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COVID FACILITY.

BURKINA FASO ATTACK: 160 DEAD

Hospital beds are prepared inside one of the rooms of the Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital at the Burnham Green in Rizal Park on Sunday. The 336-bed facility will cater to mild and moderate virus patients to help decongest many other hospitals whose ICUs have seen cases spiking to near capacity. Norman Cruz

NEWS / A2

VOL. XXXV • NO. 112 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

FACADE. Workers put the finishing touches on the facade of the Field Hospital at the Burnham Grass fronting Quirino Grandstand set up by the Manila local and government set to open this month. The field hospital will house non-severe covid-19 victims. Danny Pata

‘Mindanao cases alarming’ DOH: Island accounts for 25% of new cases; burden shifts to provinces

By Willie Casas, Rio N. Araja

Million more vaccines come in; provinces to get the bulk

OVID-19 cases in Mindanao have accounted for 25 percent of all new infections in the last week, the Department of Health said Sunday, as it raised the alarm over the continuing spike in areas outside Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Mindanao has already outpaced the National Capital Region in terms of recent infections. “The burden of new cases has already shifted to other places,” she said in Filipino in an interview with ABS-CBN News. “Aside from Mindanao, we are also seeing rising cases in some parts of the Visayas region, also in some parts of Northern Luzon. This is what we see and there are a multitude of factors why the cases are rising.” Next page

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JUNE 6)

1,269,478 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

7,228 59,337 NEW

ACTIVE

21,890

166

DEATHS

1,188,243 RECOVERIES

NEW

7,372 NEW

Lacson: Hard work in store for Rody's succesor By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rio N. Araja SENATOR Panfilo Lacson said President Rodrigo Duterte's successor will face “hard work” due to the “overwhelming” problems that he or she will inherit, Next page

By Willie Casas THE Philippines received 1 million additional doses of China's CoronaVac vaccines Sunday for distribution to the Visayas and Mindanao, which have been experiencing spikes in COVID-19 cases. Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III welcomed the arrival of the Sinovac jabs on board Cebu Pacific Flight 5J671 that arrived at 7:22 a.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Galvez said most of the additional batch of Sinovac vaccines will be distributed to

BACK IN BUSINESS. Local tourists, wearing face masks and observing social distancing, enjoy the different rides

during the reopening of the Enchanted Kingdom in Sta. Rosa, Laguna on Sunday, June 6, 2021, following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Although classified as an amusement park, it is also an outdoor tourist attraction and accredited as a tourism recreation center by the Department of Tourism Region IV-A allowing it to operate at 30% capacity with strict implementation of minimum health protocols. Danny Pata

Oil firm sets price hike, offers ‘gas for vax‘ By Alena Mae S. Flores OIL companies will likely increase pump prices by as much as P0.70 per liter effective Tuesday to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market. "Expect fuel prices to go up next week (June 8 - 14, 2021). Diesel will increase by P0.60 to P0.70 per liter.

Gasoline will increase by P0.20 to P0.30 per liter," Unioil Petroleum Philippines, Inc. said in its weekly advisory. On June 1, the oil companies raised the price of gasoline by P0.60 to P0.80 per liter, diesel by P0.40 per liter and kerosene by P0.25 per liter. These resulted in the year-to-date price increases of P9.30 per liter for gasoline, P7.60 per liter for diesel and P6.10 per

Bomb kills FEU footballer, uncle By Peter Atencio A TALENTED football player of the Far Eastern University and his uncle were killed when their bicycle hit an improvised bomb in Masbate City Sunday morning. Bicol regional police spokesperson Maj. Ma. Luisa Calubaquib identified the victims as Keith Absalon, 21, who played for the FEU football team and the Malaya Football Club, and his uncle Nolven Absalon, 40. Nolven's 16-year-old son was brought to the Masbate Provincial

Hospital for treatment after getting wounded by shrapnel. “This might be a mere accident. They ran into the IED [improvised explosive device] recklessly planted [by NPA rebels.] The targets are probably the uniformed personnel. No other group would do this but the NPA,” Calubaquib said. The young Absalon won many awards as a high school athlete and has played for the national age group team. “Kieth wasn’t just a player to us. He’s part of our FEU football family. Next page

liter for kerosene. Meanwhile, Unioil is offering a fuel discount to all Filipinos who have already received their COVID-19 vaccines. Unioil is offering P2 off per liter on Euro 5 Diesel; and P3.00 off per liter Euro 5 Gasoline 91, Euro 5 Gasoline 95 and 97 at participating Unioil stations Next page starting June 1.

