographics below fold) Norman Cruz

Defense chief hopeful VFA, war games with US to continue By Maricel V. Cruz THE military is hoping that the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States will remain in effect despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to

A motorcycle undergoes roadworthinessand- emission check at a private motor vehicle inspection center on United Nations Avenue, Paco, Manila on Wednesday, February 10, 2021. The Land Transportation Office has authorized PMVICs to collect an inspection fee of P1,800 for each vehicle weighing 4,500 kg or less but President Duterte has jumped the gun on the LTO, ordering it to not make the vehicle inspection mandatory and instead allow for a suspension of fee for a year. Norman Cruz

NEW

PH embassy in Myanmar on its toes By Rey E. Requejo

view with the ABS-CBN News Channel. In February 2020, Duterte scrapped the VFA over alleged inequities in its treaty provisions and the perceived US interference in the country’s domestic affairs. He later suspended the revocation of

INSPECTION.

NEW

THE Philippine Embassy in Myanmar has been authorized to undertake “drastic measures” to ensure the safety of Filipinos should the situation there escalate following a military takeover that led to the arrest of the country’s key leaders, including democratic icon Aung San Suu Kyi. Philippine Ambassador to Myanmar Eduardo Kapunan Jr. said he may be compelled to close down the embassy and evacuate all Filipinos there if the security situation continues to deteriorate. “The Secretary of Foreign Affairs has given me the authority to take drastic measures in case things escalate, like

abrogate it, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Thursday. “The general feeling in the Armed Forces is for the VFA to continue,” Lorenzana said when asked whether he will push for its resumption during an inter-

Rody orders child safety in vehicles law deferred By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Darwin Amojelar

mandatory, Malacañang said Thursday. Duterte arrived at this decision to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque “balance” the needs of the public amid also confirmed that Duterte has ordered the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. “The MVIS will no longer be mandaPRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has or- the deferment of the implementation of dered transport officials not to make the Republic Act 11229 or the Child Safety tory. Meaning, there will be no additional Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) in Motor Vehicles Act. Next page

the military pact with Washington in June and again in November 2020. Lorenzana said the US and the Philippines signed the VFA in 1999 to keep their armed forces interoperable to support the Next page

LOCAL ROUNDUP

Cagayan Valley, Caraga, Visayas see cases rising By Willie Casas and Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Health noted Thursday an increase in COVID-19 cases in Cagayan Valley, Central Visayas, and Caraga. DOH Epidemiology Bureau Director Alethea De Guzman said the three regions were among those that logged a positive growth in cases in the past two weeks as against the previous three to four weeks. In Region 2, an increase in cases was observed in Cagayan, Isabela, and Santiago City, while in Region 7, De Guzman said most areas showed an uptick in infections, with a “steep” rise in Cebu province and the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue. In Caraga, all areas except Agusan del Norte and Dinagat Islands reported case increases.

COVID-19 updates The Philippines logged on Thursday Next page

‘P40-b Bayanihan funds idle’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

WITH almost P40 billion of the funds allotted to address gaps in the country’s COVID-19 response measures still not released, Senator Francis Pangilinan sought Thursday a Senate probe on the

snail-paced disbursement and utilization of funds under Bayanihan 2. Pangilinan filed Senate Resolution 647 after an online survey in Southeast Asia showed that a majority or 53.7 percent of its Filipino respondents from a more specialized cohort than respondents in Next page

French nun, virus survivor, turns 117 EUROPE’S oldest person, French nun Sister Andre, turned 117 on Thursday after surviving COVID-19 last month and living through two world wars, with a special birthday feast including her favorite dessert – Baked Alaska. Next page

News

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘ABS’ franchise on back burner By Maricel V. Cruz

PEAKER Lord Allan Velasco said Thursday calls to revive the franchise of media giant ABS-CBN would have to wait until the next Congress.

finishing the remaining priority measures of this Administration to ensure that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte fulfills his campaign promise to the Filipino people.” Among the priority legislation cited by the Speaker is the Bayanihan 3 bill that proposes a P420-billion fund to stimulate the country’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Velasco principally authored the bill. The Bayanihan 3 bill allocates P108 billion for additional social amelioration to impacted households; P100 billion for capacity-building for impacted sectors; P52 billion for wage subsidies; P70 billion for capacity-building for agricultural producers; P30 billion for internet allowances to teachers and students; P30 billion for assistance to displaced workers; P25 billion for

COVID-19 treatment and vaccines; and P5 billion for the rehabilitation of areas affected by recent floods and typhoons. “On top of these priority legislation, we would like to see the passage of Bayanihan 3, as well as other economic bills geared toward rebuilding the Philippine economy shattered by the devastating impact of the global pandemic and rebuilding the lives of every Filipino disrupted by the health crisis,” Velasco said. In July 2020, the committee on legislative franchises, together with the public accountability committee under the leadership of Alan Peter Cayetano rejected the franchise application of ABS-CBN Corp. by adopting a resolution denying the franchise application of ABS-CBN to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain radio and broadcasting stations in the Philippines.

Velasco said the House of Representatives was set on finishing the priority measures of the administration on the remaining days of the Duterte administration, and that the network’s franchise renewal measure was not on the Palace’s priority agenda. “Calls to revive the franchise of ABS-CBN will have to wait until the next Congress,” he said in a statement. Velasco’s remark came as President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night said he would not allow the National Telecommunications Commission to give

ABS-CBN a license to operate even if the media giant is given a new broadcast franchise by Congress. Duterte said ABS-CBN should first settle its unpaid obligations, even as the Lopez family behind the television network already said it has no outstanding loans with the government-owned Development Bank of the Philippines as the President hinted before. But as far as the legislative calendar is concerned, Velasco said: “With a little over a year until the 2022 elections, the House of Representatives is bent on

Defense... From A1

AstraZeneca boasts vaccine works on elderly

Mutual Defense Treaty. “I don’t think the purpose there was to contain or to face China’s threat in the South China Sea. There was no threat then,” he said. Lorenzana said this year’s Balikatan joint military exercises with the United States would push through after he spoke on the phone with new US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The exercises were suspended last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A congressional leader on Thursday urged the government to reconsider its decision to terminate the VFA amid warming relations between the Philippines and United States under the Biden administration. Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon made the statement after Austin affirmed the United States’ commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty, and the VFA during an introductory call with Lorenzana. The two defense secretaries discussed the importance of enhancing the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ capabilities and increasing interoperability between the two countries’ militaries through a variety of bilateral security cooperation activities. The two also discussed regional security challenges, including the West Philippine Sea, counterterrorism, and maritime security, and affirmed the importance of upholding international rules and norms, including the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling that shot down China’s claim that it has historically exercised exclusive control over the waters within its “nine-dash line” boundary. Biazon said this opportunity for a fresh start may also be the time to recalibrate the two countries’ relations, including the possible tweaking of the VFA. “It would be an appropriate response to the law passed by China authorizing its Coast Guard to use weapons against Filipinos in disputed waters,” he said. China’s Coast Guard Law took effect on Feb. 1, authorizing Chinese Coast Guard ships to use lethal force on foreign ships that do not obey orders to leave disputed waters.

THE AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine can be used for people aged over 65, and also where coronavirus variants of concern are circulating, WHO experts said, soothing fears about the jab. The World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) issued interim recommendations for when and how to use the two-shot vaccine. The announcement came after the vaccine suffered setbacks, raising questions about whether it should be used on older people, or in places where a variant of the virus first found in South Africa is circulating. SAGE chief Alejandro Cravioto ac-

knowledged the lack of data on the vaccine’s efficacy for people aged over 65, which has prompted a number of countries to withhold recommending its use in older people, who are by far the most vulnerable to the virus. But the experts concluded that given its performance with younger adults, “it is likely that the vaccine will be found to be efficacious in older persons. The trial data indicate that the vaccine is safe for this age group.” Cravioto told journalists: “We feel that the response of this group cannot be any different from groups of a younger age.” SAGE, he said, recommends it be

Mexican regulators gave emergency approval to the Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines CanSino Biologics and CoronaVac. The approval was announced by deputy health minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell as Mexico struggles to manage the pandemic. “I have given the authorization for emergency use of both vaccines,” LopezGatell, who serves as the spokesman for the government’s pandemic coordination, said during a press conference. AFP

Bill... From A1

tite agreements with the drug manufacturers and the national government. Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he would let the public watch while he is being vaccinated in support of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program. Sotto said the public needs to be assured that COVID-19 vaccines to be acquired by the government are efficient and safe, “and the only way to calm a doubting nation is if its leaders take the lead.” “Lead by example. That is what I want to do. If the public can see that their leaders are ready to be vaccinated amid doubts on the effectivity of the vaccines, they might be enticed to join Malacanang’s vaccination program,” Sotto said. Sotto said government leaders should step in and help convince the public to participate in the program because the executive’s vaccination information drive is a failure. During the Senate hearing, Galvez said the government is still finalizing the supply agreement with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers Sinovac, Novavax, and Moderna. Senate Minority Leader questioned the absence of a final supply agreement. “How can we say that there are deliveries without the supply agreements? Are we saying that those term sheets will obligate manufacturers to deliver the amounts stated on the term sheets on a particular date?” Drilon asked.

Galvez said what he has signed so far was a “term sheet” for 50,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines expected to arrive on Feb. 20, while they are arranging the same document for the donated 600,000 doses of the same brand coming on Feb. 23. “The firm agreement that we have is through the term sheet. So we have more or less 108 million doses that we have been negotiating,” he said. “We have some sort of an agreement that we have already locked the supply. There is already a commitment to have the supply agreement discussed within this week or next week,” he said. The Palace, meanwhile, said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the compassionate use of China’s Sinopharm vaccine to be administered to the Presidential Security Group (PSG), Malacanang said Thursday. In a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the compassionate use, sought by the PSG, will cover 10,000 doses. Earlier, the PSG’s unauthorized use of the unregistered Chinese vaccine had sparked controversy. A vaccine needs to secure an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA for it to be legally administered in the Philippines. The FDA, however, can allow the use of the vaccine without EUA approval provided that the vaccine secured a compassionate use permit.

Act. The Healthcare Professionals’ Alliance Against COVID-19 (HPAAC), however, opposed the bill because enabling LGUs and private companies to buy vaccines would bypass the required recommendation of leading experts in Health Technology Assessment (HTA), lead to a maldistribution of vaccines based on the capacity to pay rather than need, and could drive the cost of vaccines up. At the same hearing, Senator Imee Marcos suggested the panel also take up Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1988, seeking to exempt LGUs and the private sector who are buying covid-19 vaccines from import duties, taxes, and other fees. Angara agreed, saying the committee will adopt and take up the measure subject to the rules of the Senate. Senator Francis Pangilinan stressed the critical role of LGUs in the successful rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. “We must find more forces, more troops to battle COVID. On the front line also would be our LGUs. And so, we support this measure, we want our LGUs to succeed. We want them enabled so that we can have an effective vaccine rollout that will reach precisely that 70 million target,” he said. At present, LGUs may buy COVID-19 vaccines but only through tripar-

are severe; and 0.62 percent are moderate. The DOH also reported that there were 423 recoveries and 68 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 11,469, 1,734 new cases of COVID-19, bringing which is 2.11 percent of the total. the total to 543,282, as two laboratories Preventive measures failed to submit their data on time, the The DOH on Thursday reminded the DOH reported. The DOH reported there were 31,478 ac- public to follow preventive measures tive cases, which is 5.8 percent of the total against COVID-19 in welcoming the number of cases. Of the active cases, 87.6 Lunar New Year today (Friday). “As Filipinos join in welcoming the percent are mild; 6.9 percent are asymptomatic; 2.5 percent are critical; 2.4 percent Lunar New Year, the DOH reminds

Local... From A1

PH... From A1 for example, closing down the embassy and evacuating all Filipinos here by air, by sea, whatever,” Kapunan said in a radio interview. “We are closely monitoring the situation so that we can take the necessary measures to ensure the safety of Filipinos here,” he added. Kapunan said he has already coordinated with Bangkok’s top diplomat in Myanmar for possible evacuation of Filipinos to Thailand. “I already talked to the ambassador of Thailand here and they’re all willing to assist in any way so we can evacuate there by boat, by land. So we’re coordinating with them,” he said. “We also have a line-up of commercial vessels that we can use, if the need arises,” Kapunan added. Data from the Department of Foreign Affairs showed there are 1, 273 Filipi-

nos in Myanmar as of June last year. Many Filipinos in Myanmar work in the manufacturing industry as supervisors while some also work for the United Nations agencies and other international organizations there, the DFA said. Meanwhile, anti-coup protesters on Thursday took to the streets of Myanmar for a sixth consecutive day, after US President Joe Biden announced sanctions against the Southeast Asian nation’s generals and demanded they relinquish power. There has been an outpouring of anger and defiance since the military Suu Kyi last week and detained her along with other senior figures of her National League for Democracy party. Security forces have used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets against the protesters, with isolated reports of live rounds also being fired. Police also ramped up their harassment of the NLD with a raid on its headquarters. AFP

used “for 18 years and above, without an upper age limit.”

Mexico approves Chinesemade vaccines

everyone of the preventive measures you must observe to ensure everyone’s safety in the celebration of these festivities,” said the DOH in its statement. “Don’t let your family gatherings become superspreader events. The DOH reiterates its call for the public to follow minimum public health standards to prevent COVID-19 transmission,” it said.

positive for the UK coronavirus variant in Quezon City was still ongoing after the local government released information on the patient. The Philippines has so far registered 25 cases of the UK variant, 22 of whom have recovered, one died, and two remain active. DOH Epidemiology Bureau Director Alethea De Guzman said their investigaCebu probe continuing tion would involve several cities since the The DOH said the investigation on patient was reported to have gone to Parthe Liloan, Cebu resident who tested añaque, Manila, Pasay, and Quezon City.

‘P40-b... From A1 national surveys disapproved of the government’s handling of the pandemic. Findings by the Singapore-based ASEAN Studies Center released Wednesday showed that among Southeast Asian countries, Filipinos in the policy, research, business, civil society, and media communities had the lowest approval rating for their government’s response to the pandemic.

French... From A1 Born Lucile Randon on February 11, 1904, Sister Andre said she didn’t realize she had caught the coronavirus, which infected 81 residents of her retirement home in the southeast city of Toulon, killing 10 of them.