Sudden outages ‘old boys club’ handiwork? By Alena Mae S. Flores and Rio N. Araja SOME power generation companies that were issued notices of noncompliance by the Energy Regulatory Commission for longer unplanned outages beyond that allowed by government regulations are "members

GLOBAL CAMPAIGN. Actress Heart Evangelista joins the 'Silk Your Scarf' global campaign of luxury Italian brand Ferragamo. “Heart Evangelista is unwaveringly stylish with a classic Ferragamo foulard woven through her braid for a feminine flourish,” read the caption of Ferragamo's IG post which showed Evanagelista, wife of Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero, wearing the silk scarf in her braided hair.

News

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

G7 strikes‘historic’corporate tax deal

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen hailed the "unprecedented commitment," saying in a statement that a global minimum tax "would end the race to the bottom in corporate taxation." Facebook even got behind the move despite the social media giant facing the prospect of having to pay more tax – while non-governmental organizations said it did not go far enough. Following the two-day gathering in London, the G7 said in a final communique that it will "commit to a global minimum tax of at least 15 percent on a country by country basis." The G7 – comprising Britain, Canada,

France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States – said it hoped to reach a final tax agreement at the July gathering of the expanded G20 finance ministers group. The G7 also committed to making companies carry out mandatory reporting regarding the climate impact of their investments. It additionally said it will continue to support "the poorest and most vulnerable countries as they address health and economic challenges associated with COVID-19." Regarding the commitment on taxation, Britain's Treasury noted that "the

largest and most profitable multinationals will be required to pay tax in the countries where they operate – and not just where they have their headquarters." Welcoming the move, Facebook's vice president of global affairs Nick Clegg tweeted that the company wanted "the international tax reform process to succeed and recognise this could mean... paying more tax, and in different places." British finance minister Rishi Sunak, who chaired the talks held in person after an easing of COVID-19 restrictions, expressed delight at "a historic agreement to reform the global tax system." Sunak said the G7 had agreed to make the system "fit for the global digital age," as he thanked his counterparts for striking "a deal of historic significance." The landmark move comes as governments seek to repair finances battered during the pandemic by slashed tax receipts plus vast spending and borrowing.

‘Mindanao...

It was followed by Metro Manila (1,118), Central Luzon (703), Western Visayas (695), and Northern Mindanao (539). The continuing spike in fresh COVID-19 cases in Mindanao has already overwhelmed some medical facilities there, with intensive care unit (ICU) bed allocations already at near or full occupancy. Davao City was also recently placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ). On the other hand, Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said surges in virus cases in various parts of the country were “manageable.” “It's manageable, but we really need to enforce minimum health standards,” he said in Filipino. “We observed that once there is a drop in the level of compliance in local government units, that's when cases rise.” The Philippines logged 7,228 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, bringing the total to 1,269,478, as three laboratories were not able to submit their data on time,

the DOH said. There were 166 new fatalities, bringing the death toll from COVID-19 to 21,898. The DOH also reported 7,372 persons recently recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 1,188,243. This left 59,337 active cases, of which 93.5 were mild, 2.4 percent were asymptomatic, 1.3 percent were critical, 1.7 percent were severe, and 1.15 percent were moderate. The DOH also reported that, nationwide, 58 percent of the ICU beds, 48 percent of the isolation beds, 49 percent of the ward beds, and 38 percent of the ventilators, were in use. In Metro Manila, 51 percent of the ICU beds, 40 percent of the isolation beds, 36 percent of the ward beds, and 34 percent of the ventilators, were in use. In other developments: • The Quezon City government has initiated a probe into the culpability of a village executive and a homeowners’ association president in Barangay Old Balara for failing to report a public gathering and

a drinking session that led to the spread of COVID-19 to 72 residents. Mayor Joy Belmonte ordered the city legal department to investigate barangay chairperson Allan Franza and president Don Brabante as well as all of those involved in the super-spreader event. “I have been noticing that such kind of incidents are becoming rampant,” Belmonte said. “The spread could've been prevented but we see that some people, including persons in authority, have started to become lax in the enforcement and practice of minimum health protocols.” • The Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) urged the government and the public on Sunday not to rush to relax health and safety protocols, pointing out that the vaccination rate in the country is still low. “Please do not be in a hurry. Be patient. Some people think once they are vaccinated [against COVID-19], it is okay [to relax health and safety protocols],” said PCP president Dr. Maricar Limpin, in an interview with Dobol B TV. Limpin said the vaccination rate in the country has not even reached 10 percent yet.