‘2022 elections to forge ahead, COVID or not’ By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Commission on Elections gave assurances Thursday the 2022 national elections would push through even if the threat of COVID-19 remained. Comelec Chairman sheriff Abas said the Comelec had set the filing of Certificates of Candidacy from Oct. 1 to 8, 2021. “The May 2022 elections – which would still be automated – will definitely push through. It is Comelec’s mandate to conduct the May 2022 elections. It will push through. The commission is busy preparing,” the poll chief said. “While the pandemic may not be over by next year and health and safety protocols still to be followed, the elections will push through. In fact, we already have the calendar of activities,” Abas said. Voter registration for the polls is ongoing and will end on Sept. 30, 2021. Meanwhile, the campaign period for the March 13, 2021 Palawan Plebiscite has officially started, the Comelec said. In Resolution No.10687, the Comelec set the Information and Campaign Period from Feb. 11 to March 11,2021. A total 490,639 voters in Palawan, except Puerto Princesa City, are expected to participate in the plebiscite for the ratification of Republic Act No. 11259, said Comelec Director Teopisto Elna. Some 8,877 public school teachers will man 2,959 polling places, while 487 support supervisors will serve as marshals in voting centers, Elnas said. Prohibited acts during the Information and Campaign Period are the removing, destroying, or tampering of lawful plebiscite propaganda; appointment or hiring of new employees, creation of new positions filling of new positions, or giving of salary increases, remuneration, or privileges; construction of public works, delivery of materials for public works, and issuance of treasury warrants or similar devices; release, disbursement, or expenditures of public funds; raising of funds, thru dances, lotteries, cockfights, etc.; and use of armored/land water/aircraft.

Rody... From A1 fees in registering your cars,” Roque said in Filipino in a Palace press briefing. A Senate committee earlier recommended the temporary suspension of the operations of Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers (PMVICs) amid questions of law and complaints from motorists. Senator Grace Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public services, expressed concern that the lack of transparency in the selection of the PMVICs “might provide an avenue for corruption.” Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto also questioned the legal basis of privatizing the vehicle inspection program. Under the new MVICs, vehicles to be registered must pass a stringent 73-point inspection system to be conducted in three stages with the use of state-of-theart equipment that sends, automatically and in real-time, the results to the Land Transportation Office’s IT (information technology) system. In the old LTO system, the roadworthiness test was done through visual and manual inspection. While the old MVICs rely on manual visual inspection, vehicles to be registered now with the LTO will be tested using minimal human intervention since these are automated.

According to the report of the Office of the President submitted to the Senate January 4, only a total of P103.24 billion of the P140 billion Bayanihan 2 funds had been released. In Senate Resolution 647, Pangilinan pointed out the delays in the release of the salary of contact tracers, hazard pay and special allowances of health workers, cash subsidies to jeepney drivers, and P83 billion of funds of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, as well as the underspending of the Departments of

Transportation, Public Works and Highways, and Agriculture. “These delays and underspending are unacceptable given that Bayanihan 2 was signed into law September 11, 2020,” Pangilinan said. At last week’s Senate hearing, the DA revealed that project implementation under the Bayanihan 2 was only at 25 percent, with no measures so far to address the African swine flu that has crippled the P200-billion hog industry and caused the drastic rise of prices of pork in the market.

“I’m told that I got it,” the nun told AFP ahead of her birthday. “I was very tired, it’s true, but I didn’t realize it.” But David Tavella, spokesman for the Sainte-Catherine-Laboure nursing home, said she had “experienced a triple confinement: in her wheelchair, in her room and without a visit.” “So her birthday, it reinvigorates us,” he added, following the deadly outbreak.

Sister Andre said she was not going to do anything special for her 117th birthday but the home is planning a celebration for her. There will be a special mass at the home, which has a dozen nuns, and the chef is preparing a birthday feast of foie gras, capon fillet with porcini mushrooms and Sister Andre’s favourite dessert: baked Alaska, washed down with a glass of port. AFP

News Public warned against fake DENR workers

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Puno appointed amicus curiae By Rey E. Requejo

HE Supreme Court has appointed former Chief Justice Reynato Puno as amicus curiae during the oral arguments on the 37 petitions challenging the constitutionality of Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

By Rio N. Araja ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy Cimatu on Thursday warned the public against fake DENR employees targeting mining and logging firms. The department discovered a group of people in Surigao del Sur using its name in conducting unauthorized operations against logging and mining companies in the province. “We do not condone the use of the name of our department in any transaction without prior knowledge and consent of any DENR official,” Cimatu said. “We want to warn the general public to be more cautious in dealing with people who claim to be employees of the department.” Cimatu threatened to hold liable to the full extent of the law anyone or any group that would try to use the name of the DENR for illegal operations. “We will make sure that these people will face the legal repercussions of committing such misconduct,” he said. Citing a report of the DENR in the Caraga region, nine people who introduced themselves as members of a DENR task force were arrested by the Carrascal municipal police in Surigao del Sur on Jan. 27. The nine conducted two unauthorized operations against logging and mining companies in Surigao del Sur, where they were able to present a letter bearing the DENR’s logo and signed by one of them who posed as the leader of the group. They wore shirts with a DENR logo and identification cards bearing the signature of several agency officials, including Cimatu.

Smuggled goods seized in Paco By Joel E. Zurbano and Vito Barcelo GOVERNMENT agents seized P15 million worth of smuggled cigarettes and mobile phone accessories during a raid of a storage facility in Paco, Manila. Armed with a letter of authority from Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, operatives of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service conducted the raid on Feb. 4 with the help of Coast Guard personnel. Guerrero said the Chinese cigarettes lacked the necessary permit from the National Tobacco Administration, a clear violation of Executive Order 245. Aside from reams of cigarettes and mobile phone accessories, the authorities also found at the warehouse Chinese medicines assorted food items and liquors. The latest apprehension was the second operation conducted in Manila by the CIIS men assigned at the North Harbor. Last month, the team also raided a warehouse in Tondo, where it discovered P100 million worth of counterfeit products bearing the name Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Chanel. The CIIS men also recently raided three storage facilities in southern Metro Manila and confiscated smuggled Chinese products and health items believed to be used to treat patients infected with the coronavirus disease.

STORAGE FACILITY. Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna inaugurate the COVID-19 storage facility at the Sta. Ana Hospital on Thursday. The facility includes five HYC-390 refrigerators for AstraZeneca and Sinovac vials, two -25°C biomedical freezers, two -30°C biomedical freezers for Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vials, and three -86°C ULT freezers for Pfizer vials. Moreno says they are willing to share the facility with other local government units and agencies. Norman Cruz

BIR commended for efficient tax collection By Maricel V Cruz THE House of Representatives on Wednesday adopted a resolution filed by House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin G. Romualdez and Deputy Majority Leader and Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo commending the Bureau of Internal Revenue for efficient tax collection, surpassing by 15 percent its target for 2020 despite the economic challenges brought by the coronavirus disease-19 pandemic. In House Resolution 1538, Romualdez and Arroyo praised BIR Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay and the entire economic team of President Rodrigo Duterte led by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez for their hard work to help the economy recover from COVID-19.

Romualdez and Arroyo said the BIR had collected a total of P1.94 trillion last year, exceeding its goal of P1.69 trillion or an excess of 15 percent or P255.19 billion over the target. “The Bureau of Internal Revenue has exceeded its tax collection target for the Fiscal Year 2020 despite the crippling effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the national economy,” Romualdez and Arroyo said. As Commissioner Dulay reported, Romualdez said, the last time the BIR hit its goal was in 2001 and 2003. “BIR Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay’s decisive leadership and together with the entire economic team of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, has steered the Bureau to surpass its fiscal target through the sustained

implementation of various fiscal measures aimed at improving the tax collection efficiency of the national government, such as the strict implementation of the Taxpayer Account Management Program, monitoring of tax remittances, and escalation of tax awareness learning activities at the local level despite the global health crises brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” they said. Romualdez, chairman of the House committee on rules, and Arroyo, chairman of the House committee on energy, said the “members of the House of Representatives, acting together, were duty-bound to not only nominally recognize but also meaningfully support extraordinary acts that redound to the benefit of the whole country.

In a resolution dated February 9 and released on Thursday, the high court appointed Puno among the friends of the court during the oral arguments. He will be joined by retired Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza. An amicus curiae is someone who is not a party to a litigation, but who is invited by the court to assist and to give advice on a pending matter before it. Puno served as the 22nd chief justice from December 2006 until his mandatory retirement in May 2010. He will share with the Court his views and expertise on the controversial measure. The high court merely took note of an earlier pleading by former Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza that he be allowed to share his knowledge and expertise in law as a friend of court. Several petitioners, including retired Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, opposed Mendoza’s petition, saying he is not impartial to become amicus curiae of the Court on the anti-terrorism law. Meanwhile, the high court explained why it denied a petition-in-intervention filed by two redtagged Aetas because of their pending case before a regional trial court in Olongapo City. In their petition-in-intervention, Japer Gurung and Junior Ramos claimed they were tortured and falsely accused of terrorism, among other charges, and filed a petition-in-intervention alleging direct injury in the hands of law enforcers. However, on Wednesday they held a media briefing, saying they were dropping the National Union of People’s Lawyers as their legal counsel, claiming the lawyers’ group was exacerbating the charges against them. But the NUPL rejected that they were coerced, and that the presser led by the NTF-ELCAC “was engineered to discredit the NUPL which is based on false conclusions and innuendos.”

Immigration bars 7 Vietnam nationals for misrepresentation By Vito Barcelo IMMIGRATION officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport denied entry to seven Vietnamese nationals found to be misrepresenting the purpose of their travel. Immigration Port Operations Division Chief Candy Tan said the seven were intercepted on separate occasions at the NAIA Terminal 2 arrival area after flying in from Saigon and Singapore. “We intercepted the first batch of three passengers on February 9, and denied their entry to the country,” said Tan. “However, we were surprised to find that another four arrived the following day.” Tan said the group showed that

they were endorsed by an IT and business solutions company in the Philippines. However, when asked how they were connected to that company, all seven gave conflicting answers and admitted they only met at the Vietnam International Airport. “When asked, they had no knowledge of IT or the workings of their alleged company. They were unable to establish their purpose of travel, hence they were excluded and boarded on the next available flight back to their port of origin,” said Tan. The seven were excluded under the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente reminded port personnel to strictly monitor arriving passengers despite the easing of travel restrictions in the country.

HELP OFFERED. Joveniano Rusiana, a member of the provincial Highway Patrol team in Cavite, gives Aldren Catarinin his fare home after his motorcycle was impounded due to a violation in connection with an anti-carjacking law. JR Josue

Davao eyed as the Philippines’ chocolate capital By Macon Ramos-Araneta CITING Philippine Statistic Authority data that showed the bulk of the total annual cacao production came from Davao, Senator Cynthia Villar on Thursday sought to declare Davao City as the “Chocolate Capital of the Philippines” and Region XI, Davao, as the “Cacao Capital of the Philippines.” In her Sponsorship Speech on the

proposed Senate Bill 1741, Villar said PSA records indicated that about 78.76 percent of the annual production of cacao in the Philippines came from the Davao region composed of Davao del Sur, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental and Davao de Oro and Davao Occidental. They are the top five producers. The head of the Senate committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform

SMC opens two new Skyway 3 ramps By Darwin G. Amojelar

SPECIAL STAMP. The Philippine Postal Corporation releases a Year of the Ox special

stamp on Thursday, a day before the celebration of Chinese New Year. Norman Cruz

SAN MIGUEL Corporation on Thursday opened to the public two new ramps of the newly-operational Skyway Stage 3, further improving accessibility and ease of travel within Metro Manila via the 18-kilometer elevated expressway. Ramon S. Ang, SMC president and chief operating officer, cited the opening of the A. Bonifacio northbound off-ramp, just before the Cloverleaf Mall in Balintawak, and the E. Rodriguez southbound off-ramp on Araneta Avenue, which also provides access to Espana.

“Our Skyway 3 engineers and construction personnel worked double time to be able to open these two new ramps, to better serve motorists, and provide them seamless and convenient travel,” Ang said. “With the opening of these ramps, those who are coming from Alabang, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Pasay or Makati will no longer have to take EDSA and get stuck in several traffic chokepoints in order to get to Balintawak. Meanwhile, those coming from NLEX headed to Quezon City, on the other hand, can opt to take Skyway 3 to get to E. Rodriguez Avenue.”

also said there were more than 20,000 hectares of cacao farms in Davao, and Davao City, among the five provinces, had the largest area. It is targeting a total of more than 16,703 hectares dedicated for cacao,” Villar said. Villar’s proposed bill seeks to recognize Davao “as the country’s biggest producer of cacao and its vital contribution in making the Philippines world-renowned and sought after by chocolate makers.” Manila

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Standard

TODAY COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCEMENT

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has submitted to the Commission on Appointments (CA) for the confirmation of the ad interim appointment of: VLADIMIR LENOS T. VILLANUEVA to the rank of Colonel, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) The public may submit any information, written report, or sworn/notarized complaints or oppositions in thirty - two (32) copies on the above ad interim appointment to the CA Secretariat, 6th Floor, PNB Financial Center, D. Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City, Metro Manila. For the schedule of the public hearings, the CA Secretariat can be reached through telephone numbers 8834-2713, 8831-1824, 8831-0527, 8832-9830, 88342706 and 8551-1989. 11 February 2021. HECTOR A. VILLACORTA Secretary (MS-FEB. 12, 2021)

LGUs

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

Manila COVID food security program to benefit 700,000 By Willie Casas

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

MANILA City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has launched the city’s COVID-19 Food Security Program (FSP), an initiative that would allow about 700,000 families to receive a monthly food subsidy from the local government. Domagoso said the subsidy aims to mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Philippine economy. The subsidy includes three kilos of rice, 16 pieces of canned goods, and eight sachets of coffee. About P3 billion has already been allocated for the program, Domagoso said. Citing reports that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a “long-term impact” on the country’s economy, Domagoso hopes the COVID-19 FSP would curb hunger of poverty-stricken families in the nation’s capital. Aside from the food security program, the mayor also assured the public that the city’s ongoing housing projects will continue despite the pandemic.

QC tracing new UK variant case By Rio N. Araja

HE Quezon City government is now conducting contact tracing and testing in an area of Barangay Commonwealth after a transient tested positive of the UK variant of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“We want to make sure that nobody was infected with COVID-19, especially by the much more contagious B.1.1.7 variant. We are acting very quickly to isolate the two, and to conduct extensive contact tracing and testing in the area. It is unfortunate that we learned about this only now,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said. The city government has launched contact tracing and testing in a community within Riverside, Barangay Commonwealth after a 35-year-old man who was quarantined for COVID-19 in an apartment with another individual later tested positive for the B.1.1.7 variant or UK variant after his samples were sequenced at the Philippine Genome Center. Belmonte said she is now seeking legal advice as to whether the manning agency is liable for not following health protocols. “This agency placed an entire community at risk by bringing a COVID-19 positive patient to our city, considering that both their agency and the quarantine hotel are in Manila,” she said. She is appealing to the Bureau of Quarantine to determine why the hotel released the man to the agency several days after he tested positive. She reminded QCitizens to continue practicing health protocols, such as wearing of face mask, frequent hand washing and social distancing. “Our best defense is still a strict adherence to health protocols so we can keep ourselves and our families safe,” she said. Last Feb. 10, the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit learned from the Department of Health that the man’s sample tested positive for the UK variant.