economic frontliners both from the private and public sectors under the A4 category beginning today (Monday) will help boost economic recovery. “They are the so-called economic frontliners. So, it is very important that we start their inoculation,” Duque said. The government is set to conduct a symbolic vaccination rollout for economic front-liners at the Mall of Asia (MOA) in Pasay City today. About 30 million Filipinos will benefit under the A4 category from June to November. Covered by A1 are frontline workers in health facilities; A2—senior citizens; A3 —persons with co-morbidities; and A4— frontline personnel in essential and working sectors. Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said the government is almost finished using up the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines that expire on June 30. Testing czar Vince Dizon earlier said 85 percent of 1.5 million AstraZeneca doses have been utilized as the first dose among recipients. “We are almost done. We have set the guidelines that all vaccines expiring by June 30 will be used," Cabotaje said during an interview on Dobol B TV. More than 500,000 AstraZeneca shots —having a shelf life until July 31—will be used for the second dose, she said. Cabotaje encouraged local government units to start mobile vaccination efforts in communities to ensure the vaccination of senior citizens and other priority groups during the rainy season. “Some have started mobile and houseto-house vaccination for bed-ridden recipients,” Cabotaje said in Filipino.

She also suggested extending vaccination hours to inoculate more people. Meanwhile, Cabotaje advised seconddose recipients who traveled and got stranded somewhere by quarantine restrictions to get their second dose nearby local government units. Meanwhile, Galvez said three experts from Israel's Ministry of Health will be arriving June 20 to help the Philippines enhance its inoculation efforts. Galvez, chief implementer of the government's COVID-19 response, said the Philippines hopes to benefit from the expertise of the Israelis, who ran a “highly successful” vaccination program. The government, he said, is looking at adopting Israel's interventions on increasing public uptake, which is to provide incentives for vaccine recipients and restrictions for those who have yet to get coronavirus jabs. Galvez said Israel’s method allows people who have received the jabs to increase their mobility and slowly return to normalcy, while those who have not been vaccinated will still need to follow quarantine protocols. Israel officially dropped its outdoors face mask policy in April 18, after inoculating more than half of its population with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. It has also reopened schools and revived economic activities. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Sunday commended the innovative efforts of some local government units (LGUs) to roll out the vaccines in their various localities. “As of now, only the vaccine can stop

this pandemic. The more people getting vaccinated, the earlier we can end this pandemic," DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said in Filipino. In San Luis, Pampanga, there is the "Baka Para sa Bakuna" project where a cow will be raffled every month starting July to qualified vaccinated residents. In Sucat, Muntinlupa, residents who get vaccinated are eligible to join a weekly raffle where they can win 25 kilograms of rice. In Bulacan, a census was conducted to prepare the municipality’s demographic profile for vaccination efforts and to assess the personal views of the residents on vaccines. In Biñan, Laguna, the LGU conducted a house-to-house vaccine registration of senior citizens and indigent families. “The out-of-the box initiatives by some LGUs can be replicated by other LGUs so they too can fast track their COVID-19 vaccination efforts. By taking giant leaps, we can all move forward towards achieving the added layer of protection against COVID-19 and its variants,” he said. Also on Sunday, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno” Domagoso urged Health officials to divulge the scientific basis for requiring people to wear face shields on top of face masks. “We cannot go on like this without proving to our people the scientific basis of any policy with health protocols,” Domagoso said in an interview on ANC. The mayor issued the remark after his proposal to stop the mandatory wearing of face shields outside homes was rejected by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and other officials.

including a ballooning national debt, unemployment and continued corruption as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. "More than just deciding to file his or her candidacy and get elected, the next leader must also be prepared to deal with the humongous problems besetting the country,” said Lacson, who is perceived to be among the possible presidential candidates in next year's elections. "It’s not about prestige or being part of history as being the President of the country. The important thing is: One, can you hack it? And two, do you have solutions?” he said

in an interview over dwIZ. Aside from unemployment, corruption, and a national debt that has swelled to P10.991 trillion as of April 2021, Lacson said the list of major problems the next leader should address includes the country's territorial claims in the South China Sea, the need to raise P9.6-trillion in seed money for the pensions of military and other uniformed personnel (MUPs), and a yearly budget of at least P1 trillion for the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) as a result of the Supreme Court ruling on the Mandanas petition that will take effect next year. The senator said the country also suffered a shortfall in revenue collections, with revenues at P2.84 trillion compared to the original target of P3.25 trillion.

"Whoever will lead the country should take these into account along with solutions to other problems. They should ask themselves: 'Can I, in my personal and professional capacity, develop solutions to these problems?' If yes, let's share them through public service. If not, it may be better to keep quiet," Lacson said. The senator has remained mum about a possible tandem with Senate President Vicente Sotto III for next year's national elections. Sotto said Lacson is still “weighing [his] options.” “We might do some consultations with friends and party-mates during the break,” said Sotto. Sotto, who is already on his third

term as senator, has repeatedly admitted he is contemplating on seeking a higher position, but has not made a categorical pronouncement on whether he will seek the vice-presidency. For her part, Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday admitted having met former Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. in February, where the latter urged her to run for governor. She, however, said she is still in the process of making a decision. “They went to my office, encouraging me to run as governor. And I am always very honest that it has been an option to me if there would be no other consideration. I still do not have any decision,” the Vice President said.

Oil...

Bomb...

aspiring football players, said on its Facebook page: “Our hearts are broken as we bid farewell to another of our own. A born leader, always motivating and inspiring his U19 teammates even at their lowest during their games. A follower of the highest order, always willing and able to take on any position assigned to him by his coaches and perform his best.”

In previous interviews, Absalon, who has been playing since Grade 6 for the FEU, said he dreamed of turning pro and eventually becoming a member of the Philippine Azkals. He was named Most Valuable Player in Season 78 of the UAAP and was part of the Philippine team that competed in the 2018 ASEAN Football Federation U-19 Championship in Indonesia.

INANCE ministers from wealthy G7 nations on Saturday endorsed a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15 percent, rallying behind a USbacked plan targeting tech giants and other multinationals accused of not paying enough.

From A1

Vergeire said last week's daily moving average was at 6,691, higher than the over 5,200 recorded in the past two weeks. The Philippines' active cases on Friday was nearly at a month-long high at over 60,000. Last week, the DOH said COVID-19 cases were plateauing, citing the decline of infections in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, and Bulacan (NCR Plus) but noting a rise in cases outside these virus hotspots. Vergeire attributed the development to increased mobility, presence of COVID-19 variants, non-compliance with health protocols, and failure to immediately detect, isolate, and treat virus patients. ABS-CBN news said Calabarzon led the country's regions with the most number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on Friday with 1,169.

Million... From A1

areas in the Visayas and Mindanao upon the orders of President Rodrigo Duterte. “The President would also like other areas, especially those with high cases, to be given the vaccines, like Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Butuan and other areas like Region 6 (Western Visayas),” he said in a press briefing. With the arrival of 1 million doses of the Sinovac jab, Galvez said the government is looking to administer 4 million to 5 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines before the end of June. “Our target for this month is to have 4 to 5 million vaccinations,” he said. He said the government has so far administered nearly 6 million doses. “We have vaccinated some 5.9 million; we are nearing the 6 million mark,” he said. “This coming week… our target is to reach 6 million (doses),” Galvez said. The country has so far received 9.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, including 6.5 million Sinovac jabs. Galvez said more vaccines that are set to arrive in the coming days will be deployed to the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus 8. The NCR Plus 8 area is composed of Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Rizal. Aside from China-made CoronaVac, other COVID-19 vaccine brands in the country’s inventory are AstraZeneca (UK), Sputnik V (Russia), Sinopharm (China) and Pfizer (US). Duque said the vaccination of the

Lacson:... From A1

From A1

Customers just need to show their vaccination cards to avail the discount. "Unioil hopes to encourage more Filipinos to make the wise choice of getting vaccinated – especially with the COVID-19 virus still very much around," the company said.