Caloocan bars mass gatherings By Jun David CERTIFIED. Mayor Francis Zamora shows a letter addressed to Health Secretary Francisco Duque, representing himself to be the first person to be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine in the city of San Juan, on Wednesday. Also at the press conference are (from left) Center for Health Development Metro Manila Assistant Director Ma. Paz Corrales, MMDA Chairman Benjamin Abalos, and National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua. Manny Palmero

Pasay disinfects city hall after mayor gets virus By Joel E. Zurbano WORKPLACES at Pasay City Hall went under sanitation and disinfection to further prevent the spread of coronavirus disease. Mayor Imelda Rubiano made the directive to place the administrative building under full disinfection after she was tested positive for COVID-19 which she apparently contracted from a city government employee. Rubiano said she will continue to serve her constituents even while on quarantine, and assured them that she is in stable condition. She added all services of the city government would continue to be provided and all programs and projects would continue to be implemented. The local government has implemented the necessary health protocol, and

contact tracing is now underway for those who might have directly interacted with the mayor. The city chief executive also used her condition to promote and highlight the importance of having everyone vaccinated, even as she doubled down on her appeal to her constituents to fully cooperate with the planned citywide immunization program against the virus. “The coronavirus does not choose who to infect. Let us not be complacent but continue to be careful and cautious. This likewise highlights the reality that we really need the vaccination, and our continuous prayers to our Almighty God,” Rubiano said. The local government is also active in detection and contact tracing which explains why the city has one of the lowest numbers of active and new cases among the major cities in Metro Manila. A number of legislated local laws were

also designed to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. As of Wednesday, Pasay City recorded a total of 7,160 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 184 deaths. Of the number of confirmed cases, 6,890 have already recovered. Meanwhile, messages of prayers and well-wishes flooded Mayor Rubiano’s Facebook account, as well as the city’s official social media page. Among those who sent their messages include Foreign Affairs secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Senator Christopher Lawrence Go. Other members of the Senate and the House of Representatives as well as mayors from the National Capital Region and other national and local political leaders like Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos, have also sent messages of support to Mayor Rubiano.

CALOOCAN City Mayor Oscar “Oca” Malapitan has banned any kind of mass gathering in the city during the Chinese New Year celebration on February 12, 2021. His Executive Order 006-21 states that street parties, stage shows, parades, games, dragon dances, and other activities that may cause mass gatherings are prohibited. According to Mayor Oca, he signed the order as the city complies with the existing community quarantine protocols of the Inter-Agency Task Force to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The mayor also ordered strict enforcement of the existing ordinance on the prohibited use of fireworks and the ordinance on the sale and consumption of alcohol. Meanwhile, the law also states that in private gatherings of up to 10 people only will be allowed and it is necessary to strictly enforce the wearing of face masks, face shields, and social distancing. Restaurants are still required to follow 50 percent dine-in capacity and 30 percent capacity for church and religious activities. Mayor Oca instructed the Caloocan Police, Department of Public Safety and Traffic Management, and barangay officials to ensure that the order is enforced.

VALENTINE SPOT. A couple enjoys special memories ahead of Valentine’s Day at SM City Trece Martires’ newest Bubble Pods. The mall bills it as a perfect place with a romantic ambiance that can make your partner feel extra special and protected. Norman Cruz

Angeles exhibit supports 72-year-old artist ANGELES CITY—The local government here will hold an exhibit featuring the artworks of a 72-year-old woman from Barangay Malabanias, as Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. vowed to support the annual celebration of National Arts Month this February. “Ing art, ala yang pipilinang edad. It can be appreciated by everyone, regardless of their age. Through art, we can express the beauty that is all around us,” the city mayor said. The exhibit will run from February 3 to 26, from Mondays to Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed on weekends.Those interested will have to download the StaySafe.ph app before entering the premises.

The featured artist, Violeta Gregorio, has been painting for 5 years. She started at 67 years old. Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel said Gregorio has initially displayed her artworks at the One Town One Product souvenir center, managed by the Angeles City Economic Development Investment Promotions Office headed by Irish Bonus-Llego. Though Gregorio is regarded as a newcomer in her field, Angeles City Tourism Office head Anneleen Antonio-Sugui decided to shine a spotlight on her paintings, showcasing them through an art exhibit at the “Salangi Ko Pu” Art Gallery located at the second floor of the Angeles City Library.

MOBILE CLINIC. Santa Rosa City Mayor Arlene Arcillas (center) inaugurates the new Mobile Clinic of The Medical City South Luzon on Monday together with TMC SL’s Dr. Jose Enrico Juliano, COO (right), Dr. Cesar Ramon B. Espiritu, President and CEO (2nd left), Dr. Jesus Julio Ancheta, Chief Medical Officer (left), and Dr. Rene Bagamasbad, Provincial Health Officer. Roy Tomandao

Opinion Teachers who shaped us talk to the professors in the hallways except to greet them or acknowledge their presence. We do not dare call them in their homes or offices without their prior consent. Today, some students send emails to their professors about classroom concerns such as the scheduling of classes and conflicts of THERE are people who touch our lives schedules, reasons for absences, assignments, —those we observe from afar, sometimes dress code and internet connections. The meschance upon, but ultimately learn from. Our sages are sometimes sent through informal teachers and professors play an important role messaging platforms like Viber, Telegram or in creating personal imprints and character WhatsApp. Although expected in our digital that serve to guide us as we face life’s chal- age of freer communication, I highly advise lenges. They help us develop critical think- against this. Our classroom environment in the Ateneo ing, passion about what we do, discipline and commitment in any endeavor, and the desire School of Law was then very tense and intimto improve ourselves. When we graduate, we idating. Our professors grilled us during recmay have physically parted with our teachers itations. It was only amusing to watch a proand professors but unwittingly, they always fessor conduct a class recitation when you are not the one reciting. We had a professor who leave a portion of them with us. People have distinct stories, interesting required those who cannot accurately memoanecdotes and humorous experiences about rize provisions of law to recite while standing their educators. These stories fuel recollec- on top of their chairs. We also had a professor who assigned a tion during reunions. Even the instructional designs and approaches to lecturing of these textbook but sourced his recitation questions teachers and professors are passed on from from other resource materials. Hence, we had to read other textbooks one student generation to make sure that we to another depending gave the correct anon how effective it swers during recitawas to their collective They always tions. We had to be on learning. leave a portion of our toes so that we can Grade school and capture the question high school teachers themselves with accurately and be able have the most impact us. to respond correctly. on their students. This There were prois because the time fessors who will not devoted to their pupils repeat the questions comes at a stage in the child’s development when the brain is malleable or were not willing to wait for the answers. and rapidly developing. I remember the orien- As a professor myself, I am surprised during tation of my twin sons in prep school where the the pre-pandemic how students can message school administrator said: “Your children will be through Facebook or text while recitation is with us for the next 12 years and they will be ongoing. Hence, I disallowed the use of devices and phones in my classes to keep my brainwashed in a positive manner.” Come to think of it, he was right. Our chil- students focused in all the class discussions. To us, being in law school was a way of dren will be in their schools for at least eight hours a day, five days a week, every year, for life: days become weeks, weeks become the next 12 years of their life. Evidently, the months and months become a semester. After schools will not only teach them their aca- the first semester of first year, half our class demic subjects but will influence their char- was gone. Upon reaching fourth year, there acter, faith in God and outlook towards life. were just seven of us who graduated on time. We had an engaging and interesting group These young people are like sponges – they of professors. Judge Ruperto Kapunan, the will absorb anything you feed their mind. This is very uncharacteristic of universi- master of Criminal Law comes to class with ties and graduate schools, where the time of just his classcards. Justice Pompeyo Diaz, the the students with their professors are limited eloquent professor, wants us to think, sound and sometimes impersonal. The situation was and look like real lawyers. Congressman Herworsened when the asynchronous classes nando Perez had a huge presence and a voice were introduced under the new normal. Stu- that will make you quake with fear if you dents can hardly consult their professors; and come to class unprepared. The mild mannered Justice Hector Hofileeven if they can, it is still as if they are talking na, who can teach any Civil Law subject, was to a screen and not a person. The lack of time and actual academic en- our Professor in Property Law. Atty. Avelino gagement is compensated by thesis consul- Sebastian, a Civil Law expert, taught us to tations, advisory work on students’ organiza- challenge, search and validate ideas and not tions, preparation for competitions, planning just accept them. We learned from Dean Danfor projects, and apprenticeships, among te Cadiz that the facts were the very foundaothers. The key to all these is time – time to tion of every case. Atty. Ruben Balane is a Civil Law expert perdiscuss, exhange and challenge ideas. Law school as a graduate course is a bit ceived to be the Justice JBL Reyes incarnate. I different. Students are more mature than the remember his discussions of the Siete Partidas regular college students and hopefully they and his favorite reserva troncal. Dean Melencio have more experience. During our time in law Santamaria, then a young Professor teaching school, we looked at our professors from a Public International Law who later became a Civil Law expert, required us to explain the indistance in awe. Our law professors then were more formal ternational diplomatic repercussions of Salman than the law professors of today. Except for a Rushdie’s statement against Islam. few, you have to go to the faculty room should Full version on www.manilastandard.net you need to talk to one of them. Rarely do we

Time to junk Pangilinan Law

WHO wouldn’t be disgusted and frustrated seeing on video two teenage girls gang up on another 16-year old member of their so-called sorority in Barangay Sta. Cruz, Bay, Laguna? The two took turns dragging, punching and kicking the helpless victim on a muddy vacant lot while a crowd watched. It was not until after the victim had been severely beaten, sustaining head and body injuries, that other gang members moved to stop the attack. The victim’s parents sought my help in pressing a complaint against the suspects this week. After being apprehended by barangay officials, prompted by my staff’s request for assistance, one of the suspects admitted she was

jealous of the victim’s being too close to her boyfriend. Despite the seriousness of the injuries sustained by the victim, the two suspects had to be released because they are also of minor age. They were only required to do “community service” at a local church. The father of the victim, Norberto Villanueva, Jr., decried the disposition of the case, dictated by the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 (RA 9344), which states: “A child above fifteen (15) years but below eighteen (18) years of age shall likewise be exempt from criminal liability and be subjected to an intervention program, unless he/she has acted with discernment, in which case, such child shall be subjected to the appropriate proceedings.” However, the exemption from criminal liability does not include exemption from civil liability, so the victim can sue for damages. Since this lame law authored by Sen. Kiko

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021

EDITORIAL

Speaking up for democracy

URELY unaware of the supreme irony of their statement, military officials who overturned the results of a democratic election in Myanmar by staging a coup last week warned the public this week not to destroy democracy following four days of street protests.

40 observers visiting polling stations on election day said voting had taken place “without major irregularities being reported by mission observers.”

For a country so proud of our democracy, our official response has been embarrassingly muted.

In a statement on the government-run MRTV channel, the military warned that “democracy can be destroyed” without discipline, and that people who “harm the state’s stability, public safety and the rule of law” could face legal action. After arresting Suu Kyi and other senior figures from her National League of Democracy on Feb. 1, the military declared a state of emergency for a year, justifying its move by alleging massive fraud in the Nov. 8, 2020 election that the NLD won by a landslide. The country’s election commission, however, said there was no evidence to support the military’s claim, and the USbased Carter Center, which had more than

A few days later, pro-democracy protests began. Teachers and some government workers joined a civil disobedience movement, saying they will not work for the authorities unless the elected government is restored. When the military junta ordered Twitter and Instagram—then the entire internet—blocked, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest the coup in Yangon and other cities.

The protests were the biggest show of mass anger since 2007. For a country so proud of our democracy, our official response has been embarrassingly muted. A Palace spokesman refused to comment on the coup, saying the Philippines would not interfere in the internal affairs of Myanmar. The government’s top priority, he added, was to ensure the safety of Filipinos there. A day later, the Department of Foreign Affairs issued a contradictory and somewhat stronger statement, saying it was “following with deep concern the situation in Myanmar.” “Myanmar has made substantial and important strides toward democratization in recent years. The Philippines has supported these efforts,” the statement added. Still, neither statement was a condemnation of the naked power grab that took place in Myanmar or a forceful call for a swift return to democracy and the release of elected officials and activists. Surely, the country that once upon a time won the world’s admiration for its People Power revolution that restored democracy here can do better than that.

Disfigured by acid: The face of violence against Yemen’s women By Mohammed Huwais with Mohamed Hasni in Dubai MARRIED at the age of 12, rejected at 16, and then disfigured in an acid attack, Al-Anoud Hussain Sheryan’s fate is a shocking illustration of abuse in a society beset by war and poverty. Now aged 19, the Yemeni woman agreed to relate her ordeal at the hands of her abusive husband -- rare testimony in a country where domestic violence is largely hidden. “He grabbed me by the hair and poured the acid on me while laughing,” she told AFP as she sat with her veil framing a face badly scarred by last October’s assault that also left deep wounds on her body. “I went through hell,” she said, describing her years of marriage which she said she spent chained and often beaten. When her father died, Al-Anoud’s mother remarried and then hurried to find a husband for her daughter. “She wanted to protect me,” she said. Having lived for four years as a “slave”, AlAnoud was eventually kicked out by her husband, taken in by her sister and began training as a nurse. But her ex-husband decided he wanted her back, and when she refused, he took his revenge. After being hospitalized in a clinic where she had once been employed, Al-Anoud is now waiting to undergo the three plastic surgery operations needed to repair some of the damage. Her doctor Moutawakal Chahari said the

Pangilinan was implemented, it has been widely-abused, producing a whole generation of budding criminals without regard to the rights of crime victims. Criminal offenders under the age 18 simply get away with committing various crimes like murder, rape, armed robbery, illegal drugs trafficking, extortion, hazing, prostitution, and cyber-crimes. In the past years, motorists during traffic stops on EDSA were robbed at knifepoint in broad daylight by boys as young as 12. Some of them were arrested but found carrying their birth certificates, so they got off the hook instantly and got back on the streets again. They cannot be jailed because this piece of law that says they may not have acted with discernment due to immaturity and, therefore, cannot be held responsible and accountable for their crimes. Ironically, the months of lockdown during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) proved an effective deterrent to crime, particu-

procedures will be complex and expensive, and even the bills for the first aid she received had not yet been paid. Apart from this, he stressed the “irreparable psychological effects” of her ordeal. A grim tally Al-Anoud filed a complaint against her ex-husband after the attack, but he vanished and remains at large. She is hoping that someone, anyone -- a humanitarian agency, one of the stretched government services, or a grassroots non-government group -- can give her the financial assistance she needs. “I want the police and the courts to punish the criminal who did this, but I also want to reclaim my youth, my studies and my work. I want to regain my life,” she said. Child marriage is a feature of Yemeni society but six years of war, which has left the country on the brink of famine, has made it more common and “greatly increased” violence against women, said Tayseer Walid of the Yemeni Women’s Union in Sanaa. Families are forced to “rid themselves of the expense of children, especially girls, because of poor financial situations,” she told AFP. Many organizations advocating for women and girls had to shut down after war broke out, and those which struggle on do so with scant resources to address the daunting legal, medical and psychological needs. When it comes to the status of women in Yemen, the numbers speak for themselves. A UN survey conducted in 2013 found a third of Yemeni women aged 24-32 were married before the age of 18, and nine percent of those