We are all grieving his loss. Messages in our chat group are clear: he will never be forgotten,” said FEU football program head Vince Santos in a statement. Malaya Football Club, a nonprofit organization that helps

The London gathering has also prepared the ground for a summit of G7 leaders in Cornwall, southwest England, starting Friday, and which Biden is set to attend. Momentum has grown behind the US-led plans to limit the ability of multinationals such as tech giants to game the tax system to boost profits, especially at a time when economies around the world are reeling from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz on Saturday said the commitment was "very good news for justice and fiscal solidarity." "Enterprises can no longer shy away from their fiscal obligations by cunningly transferring their profits to countries with opaque tax structures," he said, calling the move "bad news for tax havens." French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called it a "historic step" in the fight against fiscal evasion. AFP

Burkina Faso massacre death toll rises to 160 SUSPECTED jihadists have massacred at least 160 civilians in Burkina Faso's volatile north in the deadliest attacks since Islamist violence erupted in the west African country in 2015, local sources and officials said Saturday. President Roch Marc Christian Kabore denounced an attack near the borders with Mali and Niger, where jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State have been targeting civilians and soldiers. "Several injured have succumbed to their wounds and new bodies have been discovered," one local official said Saturday evening. "The bodies were buried in mass graves," the official said, adding that "there are dozens of injured" after the overnight attack by armed assailants. "We must remain united and solid against these obscurantist forces," Kabore said, condemning the massacre in the village of Solhan as "barbaric" and "despicable." Declaring three days of national mourning, ending Monday night at 11:59 pm, the government stated that "terrorists," a term for jihadists, killed civilians of all ages and set fire to homes and the main market. AFP

Sudden.. From A1

of an ‘old boys' club,” Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate on Sunday said. He said these are the same entities that shut down their plants, especially during summer time that resulted in rotational brownouts and spikes in electricity prices. He said last June at the House committee on energy, ERC chairperson Agnes Devanadera admitted that for the period January to April, 35 generation companies (gencos) were issued notices of non-compliance, especially of the government’s policy of “no maintenance” or shutdown during summer that will result in a shutdown of power plants and the thinning of power supply. He said the ERC chief admitted that only 15 of those sent notices have already complied with its directive. “I was looking at the list provided by the ERC, and these are the same gencos that always shut down their power plants during summer time. It's like they belong to the same ‘old boys' club’ that's shutting down their plants every summer,” he said. He said Calaca 2, for example, was allowed unplanned outages of only 16.8 days, but has reached 113 days. Sual is allowed only 16.8 days but has reached 113 days of actual shutdown, Zarate said. He urged the ERC to speed up its investigation. “These are very long shutdowns. If this is going to recur, we hope to hear more from the ERC as the regulator. Devenadera knows that this is not new so they should have been able to already address this nagging issue by now,” he added. Meanwhile, the ERC warned power rates will likely increase if the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGRP) contracts ancillary services. Devanadera said the agency is coming up with a study on ancillary services as the source of reserves. "One alleged cause for the red alert is the manner of contracting reserve requirements. It is proposed that insufficient AS contributed to the red alert," Devanadera said. Ancillary services are support services that are necessary to support the transmission capacity and flow of active power to maintain power quality and the reliability and security of the grid. "That's the focus of the study now. We agree, AS can be something that can be useful now but where can we get that?" Devanadera said during a recent House of Representatives committee on energy hearing. The Department of Energy wants NGCP to forge firm AS contracts to avoid future power outages and has come out with a circular for their compliance. "It should be emphasized that in the current set-up, energy supply andAS comes from the same pool of generation plants," she said. She said if a portion of the power supply is dedicated to AS, this could drive rates up. Based on the ERC data, regulating reserves in Luzon will drive rates up to P0.404 per kilowatt hour from the current P0.2347 per kwh, contingency reserves will go up to P0.6216 per kWh from P0.0799 per kWh and dispatchable reserves to P0.4839 per kWh from P0.0694 per KWh. Meanwhile, the Philippine Independent Power Producers Association, Inc. urged the government to encourage construction of more peaking power plants.

Opinion

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

The circus comes to town

EDITORIAL

‘Manageable’

hero Lapu-Lapu de Mactan. NAKED In the first quarter of 2015, Duterte’s survey numbers were single-digit. By theTHOUGHT second quarter, they had climbed to respectCHARLIE V. able double-digits, statistically tied up with PNoy’s anointed Mar Roxas. Leading theMANALO surveys was Grace Poe, followed by a slipE take exception ping VP Jojo, then Mar, then Duterte. Try saying that But the trajectory was in favor of a slugto the statement IT CAME late, waylaid from its traditional fest between Duterte and Grace. And with to the people who of a Department path into the public consciousness by this the cunning of his “jele-jele”, he drew more have lost loved ones, pestilence called a coronavirus. and more curious interest in his campaign. of Health official who In early 2009, candidates from billionaire Meanwhile Grace Poe was hobbled THEbyFIFTH queswhose meager savings said that the surge in the politicians like the NP’s Manuel Villar and tions about her Philippine loyalty after takGOSPEL the LP’s Manuel Araneta Roxas had already ing American citizenship. She was slipping CROSSROADS have been eroded by number of cases in various been posturing for the elections of 2010. gradually while Duterte steadily gained JUDE medical bills, or who do As early as 2008, they had been revving ground. areas across the country is J.A. the campaign machinery they would use to ACIDRE By the end of 2015, after a dramatic nonot know where to get manageable. DELA CRUZ achieve their political dreams, along with show at the Comelec deadline followed their next meal. media and PR consultants. by a volte face some month and a half latLatecomers but “hot” personalities in- er, the wind beneath the Duterte sails had Heath Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega cluded Sens. Chiz Escudero and Loren Le- blown strong. As we went into the formal made this statement during a TV/ radio garda for the NPC, the former the “darling campaign period starting February, as far interview when asked about the number has to be ramped up. of the colegialas” who would turn 40 by as those of us who worked with the Duterte “Manageable” is not a word we’d of new cases of COVID-19 that refuses October 10, 2009. Thus, if he had become campaign, the prize was well within grasp. to go down despite the on-and-off lock- like to use when we imagine hospresident, he would have been the youngest Yet now, because of COVID-19, the poNAKED pitals in the province getting overdowns over more than a year. elected in our political history. The latter, litical circus came lateOPEN in the day. Up until SOabout a senatorial topnotcher and before that a the month of May, early speculations whelmed with COVID-19 patients Infections have continued to rise on THOUGHT THOUGHTS well-known TV journalist, was the leg- who’s running and who’s not were doused Western Visayas, Negros Oriental, Du- and when the lack of medical profesI SEE endary FPJ’s vice-presidential candidate in by a resurgence of infection in April. sionals there maguete and Northern, Western and CHARLIE V. seriously compromise ORLANDO the 2004 elections, derailed by her fellow Then came May 31, coincidentally the LITO the ability Southern Mindanao. Mindanao cases MANALO of local governments to at ABS-CBN, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s 43rd birthday of Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio, OXALES cope with this latest surge. BANAYO alone accounted for one fourth of the toteam-mate, Noli de Castro. mayor of the City of Davao, a post held by “Manageable,” too, is not the word tal number of fresh cases. The presence her father for two decades before he became of variants of concern has been docu- we have in mind when we imagine how the first Mindanaoan president of the land. Nothing can stop it, On the same day, DOE Sec. Al Cusi, many Filipinos still have to be conmented in all regions. as vice-chairman of the humongous (and even as people die by Vega, however, emphasized that vinced they must get themselves vaccisoon to be sundered) PDP-Laban, called a minimum health standards THE must FIFTH be nated against COVID-19 as soon as one the day with vaccines in national council in Cebu, upon the direct is available in their LGU for their specifobserved because local cases begin GOSPEL instructions of the incumbent president. To CROSSROADS short supply, and jobs ic group. As of Sunday, some 4 million to rise as soon as there is a breach of be sure, the meeting was contested by the JUDE compliance with basic protocol. He Filipinos have had their first dose and 1.2 continue to be lost, lives acting president of the party, Sen. Manny J.A. also said that the vaccination ACIDRE rollout million have been fully vaccinated. That Pacquiao, but with little if any avail. A on the verge of despair. DELAonCRUZ “strange” resolution was approved both live and virtual floor—President Duterte was to be the party’s vice-presidential canLurking in the shadows, readying himself didate in 2016, with the privilege to name for a vindicating run, was then deposed and who would be his head. detained president Erap Estrada, whose best By the way, in my Wednesday column friend FPJ was “Garci-fied” in 2004. last, I doubted if DOF Sec. Sonny Domininvestment strategy from government and But a cataclysmic event derailed every- guez, who made an online cameo appearthe private telcos. one