It reinforces irresponsibility among young people, telling them that they can commit crimes, harm other people – and get away with it. larly those involving juvenile delinquents. Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, head of the Joint Task Force COVID Shield, said crime volume during the pandemic was “lowest” because there were fewer people in the streets as the public was required to stay home to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. The trend continued until the authorities started relaxing restrictions, placing Metro Manila under the General Community Quar-

were married before 15. UNICEF has estimated that in 2020 Yemen had some four million married children, 1.4 million of them under 15. Cry for help In a 2020 report, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which deals with sexual and reproductive issues, estimated that 2.6 million women and girls are at risk of gender-based violence in Yemen. It pointed out that in the era of COVID-19, with lockdowns that cause great strain, “cases of domestic violence are on the rise.” The grinding conflict between Iranian-backed Huthi rebels and the government supported by a Saudi-led military coalition has left tens of thousands of people dead and millions displaced. It has plunged the country -- the poorest on the Arabian Peninsula -- into the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, according to the UN, which has expressed fears that some “16 million people will go hungry” in 2021. While violence against women is one of the hidden facets of the humanitarian crisis, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) has launched one of the few initiatives to combat this phenomenon. With the support of the Japanese government, it has launched a mobile app to provide counselling to survivors of gender-based violence throughout Yemen, saying that attacks on women and girls have increased 63 percent since 2015. The application, first tested in the country’s south which is in government hands, directs victims to protection and support services. AFP

antine (GCQ), allowing teenagers to loiter the streets even during curfew hours. We have, for instance, received complaints from residents about groups of teenagers gathering at night along Zobel Roxas St. near Onyx St., San Andres Bukid, Manila at the border of Manila and Makati. The juvenile delinquents reportedly hang around without face masks, smoke, engage in gambling and fight among themselves, disturbing peace. They belong to the generation of young criminals that the law protect. They will continue to grow in number until Congress passes a bill lowering the minimum of age of criminal responsibility to at least 12 years old. We are supposed to inculcate the sense of responsibility and accountability in our children at home with a system of rewards and punishment. But the Pangilinan Law reinforces irresponsibility among young people, telling them that they can commit crimes, harm other people – and get away with it.

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Anniversaries

US and China should reset ties

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TODAYFEBRUARY 12, 2021 FRIDAY, mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Biden challenges Xi on human rights, trade J OE BIDEN challenged Chinese leader Xi Jinping on human rights, trade and regional muscle-flexing, in their first call since the new US president took office.

An increasingly assertive Beijing has tested US patience since Xi came to power, and under former president Donald Trump found itself on the receiving end of trade tariffs as relations frayed. Biden is under pressure at home and abroad to maintain the stance that Trump adopted, as the West looks to hold China to account for human rights abuses against mainly Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang and its crushing of opposition in Hong Kong, as well as sabrerattling over Taiwan.

His call on Wednesday was about setting the tone for the relationship, at a time when many in the US and the wider world blame China for failing to contain the coronavirus pandemic, which was first discovered in Wuhan. Biden “underscored his fundamental concerns about Beijing’s coercive and unfair economic practices, crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and increasingly assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan,” the White House said after the call.

The president told Xi his priorities were to protect the American people’s security, prosperity, health and way of life, and to preserve “a free and open Indo-Pacific.” Washington and its Asian allies have bristled at China’s expansion in the South China Sea, a huge and economically vital waterway where Beijing has built militarized islands, despite multiple overlapping claims from neighbouring states. The US has repeatedly sailed warships through the area to press the point that the sea is globally recognized as international waters. The two leaders also spoke about the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and weapons proliferation, the White House said. “President Biden committed to pur-

suing practical, results-oriented engagements when it advances the interests of the American people and those of our allies.” Chinese state media reported simply that the two sides “exchanged in-depth views on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues.” Trump’s unilateral approach It was not Biden’s first interaction with Xi; the two met when Biden was vice president in the 2009-2017 administration of Barack Obama. Criticism of that administration’s softly-softly approach to Beijing has gathered in recent years, with US companies increasingly frustrated by what they say is state-sponsored industrial espionage, and fears over a lopsided trade relationship. AFP

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that EMPRESA HOMES, INC. with office address at LGF Bldg. B, Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari, Almanza Dos, Las Piñas, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as a New Developer of Economic and LowCost Housing Project (Empresa Homes Pililia) with a capacity of 686 economic and low-cost housing units on a non-pioneer status with project site located at Brgy. Brgy. Hulo, Pililia, Rizal. Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication. (SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-FEB. 12, 2021)

Protesters wearing traditional Shan dress hold signs as they take part in a demonstration against the Myanmar military coup in Inle lake, Shan state on February 11, 2021. AFP

IN BRIEF

Impeachment prosecutors wrap up case against Trump IMPEACHMENT prosecutors are expected to wrap up their case against ex-president Donald Trump in the US Senate Thursday, backed by chilling footage that showed senior politicians fleeing for their lives during last month’s assault on Congress. The Democratic impeachment managers will argue for a second day that the riot was deliberately incited by the former president, with an aim of reminding senators, and watching Americans, just how bad things got on January 6. On Wednesday they walked senators -- many of them clearly shaken -- through hours of graphic presentations and video, some of which came from security cameras and police bodycams and was being aired for the first time. The ensuing mayhem left five people dead, including one woman shot after she invaded the Capitol and one policeman killed by the crowd. The episode occurred after Trump told a rally near the White House that his failure to win reelection was due to vote rigging, but Trump’s

defense lawyers, who will present their arguments later this week, say Trump cannot be personally blamed for the riot and that the entire trial is unconstitutional because he has already left office. Video played on the Senate floor Wednesday showed then vice president Mike Pence—who was in the Capitol to preside over certification of Joe Biden’s defeat of Trump—being hurried down back stairs to safety by security officers, along with his family. Top Democratic senator Chuck Schumer is seen narrowly dodging a rampaging throng of pro-Trump rioters. And Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican who often opposed Trump and was turned into a hate figure by the president, is seen being steered away by an officer at the last moment as an angry crowd approaches. In another segment, the mob can be seen smashing into the offices of Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives and another frequent target of Trump’s most violent rhetoric. AFP

Rescuers drill from debris-filled tunnel in bid to reach missing people INDIAN rescuers began drilling from above a debris-filled tunnel Thursday in a desperate bid to reach dozens of people missing since a flash flood likely caused by a breaking glacier four days earlier. Workers have toiled night and day clearing rocks and mud from the tunnel at a damaged hydroelectric plant at Tapovan in Uttarakhand in northern India since Sunday’s disaster. More than 170 people are missing elsewhere in the Himalayan state, slightly smaller than Switzerland, after the disaster. Because of the amount of debris, only 34 bodies have been recovered so far. As hopes fade for the missing, the tunnel operation has made slow progress—clearly frustrating desperate relatives. “This entire rescue operation is a joke,” said Sanjay Pant, whose 24-year-old electrical engineer brother Abhishek was believed to be in the tunnel. “We are not living in the 18th century where just one bulldozer can be used to clear tonnes of slush,” he

told AFP. “Where is our technology, where are our machines?” On Thursday rescuers turned to a new method, attempting to drill down into one of several side tunnels to reach the missing men, authorities said. “This is connected to the main tunnel at a point beyond the slush and debris,” rescuer Vivek Pandy told the Times of India daily. “We hope that the trapped workers are in an auxiliary tunnel which can be accessed.” There have been no signs of life from the missing men—thought to number between 25 and 35—but rescuers and relatives hope they somehow they managed to stay alive. Global warming The disaster saw a barrage of water and debris hurtle down a valley at terrifying speed and with frightening power, sweeping away bridges and roads, and hitting two hydroelectric plants. The cause of the disaster is thought to have been a chunk of glacier breaking off. AFP

3 Turkish soldiers die in new offensive vs Kurdish militants THREE Turkish soldiers have died in a new offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, the Turkish defense ministry said on Thursday. Turkey on Wednesday launched an operation dubbed “Claw-Eagle 2” against Kurdistan Workers’ Party rebels holed up in the northern Iraqi region of Dohuk. Two Turkish soldiers died and two others were wounded Wednesday in clashes with the “terrorists”, the defense ministry said. Another soldier was killed on Thursday, said the ministry, without proving casualty figures for the PKK. The PKK, listed as a terror group by Turkey and much of the international community, has for decades used Iraq’s mountainous areas as a springboard for its insurgency against the Turkish state. AFP

83 killed as Ethiopian forces shell Tigray’s heavily-populated areas ETHIOPIAN forces shelled heavily populated areas in the first weeks of the conflict in the Tigray region, killing at least 83 civilians and displacing thousands, Human Rights Watch said Thursday. Artillery attacks by forces backing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner, “struck homes, hospitals, schools and markets”, according to the report, which focuses on the regional capital Mekele and the towns of Shire and Humera. “At the war’s start, Ethiopian federal forces fired artillery into Tigray’s urban areas in an apparently indiscriminate manner that was bound to cause civilian casualties and property damage,” said Laetitia Bader, HRW’s Horn of Africa director. AFP

China donates 100k vaccine doses to Guinea THE West African state of Equatorial Guinea said on Thursday that China had donated 100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine to help it launch a Covid immunisation campaign. The vaccines were ceremonially handed over at Malabo airport on Wednesday to Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of head of state Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the presidency said on its website. On Tuesday, Equatorial Guinea, an oil-rich but widely impoverished nation of 1.3 million people, declared a nightly curfew and reimposed restrictions that had been lifted against the coronavirus. The Chinese vaccines will be used to provide two doses to 50,000 people in the front line of the pandemic -- health workers, people with serious underlying illnesses and border officials, the presidency said in its statement. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

PSEi February 11, 2021

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

DAVIN

8.98

2.08

30.14%

2 3

VUL DWC

3.53 6.81

0.76 0.91

27.44% 15.42%

GPH

11.3

1.22

12.10%

5 6

DIZ NI

10.38 2.98

1 0.23

10.66% 8.36%

TBGI

0.46

0.035

8.24%

PAX

2.38

0.18

8.18%

9 10

FJP T

3.28 1.46

0.23 0.1

7.54% 7.35%

ANTIREFORMS.

Volunteers bake bread at a community kitchen as farmers continue their protest against the central government’s recent agricultural reforms along a blocked highway, at the Gazipur DelhiUttar Pradesh state border, in Ghaziabad on February 11, 2021. AFP

TOP LOSERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

MFIN

3.05

-0.49

-13.84%

2 3

UPM PA

0.01 5.1

-0.001 -0.43

-9.09% -7.78%

ABA

1.23

-0.1

-7.52%

IMP

1.9

-0.15

-7.32%

6 7

ALHI JGS

7.77 64.6

-0.57 -4.1

-6.83% -5.97%

8 9 10

CEU PHA HOUSE

6.64 2.97 7.45

-0.39 -0.16 -0.32

-5.55% -5.11% -4.12%

MOST ACTIVE 1

FGENG

VOLUME 51,585,130

VALUE (PHP) 5,571,301,013.00

2 3

DITO AGI

70,354,600 57,961,300

1,237,244,740.00 632,767,742.00

4 5

PHA SM

199,211,000 557,330

613,345,400.00 595,050,545.00

6 7 8

APL ACEN BDO

1,656,280,000 392,866,840.00 42,474,800 336,336,082.00 2,651,980 285,268,185.00

9 10

VUL SECB

86,137,000 1,853,710

272,906,370.00 234,736,256.00

Stocks drop to end 5-day rally; JG Summit retreats S TOCKS retreated Thursday ahead of the Chinese New Year Friday to snap a five-day rally, after investors opted to cash in on recent gains.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slumped 91.14 points, or 1.3 percent, to 6,991.01 on a value turnover of P15.1 billion. Losers beat gainers, 131 to 95, with 44 issues unchanged. JG Summit Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei Group fell 6 percent to P64.60, while Basic Energy Corp. dropped 3.4 percent to P1.15. Speculative stock Vulcan Industrial & Mining Corp., however, jumped 27.4 percent to P3.53, while DITO CME Holdings Corp., the third major mobile phone company, rose 3.5 percent to P17.70. The rest of Asian equities were mixed Thursday after a strong run-up in recent weeks as investors kept abreast of prog-

Fed’s Powell warns United States ‘very far’ from strong labor market WASHINGTON—The US economy is a long way from having a strong job market and the experience of past recessions shows it could take years to recover, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday. Mass vaccinations are key to halting the COVID-19 health crisis, but it will take a full suite of government policies to repair the damage the pandemic has inflicted on the US labor market, the central bank chief said in a speech. “Despite the surprising speed of recovery early on, we are still very far from a strong labor market whose benefits are broadly shared,” Powell told the Economic Club of New York. President Joe Biden’s proposed $1.9-trillion rescue package includes funds to accelerate vaccinations and aid families and businesses suffering from the COVID-19 downturn, which caused widespread layoffs as businesses were forced to close or curtail operations. The Fed chief declined to weigh in on the specifics of Biden’s plan, pledging to “stick to our knitting.” He deferred to Congress, where a slim Democratic majority is likely to approve the massive bill, though the final amount may be less than originally proposed. The damage to the job market eroded

progress made during the decade-long recovery from the 2008-2010 global financial crisis, which brought gains to minority groups, especially African Americans, until the pandemic’s arrival. Based on the experience from the last crisis, Powell said “it can take many years to reverse the damage” to the workforce. About 10 million fewer people were employed last month compared to the pre-pandemic period, and many were driven out of the workforce by the need to take care of children or supervise virtual schooling, Powell said. He also warned that the true jobless rate is about 10 percent, far above the official 6.3-percent rate in January, after adding in people who have given up looking for a job and workers who were laid off but misclassified as employed. As the pandemic began, the Fed slashed the benchmark lending rate to zero, and Powell said officials have explicitly committed to not raise rates even when unemployment begins to fall. He also highlighted the Fed’s pledge to continue to purchase large amounts of assets to ensure high levels of money flow through the economy. AFP

LVMH now biggest on EU markets PARIS, France—French luxury goods group LVMH is now the biggest company on European stock markets, ahead of Swiss food giant Nestle, owing to resilient Asian sales last year, data showed Wednesday. LVMH’s market capitalization reached 271 billion euros ($328 billion) in midday trading, putting it ahead of Nestle’s 265 billion. LVMH is comprised of the leather goods maker Louis Vuitton and champagne and spirits group Moet-Hennessy, but it also owns brands such as Kenzo, Guerlain, Fendi, Celine, Chaumet, Sephora and Bulgari. It’s most recent high-profile acquisition is the US jeweler Tiffany. LVMH shares were pummeled in February and March 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic hit, but by early November they had bounced back, and finished the year with a gain of almost 24 percent at 510.90 euros.