of these wannabes—former president ance in PDP’s coming-out party, was even OPEN It’s the private telcos that have been Cory Aquino’s death in August 1, 2009 sent a member. He corrected me and said he had THOUGHTS driving investments in telecommunicaparoxysms of national grief that brought her been a PDP member since 1984. tions infrastructure which Fitch ratings only son Noynoy, then a lackluster senator, With characteristic cool, the President ORLANDO projects to further accelerate capital exto the fore, in what many described as a case gave no comment to the strange proposition penditures by up to 25 percent in the next OXALES of necro-political resurgence of dynasty. by the political party he never bothered in years and rated the Philippines as having The political landscape in 2015 was dis- the past to give much importance to. But one of the highest capex/revenue ratio in similar. A man who came from behind in his spokesman who wants to be senator of AT THE rate that our population is being the Asia-Pacific Region. 2010, snatching victory as vice-president the realm enumerates five choices: The vaccinated against COVID 19 and the growfrom relative obscurity, Jejomar Binay, daughter Sara, the favorite Bong Go, the ing number of even more virulent mutations mayor of Makati since Edsa Uno, was dictator’s son Bongbong, the pugilist Pacspreading around the planet, going back to touted as the man to beat. In the middle of man, and the mayor of the nation’s capital, Second to achieving pre-pandemic normality might still be more 2014, however, a barrage of accusations of Isko Moreno. On even date, traditional polthan a year away. Or, we must all accept the herd immunity, we grand larceny against the vice-president iticians trooped to Davao to greet the lady reality that we must now learn to thrive and was unleashed in the Senate, and dent- mayor on her birthday. The speaker of the must stop the further co-exist with this virus the way our species ed his 41-percent approval rating. Eating HoR with a tacky portrait signed by his has survived so many diseases, most of deterioration of our dust from behind him was the incumbent flock, the majority floorleader bearing 43 which are still a threat. president’s chosen successor, party-mate Ecuadorian roses, even potential competitor economy. Second to achieving herd immunity, Mar Roxas, DILG secretary after a stint Bongbong Marcos and his sister, Senadowe must stop the further deterioration of as transportation czar. ra Imelda Junior.The economist-politician our economy. Safely rebooting the econoThis situation brought forth the emer- from Albay tried aping the baptist John in my can no longer be delayed. We can stop Last year, the DICT actually proposed gence of two options: Grace Poe, the ad- proclaiming the lady mayor’s certain run for this cycle of on and off lockdowns not just a budget of P18 billion to implement the opted daughter of the legendary FPJ and the presidency. Not to be outdone, a former by strictly following safety protocols, but National Broadband Plan but was instead the famous doyenne of Philippine movies, congressman from neighboring Camarines by harnessing the full potential of digital given only P1.5 billion. This is a pittance Susan Roces, and from far-away Davao, Sur flew to the city with a forgotten prestechnologies which virtually overnight, compared to how governments of other the city mayor who tamed a wild South in idential candidate and his glamorous wife has become an indispensable tool in this ASEAN countries are investing in strathe almost three decades that he and his to implore her to run, forthwith claiming a pandemic environment. tegic telecommunications infrastructure family held sway. done deal, with her running for president It seems that again we are in a catch-up such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam On January 8, 2015, some 16 months be- and his ward, the once gentleman from Tarsituation where the slow development of with budgets of US$233 million, US$343 fore the scheduled presidential elections of lac as her running-mate. our digital infrastructure will be an imped- million, and US$820 million, respectively. 2016, Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte decided Meanwhile, the lady mayor, wearing an ing factor to the pace of recovery. Reports No wonder we’re always lagging behind. to try his political luck on a national setting. atypical yellow tee, was the picture of sefrom the telecommunications industry Committing financial resources is one The result was a “listening” tour which re- rene imperturbability, and like her father six show an exponential surge in demand for thing but like the construction delays in ally was a fascinating monologue from the years ago, neither confirming nor denying. mobile data services putting more pres- telco tower builds that had to be addressed tough mayor espousing federalism. For the Aha, the same template! sure to expand and upgrade their wireless by new policy, a conducive regulatory enrest of the year, he toured the country mesIn the parade of the elephants, the trapeze and fiber optic networks. The telcos have vironment is needed to take away archamerizing people with his pledge to kill the artists and the clowns, the political circus been aggressively investing in expanding ic bureaucratic hurdles that were crafted drug lords in two-hour long speeches punc- has arrived. Even as people die by the day the reach of their fiber optic