Since January 1 they have risen by almost five percent more. Regis Begue, senior trader at Lazard Freres Gestion, told AFP that once it became clear Asia would weather the COVID-19 outbreak better than other parts of the world, luxury stocks went on a tear. Luxury groups with a strong presence there enjoyed “an exceptional market ride,” Begue said. Another trader, Arnaud Cadart at Flornoy, told AFP that LVMH’s rise to the top of the market capitalizations “is a kind of consecration” for the company. The group registered 34 percent of its sales in Asia last year, compared with 24 percent in the United States, and has managed to boost online sales as visits to its various shops declined. “LVMH products are also ones you treat yourself to. And a large amount of savings was accumulated by wealthier groups that were somewhat spared by the crisis,” Cadart said. AFP

ress in US stimulus talks and the rollout of vaccines. Wall Street provided a soft lead, with the Dow slightly up at a new all-time high but the S&P 500 and Nasdaq were in the red, though they also are hovering around records. Asia started with losses as traders took a breather from a recent rally but some later recovered. Hong Kong―in half-day trade―extended its rally, having climbed more than six percent in just under two weeks, while Mumbai and Jakarta also rose but Sydney, Singapore and Wellington fell into the red. Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul and Taipei were all closed for holidays. Trading was thinned by holidays in major markets, notably Chinese New Year, which will see most of the region closed for several days. Global risk assets have been on a tear since November following Joe Biden’s election win and the authorization of drugs to fight the virus, while optimism

has been given an extra boost in recent weeks as data point to falling infections, deaths and hospitalizations. Now, the focus is on when governments start to ease containment measures that will allow people to return to a semblance of normality and get back to spending. Traders also have an eye on Washington, where Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus proposal is being discussed by lawmakers. While there is an expectation the package will be watered down, the general view is that the US economy is in for another trillion-plus infusion around March. However, the negotiations are likely to be jammed up as senators embark on the second impeachment of Donald Trump. Several observers have raised concerns that the spending splurge combined with the economic recovery will fire a surge in inflation, which has led to speculation the Federal Reserve’s ultraloose monetary policy might have to be tightened. With AFP

Major oil firms posted massive losses in 2020 PARIS, France—Already under pressure due to climate change, the world’s top listed oil firms suffered historic losses in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic sent demand and prices tumbling. The oil majors—BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and Total—suffered $77 billion in losses for the year. Shell CEO Ben van Beurden called 2020 an extraordinary year. Total’s Patrick Pouyanne said: “All of us will remember 2020 as a landmark year that brought unexpected challenges and led to significant changes.” While much of the losses were accounting charges to record the drop in the value of their assets, the drop in crude oil prices—which briefly turned negative in 2020 for the first time ever—caused real pain. The spread of the coronavirus and the lockdowns meant to slow it caused massive slowdowns in economic activity, with international air travel coming to a near standstill. This dampened demand and as oil producing nations didn’t immediately cut production, crude prices plummeted. The crisis called further into question the financial model of the oil majors, which already face a longer-term threat from a shift away from fossil fuels to combat climate change. S&P Global Ratings said last month that it “believes the energy transition, price volatility, and weaker profitability are increasing risks for oil and gas producers.” It placed the shares of Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, Total as well as the Chinese oil company CNOOC on watch for a ratings downgrade. The oil majors “are skating on everthinning ice as the effects of climate change combine with other events like the COVID-19 pandemic” said Professor David Elmes at the Warwick Business School. “The pressure to diversify is rising,” he added. European oil majors have recognized this and have begun to diversify their operations including investing in renewable energy despite their efforts cut costs. AFP

Clubhouse: The wildly popular audio chat app By Julie Jammot SAN FRANCISCO―Clubhouse, the invitation-only audio chat app, exploded in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic when people could not get together in person―but now the once niche platform has far higher goals. Launched less than a year ago, Clubhouse―which recently encountered a censorship hiccup in China―is looking to establish itself as the standard-bearer for digital audio. The concept is simple: once you’re invited to join, you can start or listen to conversations in digital “rooms,” ranging from a major talk by someone famous to a chat within a small group. No posts, no photos, no videos―just audio. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg cropped up on the platform last week, talking about the technology of the future. SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed up late last month to talk about the GameStop trading frenzy. But the app was quickly blocked in China, where unfiltered conversations about normally taboo topics, such as democracy protests in Hong Kong and the mass detention of Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, ran afoul of government censors. The app, available only on Apple, thrives on the concept of FOMO―fear of missing out. If you’re not online when a conversation happens, you miss it. “I was very active in April and May,” says Sheel Mohnot, a California investor with more than a million Clubhouse followers. “And then, you know, you get busy and other stuff was going on. And it’s just hard to make it a priority.” “But once again, now, I would say, I’m back on pretty regularly,” added Mohnot, who even had a second date on the platform―with two dozen-odd people listening and a psychologist in the background to comment on how it went. Beyond FOMO, Clubhouse―launched in March 2020 in Silicon Valley for the chosen few, but now used by about two million people every week―thrives on its portability. Users can walk their dog or cook dinner while listening to talks on financing a start-up or the current state of American education―or even tune in while playing trivia games. Unlike podcasts, everything is live and users can participate―as long as they are invited to do so by chat moderators. Star-studded user base A Clubhouse chat can be mundane―but it can also be transformed into a must-hear event if someone famous shows up. In addition to Zuckerberg’s and Musk’s recent appearances, comedian Kevin Hart popped up in a chat last spring. For Musk’s appearance with the boss of trading app Robinhood, the maximum capacity of 5,000 people was quickly reached, so secondary overflow “rooms” were opened. “I didn’t get in the room. But someone that had gotten into the room was livestreaming on YouTube,” said Bobby Thakkar, a managing partner at Ampersand Ventures and an early Clubhouse adopter. In the early days, Thakkar would spend 25 hours a week on Clubhouse, given how little he could get out because of pandemic lockdown measures.

File illustration photo taken on January 25, 2021 shows the application Clubhouse on a smartphone in Berlin. Clubhouse, the invitation-only audio chat app, exploded in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic, with people unable to get together for in-person conversations. AFP

“Everyone knew each other” when Clubhouse first launched, Thakkar told AFP. Now, he prefers chat rooms where he’s just talking with his friends or about topics related to his business. Mohnot says he’s happy that Clubhouse is expanding so quickly. AFP

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021

IN BRIEF SL Agritech plans to issue P2-b debt RICE producer SL Agritech Corp. plans to raise up to P2 billion from the issuance of debt paper. Net proceeds from the fund-raising activity will be used to pay the company’s shortterm obligations and purchase rice and seed inventories from contract growers, it said. SL Agritech received issuer credit rating of PRS Aa (corp.), with a stable outlook from Philippine Rating Services Corp. (PhilRatings) in relation to its planned issuance of up to P2 billion in commercial paper. A company rated PRS Aa (corp.) means it has a strong capacity to meet financial commitments while stable outlook means that the rating is likely to be maintained in the next 12 months. SL Agritech is one of the leading rice companies in the Philippines and exports high-quality rice seeds and premium packaged rice. Its fully integrated operations from hybrid rice seed research and development, to the sale of premium rice products allow the company to maximize its resources. Jenniffer B. Austria

January auto sales reached 23,380 units VEHICLE sales fell 1.4 percent in January to 23,380 units from 23,723 units a year ago, two industry groups said Thursday. “While this January 2021 sales is still 1.4 percent less than the same month last year with 23,723 units sold, the slight decrease is still considered a positive sign that the industry is slowly recovering,” they said. The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and Truck Manufacturers Association said the January figure also decreased by 15 percent from December. Commercial vehicles continued to dominate the market with a total share of 68.80 percent , with the remaining 31.20 percent belonging to the passenger car segment. The CV sales performance reflects the continuous trend of the market preference shifting to larger vehicles, the two groups said. CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez said the industry remained cautiously optimistic about the coming months. “The pandemic still poses a challenge to the automotive industry. We are also monitoring how the market will react with the imposition of the provisional safeguard duties starting February, which could potentially impact on the prices of imported motor vehicles,” Gutierrez said.

BatStateU eyes tie-up with Embassy of India THE Batangas State University Knowledge, Innovation and Science Technology Park boosts its entrepreneurial activities as it sets to sign a cooperation agreement with the Embassy of India. India’s Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran will visit the university for the cooperation agreement on Feb. 15 in ceremonies to be held at the Convention Hall, SSC Building, BatStateU Pablo Borbon, Batangas City. Philippine Economic Zone Authority Director-General Charito Plaza and Batangas 5th District Rep. Marvey Mariño will also take part in the event. Expected to grace the occasion virtually Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Agriculture Secretary William Dar. Arranged by Nishi Kant Singh, First Secretary for Economic and Commerce of the Embassy of India and BatStateU President Dr. Tirso Ronquillo, the partnership broadly envisions to take the Philippines-India cooperation to the next level by creating an ecosystem for the leading Indian startups to establish their presence and investments in the KIST Park.

Business

BSP retains interest rate despite inflation increase By Julito G. Rada

HE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, kept the benchmark interest rate at a record low of 2 percent during the first policy meeting of the year on Thursday as it considered the expected “transitory” impact of the elevated inflation rate. BSP Governor and board chairman Benjamin Diokno said in a briefing the board also retained the interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities at 1.5 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively. “The Monetary Board noted that inflation is likely to remain elevated in the coming months, reflecting the impact of supply constraints on domestic

prices of key food commodities such as meat and vegetables as well as the recent uptick in international oil prices,” Diokno said. “At the same time, the latest baseline projections show inflation returning to within the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent over the policy horizon as supplyside influences subside. The Monetary Board also noted that inflation expecta-

tions continue to be anchored within the inflation target band,” Diokno said. Diokno said the balance of risks to the inflation outlook now appeared to be broadly balanced around the baseline path in 2021 but was seen to continue leaning toward the downside in 2022. He said the tighter supply of meat products, owing in part to the African Swine Fever outbreak could lend further upside pressures on inflation. “However, the ongoing pandemic may continue to pose downside risks to demand and to the inflation outlook. While recent indicators of activity and sentiment have shown some improvement, the emergence of new variants of the virus and possible delays in mass vaccination programs continue to temper prospects for economic recovery and growth,” Diokno said.

FOLLOW-ON OFFERING. Officials of 8990 Holdings Inc. lead a bell ringing ceremony at the Philippine Stock Exchange to mark the company’s listing of P3.7-billion of Series B preferred shares. 8990 will use the proceeds from the follow-on offering to finance obligations secured for operations and construction activities. Attending the ceremony are (from left, by row) 8990 Holdings chairman emeritus Luis Yu Jr. and PSE chief operating officer Roel Refran; 8990 Holdings chief finance officer Roan Torregoza, 8990 Holdings chairman Mariano Martinez Jr., PSE president and chief executive Ramon Monzon and PSE issuer regulation division head Marigel Garcia; China Bank Capital Corp. president Ryan Martin Tapia, PSE general counsel Veronica Del Rosario, Securities Clearing Corporation of the Philippines chief operating officer Renee Rubio and PSE capital markets development division head Mark Frederick Visda.

Nickel output declined 14% to 18.5m dry metric tons in 2020 By Jenniffer B. Austria PHILIPPINE nickel production declined 14 percent in 2020 to 18.5 million dry metric tons from 21.6 million DMT in 2019 amid the pandemic. Data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, however, showed nickel export value rose to P25 billion in the first nine months of 2020 on higher prices in the world market. Philippine Nickel Industry Association president Dante Bravo said the improved world price of nickel last year came from the consistent demand in China that kept the local sector’s performance steady with stable production throughout the year.

The decline in domestic nickel production was brought about by the enhanced community quarantine from March to May 2020 when the movement of mineral products were limited throughout the country. The PNIA, composed of eight mining firms, accounted for 50 percent of the total nickel production in the Philippines last year. Based on the recent MGB report, PNIA members produced 7.9 million DMT with an export value of P11.6 billion in 2020. “The industry is grateful that we were able to perform well despite the pandemic and that we were able to contribute to the economy during these trying times. We’re all aware that a large number of business-

es closed down in 2020 and some are closing down this year,” Bravo said. “Most importantly, we’re glad that the nickel industry was able to operate and continue to help our local communities survive during the challenges of the pandemic last year,” he said. PNIA is optimistic nickel demand from foreign markets would pick up this year on the recovery of the infrastructure sector and increased demand from the electric vehicle industry and manufacturing sector. “We are hopeful that there will be a continuous demand for the year so that we can also keep our performance and help our local communities by providing them jobs that they can keep,” Bravo said.

Paymaya connects with over 100 merchants to launch virtual mall By Darwin G. Amojelar PAYMAYA Philippines Inc. on Thursday unveiled a virtual mall that offers one-stop-shop experience with the biggest and most trusted merchant partners. Through PayMaya Mall, mobile shoppers can check out and buy from more than 100 merchants accepting PayMaya as a payment method within the PayMaya app, an experience that is akin to browsing shops and merchant stalls in physical malls. “Mall shopping is so ingrained in Filipino popular culture and the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected not just consumers but also, the growth of retail merchants. With the PayMaya Mall feature embedded in our app, we aim to reinforce our commitment to boost e-commerce and digital payments in the Philippines, supported by the full force and strength of our unique ecosystem,” said Shailesh Baidwan, president of PayMaya. “With this initiative, we are bringing our partner merchants closer to our more than 28 million customers nationwide. Consumers, on the other hand, can get their regular shopping done from the convenience and safety

of their own homes while enjoying exclusive perks and rewards—all through the PayMaya app,” he said. Among the biggest brands in the food, retail, pharmacy, grocery and fashion industries that are already present in the PayMaya Mall are Jollibee, McDonald’s, Goldilocks, Rustans, Park Outlet, Mercury Drug, Rose Pharmacy, Landers, All Home, and Boozy. More brands are coming soon as PayMaya taps into its network of over 116,000 merchant touchpoints. As the only financial technology company in the Philippines providing end-to-end digital payments solutions for all with its acquiring, wallet, and remittance network businesses, PayMaya is uniquely positioned to bring consumers and merchants together via a one-stop digital destination that can help them gain more value from buying and selling online. Through its enterprise business, PayMaya is the leading acquirer and payment processing partner of everyday merchants and the largest e-commerce players in the Philippines today, empowering them to accept all kinds of digital payments, including cards and e-Wallets, via their online and physical retail channels.

PSE INDEX Thursday, February 11, 2021

-91.14 PTS. 6,991.01

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

22,920,353,778 156,366 15,090,510,481.69 95 131 44

Foreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.0400

Japan

Yen

0.009563

0.4594

Pound

1.383700

66.4729

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128996

6.1970

Switzerland

Franc

1.123596

53.9776

Canada

Dollar

0.787464

37.8298

Singapore

Dollar

0.753920

36.2183

Australia

Dollar

0.772100

37.0917

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652731

127.4372

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266617

12.8083

Brunei

Dollar

0.751089

36.0823

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000072

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.033445

1.6067

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.0799

Euro

1.212000

58.2245

Korea

Won

0.000905

0.0435

China

Yuan

0.155419

7.4663

India

Rupee

0.013738

0.6600

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.247402

11.8852

New Zealand

Dollar

0.721300

34.6513

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035679

1.7140 Source: BSP

NGCP seeks ERC approval of 6-year capex worth P262b By Alena Mae S. Flores TRANSMISSION operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines is seeking approval from the Energy Regulatory Commission to implement capital expenditure projects worth P262 billion from 2020 to 2025 or farther. NGCP filed three separation applications with the ERC on Jan. 18 for the approval of the capex program in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. “Along with its responsibility for the planning, construction and centralized operation and maintenance of its high voltage transmission facilities, it is indispensable for NGCP to ensure a reliable and high-performance operation of the transmission system,” the company said. It said to avoid disruption in its operations and ensure compliance with its mandate under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act as transmission operator, the implementation of the proposed capex projects should be immediately approved. NGCP received the franchise to operate, manage and engage in the business of conveying or transmitting electricity through a high-voltage backbone system of interconnected transmission lines, substations and related facilities, system operations and other activities that are necessary to support the safe and reliable operation of the transmission system, NGCP is seeking approval for the several big-ticket projects under the Group 3 capex application with the ERC covering the period 2020 to 2025 with total project cost of about P113 billion. These include the Northern Luzon 230 kV Loop project and the Nagsaag-Santiago 500 kV transmission line project, Bolo-Balaon 500kV transmission line project, Balaon-Laoag 500 kV transmission line project, Western Luzon 500 kV Backbone project, among others. For the period 2020 to 2025 under Group 1, NGCP is seeking approval for projects with total capex of about P93 billion which include the DaragaBitano 69kV Transmission Line Project, Abuyog 230kV Substation Project, Castillejos 230kV Substation Project, Dasol 230kV Substation Project, Sampaloc 230Kv Substation Project, Baler 230kV Substation Project and Kawit 230kV Substation Project.

ANTIGEN TESTING.

Fiber broadband service provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. continues to ensure the safety of its employees and subscribers as the company provides regular antigen testing for its people, especially for customerfacing personnel. Converge also made arrangements for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines for employees and for donation through partnerships with various institutions.

Foreign direct investments recorded $5.8-b net inflows in 11 months FOREIGN direct investments showed signs of gradual recovery in November amid the developments on the rollout of vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Thursday. Data showed foreign direct investments posted net inflows of $537 million in November 2020, although they were lower by 16.5 percent than $643 million registered in November 2019. “Nonetheless, this decline was slower

compared to the 24.5-percent contraction posted in October 2020 amid news of positive developments in COVID-19 vaccines,” the BSP said in a statement. “The recent contractions in net FDI inflows were largely affected by concerns over the resurgence of COVID-19 cases and re-imposition of quarantine measures in some advanced and emerging markets,” it said. Non-residents’ net investments in equity capital declined 57.3 percent to $66

million in November 2020 from $155 million a year earlier. Equity capital placements fell 44.8 percent to $96 million from $174 million, which equity capital withdrawals increased 57.3 percent to $30 million from $19 million. Equity capital placements came mainly from the Netherlands, Japan, and the United States. These were invested mostly in financial and insurance, real estate and manufacturing industries. Julito G. Rada

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021

G-League experience gave Sotto confidence By Peter Atencio

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder defender Al Horford (42) at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Motherhood not setback for Filipina MMA fighter AMONG 16 candidates chosen to participate in the “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition” is Lara Pearl Alvarez, a single mother born, bred, and based in Baguio City, Philippines. Alvarez recently talked about her experience participating on the reality TV show and why she wanted to join “The Apprentice.” “I just wanted to give my son a better life, that’s what compelled me to try and audition for The Apprentice. At the time, I didn’t really imagine I could get in. But I was determined to give it a shot. So when I got the news that I was accepted, I was in shock. I just couldn’t believe it. But I was super happy I got in, and from there, I was motivated to succeed,” said Alvarez. “Participating on the show was incredible. The production was top notch and it was nothing like I had ever experienced before. Getting to visit Singapore and see the way locals live, see the beauty of the country, it gave me a deeper sense of pride for my own country. It gave me hope, not just for my own life, but for everyone else as well with all the difficulties we’re dealing with today. I definitely learned a lot from my time in the boardroom.” When Alvarez got pregnant by her thenboyfriend at 22, it wasn’t exactly what she had planned for her life. Like many of her colleagues at Team Lakay, Alvarez had trained to become a martial artist, learning the discipline of wushu and wanting to compete. The child’s father ended up abandoning Alvarez even before the boy was born. But with the help of her family, Alvarez took on the enormous responsibility of being a single parent. With incredible determination, Alvarez didn’t let the circumstances keep her pinned down. She constantly worked to improve her situation. Fast-forward to present day, and Alvarez can’t wait to relive her time on The Apprentice, which she says will be an experience she will remember for the rest of her life. “Flying to Singapore to film the show, it was my first time leaving the Philippines, my first time getting on a plane to fly out of the country. And to be joining a globally acclaimed TV show, I can say I was pretty mesmerized by the whole ordeal. It was a little overwhelming, but I was excited. At the same time, I missed my son terribly. I had never spent so much time away from him, nor left him in the care of others. I tried not to let it affect me, but every time I thought of him, it would bring me to tears,” said Alvarez.

Unsung heroes Kenneth Ighalo (left) and Kyles Lao will continue to perform a special role coming off the bench for the Road Warriors this coming season.

LeBron powers Lakers to third straight OT win L

OS ANGELES, United States—LeBron James forced the extra session with a three-pointer and scored 25 points as the Los Angeles Lakers won their third consecutive overtime game by outlasting the slumping Oklahoma City Thunder 114-113 on Wednesday (Thursday Philippine time). James finished with seven assists and six rebounds, Montrezl Harrell scored 20 points, Dennis Schroder contributed 19 and Kyle Kuzma added 15 for the host reigning NBA champion Lakers, who now have six straight wins. Los Angeles played without injured star forward Anthony Davis (Achilles) for the second game in a row. This was the third straight overtime game for the Lakers and second against the shorthanded Thunder, who have lost three of their last four. Los Angeles beat the Thunder in overtime on Monday and Detroit in double overtime two nights earlier. Al Horford had 25 points, Kenrich Williams scored 24 points, Luguentz Dort had 17 and Hamidou Diallo collected 15

points and 13 rebounds in the loss. The Thunder were missing their best player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is out with a knee injury. Meanwhile, Devin Booker drained clutch free throws with 32 seconds left as the Phoenix Suns overcame a 47-point performance by back-to-back MVP winner Giannis Antetokounmpo with a 125124 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Antetokounmpo also had 11 rebounds and five assists while shooting 15-of-23 from the floor en route to a season-high scoring performance. He put up a desperation 20-foot jumper at the buzzer to try and win it, but the ball bounced off the back of the rim as the Bucks had their season-best five-game win streak snapped.

Chris Paul added 28 points and seven assists as Phoenix earned its fourth straight win and its seventh in the past eight games. Khris Middleton had 18 points and 11 assists and Bryn Forbes scored all 17 of his points in the first half for Milwaukee, in front of a pandemic limited crowd of 1,400 mask-wearing fans in Arizona. Elsewhere, Luka Doncic scored 28 points with 10 assists and 10 rebounds Wednesday as the Dallas Mavericks rallied for a 118-117 NBA victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Doncic notched his league-leading seventh triple-double of the season and the Mavericks rallied from a nine-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter as they continue to try to fight their way up from the depths of the Western Conference. A Doncic three-pointer gave the Mavericks their first lead since the second quarter, 104-101, with 5:29 to play. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 13 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and Jalen Brunson added 11 of his 21 in the final frame for Dallas. AFP

KAI Sotto, who remained in quarantine since he arrived in the country last February 2, said he has gained a lot of confidence with his game over the last two years. The 7’3” Sotto believes the opportunities he gained since joining NBA G League Team Ignite contributed a lot in how he plays basketball. “Ang daming nagbago sa buhay ko. Maraming opportunities ang dumarating sa akin at sa aking family. Pagdating sa basketball, tumaas ang confidence ko sa sarili ko,” said the 18-year-old Sotto. Sotto is back in the country, and talked about his desire to play for the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team in a podcast. Gilas is currently training inside a bubble in Calamba, Laguna. And members of the national squad will leave for the third and final window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers this Sunday for Doha. For the last nine day, Sotto has been working out inside his hotel room until he has completed time in quarantine. “Iyung two years ko sa US, are the biggest two years of improvement para sa akin,” said Sotto. Sotto is now part of an elite prospects program that’s now under coach Brian Shaw. He is playing alongside teammates Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix, promising players who are among the top prospects in the coming rookie draft of the NBA. Sotto was supposed to play for Team Ignite in the opening games NBA G League season in Orlando, Florida. But, he decided to skip his stint with Team Ignite, in favor of playing for Gilas. Gilas is scheduled to play on February 18 against Korea. Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio said he salutes Sotto for his decision to take part in the coming Gilas campaign. “He has very good basics. He still has to grow. He is only 18 years old, but he is a great future for Philippine basketball,” said Panlilio.

Defending champion Kenin bows out of Australia Open MELBOURNE, Australia—A crestfallen Sofia Kenin said she was suffocated by the pressure of defending her maiden Grand Slam title as the world number four exited the Australian Open in tears Thursday. The 22-year-old American has struggled to handle expectations in Melbourne and was no match for Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi, who won 6-3, 6-2 in 64 minutes in the second round. Kenin was just the third Australian Open defending champion not to reach the third round since 1970, and the earliest to crash out since Jennifer Capriati fell in the first round in 2003. She headlines a slew of upsets in the women’s draw, which has also lost eighth seed Bianca Andreescu and ninth seed Petra Kvitova in the first week. Kenin’s return to the scene of her breakthrough Grand Slam title, when she beat Garbine Muguruza in the final, proved tough after she lost to the Spaniard at last week’s Yarra Valley Classic. She later declared she was troubled by a left groin injury, which she said might have been linked to her mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine in Australia. Moscow-born Kenin has cut an emotional figure and also admitted to playing in tears throughout her first-round clash with Australian Maddison Inglis. “I know I couldn’t really handle the pressure,”

said an emotional and red-eyed Kenin, who wiped away tears during her press conference. “I mean, obviously I haven’t experienced that. I obviously felt like I’m not there 100 percent physically, mentally, my game. Everything just feels real off. It’s not good.” Kenin, who had 22 unforced errors and offered little resistance against Kanepi, backed up her first Slam title with a runner-up finish at the French Open, but fell apart once she arrived in Australia. “I did put pressure on myself there (Roland Garros), but not as much as here,” she said. “I feel like everyone was always asking me, ‘Do you see yourself getting there and winning again?’ “The Australia trip, I feel like that was something that I had my eye on. I knew I was going to have pressure. “I knew I was going to have emotions, nerves, everything all together. I felt really nervous. I haven’t felt my game for I don’t know how long. “It’s obviously tough. The Aussie swing definitely got me.” Kanepi, however, has been in form, finishing runner-up in the warm-up Gippsland Trophy, and plays 28th seed Donna Vekic of Croatia next. AFP

Sofia Kenin of the US hits a return against Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi during their women’s singles match on day four of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on February 11, 2021. AFP

NLEX signs Ighalo, Lao to contract extensions By Rey Joble NLEX, the PBA team, is known to be a squad built around talented guards Kiefer Ravena and Kevin Alas, but there were moments when these two players were badly missed by the Road Warriors during the team’s struggling years two years ago. Both second generation cagers were not in the line-up for different reasons— Ravena spent 18 months serving the suspension imposed by FIBA (the International Basketball Federation) after taking a banned substance under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) while Alas tore his ACL that sidelined him for nearly a year. In all those years, unheralded guards Kenneth Ighalo and Kyles Lao were able to hold

the fort for the Road Warriors. Spending the few years of his pro career on the reserve list, Ighalo finally got the big break when he was given the minutes by head coach Yeng Guiao, who also had to convert this previously known big man to playing the guard spots. “Etong si Iggy (Kenneth Ighalo), alam ko nung college ito big man ang laro nito – kwatro or kung minsan, singko pa laro nito. So when he got into the PBA, syempre he was undersized in that position. That’s also one reason why he was not able to get minutes because he’s out of position. When we got him, we emphasized to him that he has to develop a new set of skills, being able to play at the wings as a three or even at a two,” Guiao said. “When you do that, you have to develop out-

side shooting, you have to develop quickness, because you’re going to be matched up with guys who are not slow, but guards who are quick. Kailangan I-develop mo yung quickness mo, kailangan mayroon kang outside shooting, kailangan marunong kang mag-handle (ng bola). That’s the problem with that shift, Guys coming fom the college leagues, are usually playing a different position. Then you have to upgrade your game and develop your skills. The guys who’ll be flexible to adapt will always have an advantage.” Lao, on the other hand, was drafted by the Road Warriors in the third round of the 2018 PBA Rookie Draft, and his future was uncertain, until disaster struck on NLEX that hampered the guard rotation of the team after losing the services of both Ravena and Alas.

Sports

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021

Liao to head PNVFI’s most sensitive position Minnesota Timberwolves ink pact with Tanduay THE Minnesota Timberwolves is the latest team from the National Basketball Association to enter into a partnership with Tanduay. “As a global brand, we love bringing the world closer together, having fans experience flavors or products they haven’t tried before and offer something we know they’ll love,” said Ryan Tanke, Chief Operating Officer of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Lynx. “It’s an honor to partner with the world’s topselling rum. A strong heritage is key to building loyal fans and it’s a shared value within our brand cultures.” Tanduay President and COO Lucio Tan III said that they are privileged to partner with the Wolves as well. “As we expand into new markets, we also create new relationships with organizations that share our commitment to bringing the best to our consumers. We are proud to have found that partner in the Minnesota Timberwolves,” Tan said. Tanduay will have TV-visible courtside rotation LED and basket pad LED signage, pole pads, and arena signage bearing its iconic name and logo. Custom Timberwolves-Tanduay co-brand packaging for rums will also be released in Minnesota. The Minnesota Timberwolves is the fourth NBA team that Tanduay has partnered with. It has existing partnerships with the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and the Milwaukee Bucks. It is also finalizing a new partnership with another NBA team. The proudly Philippine-made rum credits its domination of the international rum market to its partnerships with leading distributors and organizations. In 2020, it was declared the World’s Number 1 Rum by Drinks International for the third consecutive year. It was also awarded “Brand of the Year” in the rum category by the Global Advisory Council of the World Branding Forum for the sixth consecutive year.

Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (front row, left) administers the oath of office to the officers of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Inc. on Wednesday at The Vault restaurant at the BGC in Taguig City. In photo are Ramon “Tats” Suzara (president), Arnel Hajan (vice president), Ariel Paredes (chairman) Donaldo Caringal (secretary general), Yul Benosa (auditor) and board members Ricky Palou, Karl Chan, Charo Soriano, Carmela Gamboa, Fr. Vic Calvo and Atty. Wharton Chan.

Tokyo Olympics’ boss Mori to resign over sexist remarks T OKYO—Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori is to resign over sexist remarks that have sparked outrage in Japan and abroad, reports said Thursday.

Multiple major Japanese media outlets, citing anonymous sources, said Mori has told officials of his wish to step down and intends to announce his resignation at a meeting of Games organizers on Friday. Gaffe-prone Tokyo 2020 boss Mori, 83, has come under increasing pressure after he said last Yoshiro Mori week that women “have difficulty” speaking concisely. He has apologized for the remarks, but dug a deeper hole when he insisted he had heard complaints that women speak at length. Politicians and sports stars were quick to condemn the comments, with heavyweight sponsors also saying they ran contrary to the Olympic spirit. The International Olympic Committee

said they considered the matter closed, but then said the remarks were “completely inappropriate” as the backlash grew. The sexism row has become yet another headache for Olympic organizers and officials already battling public disquiet over holding the Games this summer as the pandemic continues to rage. Meanwhile, no socialising, no handshakes and definitely no hugs—that’s what athletes at the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo Olympics can expect this summer, according to a virus rulebook released Tuesday by organizers. The 33-page document—the last in a series of “playbooks” drawn up in a bid to ensure the Games can go ahead safely—

also warns athletes they could be kicked out of their events if they break strict antivirus rules. Under the guidelines, athletes will be tested for the virus at least once every four days, and will be barred from competing if they return a confirmed positive test. Their time in Japan will be “minimised to reduce the risk of infection,” and those staying at the Olympic Village will be expected to “avoid unnecessary forms of physical contact.” Organizers told AFP on Tuesday that they still plan to hand out around 150,000 free condoms to athletes, but the new rulebook urges them to “limit your contact with other people as much as possible.” “If you have been to the Games before, we know this experience will be different in a number of ways,” the guidebook warns. “For all Games participants, there will be some conditions and constraints that will require your flexibility and understanding.” The guide for athletes and team officials is set to be revised in April and again in June, and follows the release of handbooks for sports officials, media and broadcasters last week. AFP

realme collaborates with top gaming influencers REALME further cements its position in the local mobile gaming scene with the onboarding of the country’s top gamers, shoutcasters and gaming influencers. realme Philippines welcomed Ako si Dogie, Nexplay Solid members Renejay, H2WO, Yawi, Jeymz, Exort; Nexplay Liquid member Sumpak; and shoutcasters Sh1nboo, Manjean, Butters, Wolf and Rob Luna into the realme family on Monday, February 08. The World Economic Forum reported that gaming across different devices significantly rose amid global lockdowns. According to recent studies, 9 out of 10 individuals aged 16 to 34 played video games last year. realme Philippines, confident in the gaming skills of Filipinos, is bent to rally on more aspiring local mobile gamers this 2021. With its new squad of mobile gaming titans, realme is ready to roll out various campaigns on mobile gaming this year aimed at inspiring and empowering more Filipinos to take their gaming experience further. “realme Philippines is steadfast in cre-

ating opportunities that will enable a new generation of Filipino mobile gamers to pursue their passion. Our strong relationship with some of the most valued gamers and gaming influencers gives us a solid grip on how we can be an active supporter of the local mobile gaming industry. We are glad to grow our realme family with Filipino gaming giants. With this, expect that some exciting events are on the horizon! We look forward to welcoming new champions this 2021,” shares realme Philippines VP for Marketing Austine Huang. realme strengthens collaboration with top gaming influencers realme Philippines is committed to propelling the local gaming industry’s growth with both its array of powerful gaming devices and its roster of events that present opportunities for Filipino mobile gamers. realme’s 2021 mission is to be a partner of gamers in attaining championship. Kickstarting realme’s efforts for local mobile gaming in 2021 is the strengthening of its collaboration with key gaming leaders. Ako si Dogie,

realme Philippines VP for Marketing Austine Huang spearheaded the signing of the partnership with Rumble Royale, gamer Ako si Doggie, and members of team Nexplay.

when asked what he appreciates the most about realme as a collaborator, remarked, “realme is super open sa lahat ng bagay. Nakikinig sila sa content creator. Ayun talaga ang kinagandahan kasi open na open sila sa mga sug-

gestions ng tao.” realme went against the odds in 2020 to make a muchawaited match between Ako si Doggie and Choox, and Cong TV happen. The views of the game’s live stream peaked at a staggering 460,000.

ANTHONY “TonyBoy” LIAO will lay on the court his credentials packed with championship experience— highlighted by the country’s one and only gold medal so far in the Southeast Asian Games—when he assumes the role of chairman of the National Team Department of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Inc.. Liao was tasked to head the most sensitive position in the newly-formed national sports association for the sport, whose officers were inducted into office on Wednesday by Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino at the The Vault restaurant at the BGC in Taguig City. PNVFI President Ramon “Tats” Suzara said Liao was chosen for his experience and involvement with the national team that won the women’s gold medal in the 1993 SEA Game in Singapore. “Mr. Liao was a former manager of the national team for many years,” Suzara said. “He also managed two of the most successful collegiate teams, De La Salle and Ateneo.” “He has a vast experience in managing teams and players and is highlyversed on volleyball rules,” he added. Liao is still in the US but joined the PNVFI’s first board meeting—three days after securing the recognition of the International Volleyball Federation—online. “Thank you very much,” Liao, 64, said. “It’s a privilege to head the department and I know that the task is challenging but I promise to do my best.” “I will immediately form my team and discuss the criteria of selection of the players and coaching staff,” added Liao, who will have Ormoc City member Richard Gomez, a former national team member, as his secretary. Also appointed were Richard Palou (deputy secretary general for international affairs), Roger Banzuela (deputy secretary general for member relations), Carmela Gamboa (events council), Jerry Yee (technical and coaches), Prof. Robert Calo (refeering and rules), Karl Geoffrey Chan II (development), Donald Caringal (marketing), Rosario Soriano (beach volleyball), Benson Bocboc (VIS), Dr. Jose Raul Canlas (Medical), Rodrigo Roque (finance), Fr. Victor Calvo (legal and ethics) and Alysa Valdez (athletes) with members Abigail Marano, Dennise Lazaro and Johnvic de Guzman. Shoutcaster Shinboo, like Ako si Dogie, has been a member of the realme family since 2019. Early on in their collaboration, Shinboo witnessed realme’s commitment to rolling out various efforts in aid of mobile gamers, no matter how daring. “They really dared and fully committed to their projects. They gambled in gaming and in cluster community engagement. Sabi ko, with this kind of formula, this will be a no.1 brand —and it happened. Ang sarap sa feeling na you’re working with a brand that you genuinely promote, you genuinely believe in,” Shinboo shares. realme also ensured that its team of gamers received support during the onslaught of the global health crisis last year. Shoutcaster Butters noted how the company’s continuous care and seeding of products helped him and fellow gaming influencers move forward in the new normal. realme geared its gaming partners last year with the latest devices it launched in the market such as its midrange powerhouse, the realme 7 series. The country’s number one smartphone brand is bound to broadening and reinforcing its partnership with key gaming leaders this 2021.

Dy finds himself in congested world title chase SEEF DISTRICT, Bahrain—Last year, Filipino superstar Rolando Dy put BRAVE Combat Federation’s talent-filled lightweight division on notice by clinching stellar victories over two of the division’s top contenders. While those conquests led him to be hailed as the promotion’s 2020 Fighter of the Year, Dy is not resting on his laurels as his goal this year is to bring home the intricately-crafted BRAVE CF Lightweight World Championship and put it beside the said prestigious award in his trophy room. Although the 29-year-old Dasmariñas, Cavite resident seemingly made a case for a cage encounter with Amin Ayoub, the French titleholder has an elite queue of potential challengers who wish to take away the silverware that he earned from stopping Cleiton Silva this past November. One of the highly-motivated competitors in the

lightweight shark tank is Ahmed “The Butcher” Amir, who holds an 11-3-1 professional record with an 82 percent finishing rate and has been a mainstay of the organization since its inaugural event in 2016. Amir reinserted himself in the weight class’ world title picture by winning two bouts in a row against the likes of Yousef Wehbe and Cian Cowley. The Egyptian stalwart made a public declaration of his intent to share the stage with the champion when he crashed the BRAVE CF 44 official weigh-ins. Aside from Amir, Kyrgyzstan’s very own Abdisalam Kubanychbek also has his sights on the belt wrapped around Ayoub’s waist. “Omok” is on a tear, knocking out both Joao Paulo Rodrigues and Vagif Askerov before pulling off a second-round submission of Jahongir Saidjamolov at BRAVE CF 46 in Sochi, Russia last January.

Most recently, Kubanychbek revealed that he has Dy on his wish list of opponents as the Kyrgyz juggernaut plans for a quick turnaround. The other lightweight on the list is English spitfire Sam Patterson, who owns a 6-1-1 slate as a pro and is currently riding high on a five-match winning streak. The Team Crossface standout accomplished the biggest win of his young career when he knocked out UFC veteran Felipe Silva in the first round of their September 2020 clash. For Dy, he does not mind if he has to take on one of the aforementioned fighters to stake his claim as the No. 1 contender for Ayoub’s lightweight crown. “If BRAVE CF thinks I have to prove it again, then so be it. I am a fighter, and my job is to fight and win fights. Like I said in the past, line them up and I will keep knocking them down. It’s that simple,” he stated.

Rolando Dy

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021

Honoring Salonga, Lacaba with music and poetry SOCIAL idealism and music are among legacies of the late outstanding Senate President Jovito “Jovy” R. Salonga whose 100th birth anniversary was last June 22 quietly marked at his former hot spring pools resthouse in Pansol, Laguna which is now W Resort. Temporarily closed last year due to the quarantine, W Resort is now open for vacationers, team-building, and other events. Its owner, writer and entrepreneur (Kamuning Bakery Café) Wilson Lee Flores said that after the pandemic, he plans to host a musical tribute there for Jovy Salonga with a reunion of his favorite singers who used to perform there like Andion Fernandez, Celeste Legaspi, Homer Son, Frankie Aseniero, the UP singing group, and others. One of Salonga’s favorite singers was the late Nolyn Cabahug. His guests at this Pansol resthouse included three presidents Cory C. Aquino, Fidel Ramos, and Joseph Estrada; many other leaders, foreign diplomats, and intellectuals. This proposed music tribute to Jovy Salonga shall be similar to the March 7, 2020 "Pandesal Forum" hosted by 82-year-old Kamuning Bakery Café in Quezon City just before the lockdown, in honor of poet, veteran journalist and screenwriter Jose “Pete” Lacaba called “Kape’t Ka Pete Music & Poetry Night.” Lacaba said he became a “suki” customer

‘I Can See You’ streams on Netflix Philippines GMA’s drama anthology I Can See You, which showcases some of the biggest stars in the Kapuso Network, premieres on Netflix Philippines beginning Monday, Feb. 15. The groundbreaking program, which aired on GMA-7 in September last year, further solidifies GMA Network’s mission of being a catalyst in creating world-class programs and reinforcing its online presence as it joins the Network’s internationally-acclaimed primetime series ‘Descendants of the Sun Philippines’ on the popular video streaming platform. I Can See You, which features four miniseries produced by four different teams, uses a common visual storytelling device - the use of a camera as a witness to the tales of love and mystery from everyday people; hence the title – I Can See You. Kick-starting the drama anthology on Feb. 15 is “Love On The Balcony” top-billed by Alden Richards, Pancho Magno, and Jasmine Curtis-Smith. “Love On The Balcony,” which is directed by LA Madridejos, tells the timely story of a wedding videographer, Gio (Alden), who crosses paths with a frontline nurse, Lea (Jasmine). Uninspired and creatively drained, Gio is encouraged by his business partner and friend Val (Pancho) to search for a potential fling during quarantine. After their unfortunate encounter, romance eventually blossoms between Gio and Lea amidst the pandemic. Completing the cast are Denise Barbacena and Shyr Valdez. Topbilled by Andrea Torres, Yasmien Kurdi, Benjamin Alves, and Paolo Contis, “The Promise” gives viewers more reasons to believe in the power of love this March 1. The story begins with a wealthy widower named Frank (Paolo) who loses his passion for life and becomes a recluse after losing his wife Clarisse (Yasmien) from an accident. When Jude (Benjamin), his cousin and right-hand man in the company, visits him in the lake house where he stays at, Frank takes an interest in the latter’s girlfriend Ivy (Andrea), an aspiring artist who is willing to do anything to take her family out of poverty. Also playing an exciting role in this series is Maey Bautista. The Promise is directed by Zig Dulay. Heating up online streaming experience on March 15 is the third installment “High-Rise Lovers,” which stars Lovi Poe, Winwyn Marquez, and Tom Rodriguez. It follows the story of married couple Samantha (Lovi) and Luis (Tom) whose relationship dwindles as their

Folk singer Noel Cabangon performing at last year's Kamuning Bakery Cafe’s tribute to Pete Lacaba. Photo by Edwin Tuyay

of Kamuning Bakery ever since the late movie actress Nida Blanca brought him there. Other movie queens who also enjoyed this pioneer bakery’s pastries include Gloria Romero, Susan Roces, the late Amalia Fuentes, etc. Among the numerous luminaries who attended Kamuning Bakery Café’s tribute for Pete Lacaba were National Artists Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera and BenCab, leaders like Satur Ocampo and Sonia Roco, painters like Danny Dalena and Jose Tence Ruiz, intellectuals like University of the Philippines (U.P.) Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo and former Ateneo Dean Tony La Viña. Music and poetry performers included Noel Cabangon, Dr. Gemino Abad, Cooky

Chua, Vim Nadera, Danton Remoto, Hazel Faith, Skarlet Brown, Michael Coroza, Charlson Ong, Becky Demetillo-Abraham, Jess Santiago, Cavite Young Writers Association (CYWA), Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo (LIRA) and others. San Miguel beer, Eden Cheese, Philippine Foremost Milling, and Pagcor gave support for foods and drinks for performers and guests. When Salonga died on March 10, 2016, Tony and Olivier Award-winning singer Lea Salonga eulogized: “RIP, Senator Jovito Salonga. They sure don't make them like you anymore.” On his 100th birth anniversary last year, actress Coney Reyes’ son Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto visited his tomb and said: “I paid my respects to former Senate President Jovito Salonga, one of the greatest statesmen to have ever come out of Pasig.” Jovy Salonga was a nationalist similar to Apolinario Mabini, Gen. Antonio Luna, Gregorio Aglipay, Macario Sakay, Claro M. Recto, and Renato Constantino. He was a young World War II guerrilla who was jailed and tortured by Japanese military invaders. A bar topnotcher, graduate of U.P., Harvard, and Yale, he in the 1960s defended the Philippine claim to North Borneo (Sabah). Presidential Spokesman Sec. Harry Roque’s grandmother, public school teacher Margarita Reyes Cruz, was

opposing goals in life get the best of them. After moving into a new condominium unit, Samantha continues to strive for a big promotion at work while Luis, an unemployed contractor, is forced to accept a renovation job for another occupant – the mysterious and sultry Ysabel (Winwyn). Also starring in the episode are Teresa Loyzaga and Kenneth “Tetay” Ocampo. High-Rise Lovers is under the helm of Monti Parungao. Finally, set to bring mystery and romance is the last installment “Truly. Madly. Deadly.” headlined by Dennis Trillo, Rhian Ramos, and Jennylyn Mercado premiering on March 29. In the story, Coleen (Jennylyn) is a professional woman who, after being ridiculed online for a scandal with a married man, moves out of the city and works in a remote resort where she meets the mysterious resident IT guy named Drew (Dennis). Life seems to be going well for the recovering Coleen until her best friend turned enemy Abby (Rhian) shows up and her past begins to haunt her once again. Joining the talented cast of this episode is Jhoana Marie Tan and with the special participation of Ruby Rodriguez. ”Truly. Madly. Deadly” is directed by Jorron Lee Monroy.

From left: Wilson Lee Flores, Pete Lacaba, and Wig Tysman in a ‘pre-pandemic’ photo op at Kamuning Bakery Cafe.

a first cousin of Salonga. He was also lawyer of his grand-uncle Sen. Salonga for a Supreme Court case challenging the constitutionality of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). It was on July 22, 2013, coincidentally the 442nd anniversary of the founding of Laguna province by Spanish colonizers, that Wilson Lee Flores purchased the beautiful, natural therapeutic hotspring pool resthouse in Pansol, Laguna of Senator Jovy Salonga and his late wife Lydia Busuego Salonga that they had built in 1974. Now named W Resort, it is located at Champaca Street corner Narra Street corner Sampaguita Street, Miramonte Village,

Brgy. Pansol, Calamba City, Laguna. W Resort has two high-ceiling bungalows with many aircon bedrooms, social and dining areas, gardens, 2 pianos, hotspring swimming pool, kiddie pool, 2 kitchens, videoke, BBQ grille, and billiards. After the pandemic, Wilson Lee Flores plans to host some of Kamuning Bakery Café’s tertulia-inspired Pandesal Forum sessions with leaders and media, also music and literary events at W Resort. W Resort is now for rent per day or overnight, ideal for excursion, vacation, team-building, and other celebrations. Message its Facebook page, text, or Viber 09338536436, 09188077777, or 09178481818.

Reyna ng Bulacan eyes Bb. PilipinasInt’l crown

Alden Richards and Jasmine Curtis-Smith in a scene from ‘Love on the Balcony.’

Young entrepreneur and Binibining Pilipinas hopeful Vianca Louise Marcelo

‘The Promise’ episode headlined by Paolo Contis and Yasmien Kurdi.

Rhian Ramos in ‘Truly. Madly. Deadly.’

‘High-Rise Lovers’ topbilled by (from left) Winwyn Marquez, Tom Rodriguez, and Lovi Poe.

HE pandemichalted Binibining Pilipinas 2020 has resumed as announced by BPCI Chairperson Madam Stella Marquez-Araneta with its official forty beautiful and empowered candidates competing for the coveted Binibining Pilipinas-International title and four other major titles at stake. A force to be reckoned with is 26-year-old businesswoman Vianca Louise Marcelo who is eyeing the right to represent the country at her favorite Miss International pageant. A

PAGEANT CONCEPT ETON CONCEPCION holder of a degree in Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Institutional Management at College of Saint Benilde, Marcelo is not a newbie in pageants having competed in Miss World Philippines in 2015 where she ended up as one of the semi-finalists and a winner of the Best in Talent award. “I can’t wait to show off want I can do, whether on live or virtual stage for the preliminary and the final competition of Bb. Pilipinas happening on April 17,” Marcelo said. She was seen at the national costume exhibit at Gateway Mall, the first activity of the annual pageant after being sidelined during the community-wide lockdown in March last year. She takes

pride in her mythical Sarimanok-inspired national costume created by Paulo Blanco, an elaborate yellow-bejeweled Filipiniana that represents the color of hope and joy adorned with the traditional embroidery art technique called Kadineta that originated from her province of Bocaue, Bulacan. A former Reyna ng Bulacan and Miss Silka Philippines 2011, Marcelo did not take the COVID-19 general quarantine-imposed measures sitting down as she did her share to help in her community through a daily-feeding program for the people who were going hungry and could not find work at the height of the pandemic. It is also her chosen advocacy platform for the pageant, a campaign for a hunger-free community. Catch Marcelo and her fellow candidates and relive the excitement of the crowning of the next set of beauty queens in a 'new normal' setting of the Bb. Pilipinas 2020.

Local scene’s finest talents set hearts on fire in ‘YouTube Music Night’ TWO of ABS-CBN’s finest vocalists, Juris and Jed Madela, headline the second YouTube Music Night in Southeast Asia in their backto-back Valentine’s digital concert dubbed Hearts On Fire: Juris and Jed, streaming tomorrow (Feb. 13). The free digital concert, streaming exclusively via the YouTube channels of ABS-CBN Star Music, MOR, MYX, and One Music at 8:00 and 9:00 p.m., promises an intimate night filled with music, love, and stories

that will resonate with audiences worldwide. “The show will be very personal and the songs will tell stories of our personal experiences that I'm sure will be relatable for everyone. When we came up with the lineup of songs, our goal was to make people realize that everybody goes through these phases of love,” Jed revealed. Apart from delivering heartfelt performances, Juris said the concert also aims to bring a message of hope

about love. "Hopefully with the songs that they’ll hear, they’ll sense through the songs’ stories, even from what we'll share to them, that there's always hope in the end when it comes to love.” Viewers can look forward to Jed’s version of Moira Dela Torre’s “Paubaya” and Juris’ classic “hugot” song “’Di Lang Ikaw,” and more love-themed performances in the concert. Adding more excitement to

the virtual event are their special guests which include Ice Seguerra, Markki Stroem, and up-and-coming Kapamilya music artists Miguel Odron, Trisha Denise, and FANA. It will be hosted by Edward Barber and Samm Alvero. Hearts On Fire: Juris and Jed follows the successful staging of Love Jona on Feb. 6, which commenced YouTube Music Night in Southeast Asia headed by YouTube Philippines and produced by ABS-CBN Music.

Celebrate love by watching ‘YouTube Music Night’s’ ‘Hearts On Fire’ featuring Juris and Jed Madela, streaming on ABS-CBN Star Music, MOR, MYX Philippines, and One Music's YouTube channels.

Life

Bernadette Lunas, Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE

TRAVEL& LEISURE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021

SEE-THROUGH. The Glass Garden consists of four glasshouses amid lush ornamental plants, offering a unique dining space open

House of glass

until Valentine’s Day.

Mall mounts indoor glasshouse garden

This lithograph masterpiece, entitled ‘Deterioration,’ by noted printmaker Ronald Ventura, was sold for P250,000.

Art thrives by the sea P250,000 apiece. These may still be viewed by guests as part of the exhibit. Although virtually launched, I preferred to be a part of the exhibit’s opening live, so I joined a few other guests in personally being there to appreciate the art pieces up close. Of course, I have to admit I need very little prodding for me to spend time at my “happy place,” my favorite hotel by the sea, the Conrad Manila. Another expert printmaker, Yas Doctor, did a quick demo on printmaking, and made it look very easy as she showed us the different techniques, explaining the artistic process of transferring images from a matrix to another surface, with the resulting print the mirror image of the original relief created on the matrix. I made sure I took a very close look at how the process was done, so that I could try to learn it. Who knows, I could also make a lucrative career out of it, especially now that I found out that some of the pieces on display fetched a whopping quarter-of-a-million pesos. But, then again, would I still have the patience and the steady hand to produce something that would look like a piece of art and not a Halloween mask? The display-for-purchase of the Pinoyprintmakers’ art pieces is ongoing at Conrad Manila’s Gallery C until the middle of this month. More information, including the price list, is available at (02) 8833-9999 or through conradmanila@conradhotels.com

By Steph Llarena

ARDEN, glasshouse, grub—a mall in Mandaluyong has transformed indoor dining into an intimate, sort of outdoor concept for those looking to enjoy a great time with a loved one amid lush greens.

The Glass Garden at the Mega Atrium of SM Megamall, which opened on Feb. 1 and will be mounted until Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, features four glasshouses decorated with premium ornamental plants, which, aside from being a pleasant décor, also help improve the air quality in the area. It is a joint project of Smart and Respira Plants. Each glasshouse has high ceilings and air pockets for ventilation. Only

The installation includes ornamental plants and usual garden accents like this fountain.

Only two diners are allowed inside the glasshouse where they can stay for a maximum of two hours to make way for sanitation before and after use.

The French Baker’s Spicy Seafood Pasta paired with white wine.

two guests at a time are allowed inside the glasshouse where they have a maximum of two hours’ stay to make way for sanitation before and after use. In addition to physical distancing and regular sanitation, rubbing alcohol dispensers and Trace Together QR codes are deployed around the area. The participating restaurants serving food at The Glass Garden

are Amici, Bag O’ Shrimps, Chili’s, Genki Sushi, Gringo, Gumbo, Kitchitora of Tokyo, Mesa, Superbowl of China, The French Baker, and Yabu. Available slots are at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. Online table reservation is required (bit.ly/DineAtTheGlassGarden).

Angono symphonic band opens Sunshine Classics 2021 ANGONO’S pride, the Angono National Symphonic Band is opening this year’s online concert series of recreation center Sunshine Place. The band, founded by Elpidio San Pedro and his son, the late National Artist for Music Lucio D. San Pedro, will play the latter’s original compositions and arrangements—in commemoration of his 108th birth anniversary on Feb. 11— at the show which will run from Feb. 15 to March 15. Joining the band is San Pedro’s granddaughter Mary Grace Soleil Intalan San Pedro, who will be singing “Ugoy

The Angono National Symphonic Band will be featured in a monthlong online concert starting Feb. 15.

ng Duyan.” Renowned pianist Mariel Ilusorio will be hosting the program. The Angono National Symphonic Band is well known for playing the Easter Salubong, the Easter Morning procession that recalls Jesus meeting with the Virgin Mary. It earned two National Band Champion titles in 1960 and 1979. Since then, the group has performed and premiered works by the Maestro and other Filipino composers in concerts performed in different cities and theaters in the country and abroad. The National Symphonic Band stands as the only symphonic band in the country that performs various styles of music that ranges from baroque to contemporary music. Conducting the band is Giuseppe Andre “Jopi” V. Diestro, a cellist and music teacher who obtained his Bachelor of Music degree, major in Cello, at the University of the Philippines College of Music under the tutelage of Eduardo Pasamba. Diestro was a cellist of the Manila Symphony Orchestra from 2007 to 2013, and of the Southeast Asian Youth Orchestra in 2007 and 2008 and its Principal Cellist in 2010. He also conducts the Angono Chamber Orchestra, a community youth orchestra based in Angono. The first Sunshine Classics 2021 offering featuring the Angono National Symphonic Band will be on view on the YouTube channel of Sunshine Place: Senior Recreation Center. Link will be emailed after ticket purchase. Contact Ilusorio at 0917-709-2255 or marielilusorio@ hotmail.com.

I HAVE to admit that I was not very familiar with the art of printmaking, so when Conrad Manila invited me to the opening of a printmaking exhibit, their curtain-raiser for the year, and the 15th edition of their highly successful Of Art And Wine series, I went out of my way to learn more about this unique art form. I found out that artists can also make beautiful art pieces by first creating an image or a relief on a matrix, usually made out of wood, rubber, metal, or even plastic, then using ink or paint to print such image on paper or cloth. This process allows multiple original artworks, if the artist so desires. These artists have been producing countless masterpieces and in 1969 formed the Association of Pinoyprintmakers. The group partners with local and international organizations to actively promote printmaking in the country through exhibitions and classes. They even have a studio complete with printmaking facilities which artists and students may have access to. The exhibit at Conrad Manila features YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE 24 artists and 34 of their art pieces, and TEARS—The hydraulic force by was named “Thrive,” underscoring the which masculine will power is deart community’s courage to cope, confeated by feminine waterpower. form, and survive as the world struggles to overcome the disastrous effect of this For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@ pandemic. The tag, according to the hotel’s personable general manager Linda gmail.com. Pecoraro, also resonates perfectly with their commitment to stay strong and resolute for the industry and the country. During the event, I met one of the pillars of the association, the internationally trained and multi-awarded Ambie Abaño who has two beautiful masterpieces, using woodcut on handmade paper, on display at the hotel’s Gallery C. One is a life-size depiction of her mother’s face, which she named “Introspection,” so dramatically portrayed that it caught my attention right away as I was walking along the hall lined with art pieces on my way to the event. What I also found very interesting were the two medium-sized lithographs of noted printmaker Ron- Yas Doctor making it look easy, as she ald Ventura, both made more than demonstrates the process of printmaking 20 years ago, and already sold for using hard rubber as matrix.

Conrad Manila’s affable general manager Linda Pecoraro stands beside the Ambie Abaño masterpiece, ‘Introspection,’ a depiction of the artist’s mother, using woodcut on handmade paper.

Nes Jardin, executive consultant for SM Hotels and Convention Centers and project director of the exhibit; and Ambie Abaño, board member of the Association of Pinoyprintmakers who organized the exhibit, pose beside one of the latter‘s masterpieces, ‘Mulier de Terra’ which used woodcut on handmade paper mounted on canvas.