and mobile during the pre-internet era. NAKED with vaccines in short supply, and jobs contuated by snatches of historical references, networks which has resulted in improving As the convenor of Telecom Tower the most memorable of which was 1521 THOUGHTtinue to be lost, lives on the verge of despair. speeds as reported by global monitoring Watch, a monitoring and consultation iniwhen Magellan was killed by his favorite Nothing, but nothing, can stop the circus. firm Ookla. Policy moves to streamline tiative of the DICT in partnership with conCHARLIE V. the decades old permitting problem of cell sumer group CitizenWatch Philippines, we MANALO site and fiber network construction by The recently released a public statement calling Department of Information and Commu- for the need to update and harmonize these nications Technology (DICT) have greatly obsolete laws and regulations into an inteimproved the pace but building the esti- grated policy regime that would establish a mated 50,000 tower backlog and the last more responsive and supportive of the fast mile connections will need a well aligned pace of digital technology innovations. in the laws of nature. We live by ordering THE FIFTH our lives and our relationships with others according to the laws of society. We lead GOSPEL by giving our lives in the service of oth- competencies are shaped significantly by rote and society. In contrast to the school and ers, so much as that “he who exalts him- memorization and repeated action. the college, in the university, emphasis is JUDE self shall be humbled, and he who humbles The second, “dalubhasaan,” is a Fil- on creating new knowledge, and reimaginACIDRE himself shall be exalted. (Matt. 23:12) ipino word used to refer to a place of ing old ones, in an effort to contribute to a A fitting parallel, however, is reflected in post-secondary education. Oftentimes, it deeper and more meaningful understanding I WAS a high school seminarian when for- the three Filipino words that are often used is used as the formal Filipino translation of the realities and phenomenon around us. mer Palo, Leyte Archbishop Pedro R. Dean to refer to a place of learning: “paaralan”, for the word “college.” The root word of A university, therefore, serves the purpose delivered one of the most striking homilies school; “dalubhasaan”, college; and “paman- the “dalubhasaan” is “hasa”, which means of directing the learner and the learned toto sharpen. In contrast to a school, a col- wards enrichment and expertise. I had ever heard. He aptly encapsulated in tasan”, university. The first, “paaralan”, is a Filipino word lege provides a richer and deeper experiFinally, the “wise” seeks to share one’s exsix words the very foundations of seminary ence of the world. In the “dalubhasaan,” pertise in building up society—be it science, formation in particular, and Western edulearning becomes therefore a product of politics, economics and culture. Therefore, to cation in general. OPEN two modalities of learner engagement— be “wise” is to contribute one’s strengths and We learn not for The Christian perspective in the formation experimentation and experience. In col- extend oneself through sincere compassion. It of persons, he explained, draws inspiration THOUGHTS school, but for life. lege, we learn that our present actions is precisely this “wisdom” that enables people from three fundamental lessons. The first will always lead to future consequences. to lead and take on positions of leadership. lesson is from the ancient Greek thinker SocORLANDO In the same way, as college students, we Interestingly, the English word, “edrates, who said “Know thyself.” It is reminisOXALES cent of the Greek obsession for knowledge that literally means, “school.” It is derived learn to test our learning through experi- ucation” is derived from two Latin and truth, laying down the foundations of from the root word, “aral” which means mentation, and eventually our experience words—“educare” and “educere.” “EduWestern thought. To the Greeks’ philosophy lesson, denoting how it is often used to re- teaches us that even if we fail to achieve care” means to train or to mold. On the or literally, “love for wisdom”, the famous fer to a primary or secondary school. But our intended results, it is always possible other hand, “educere” means to lead out or to draw out. The two Latin words both orator of ancient Rome, Cicero admonished it also affirms the primary objective of a to try again and improve on it. In the same way, it is through our own ex- have different meanings, and express the youth of his time, “Rule thyself.” This school, that is to teach. In the “paaralan”, second lesson perfectly illustrates the Roman students learn about the truths about the perience that we enrich the way we live. By two schools of thought as to what end penchant for discipline, organization and world and society, whether it be the scienc- our own shortcomings, we build our self-con- education really serves. The fi rst, “eduprecision. Lastly, the third is a lesson from es, history, and even culture. This occurs fidence, by learning from our mistakes and care” focuses on the transmission of long Jesus Christ himself, who by his work and mainly in two ways: memorization and resolving to do better next time. Likewise, established truths, and shaping future example taught us, “Give thyself.” This “new repetition. As an elementary student my- by the experiences we share with others, we generations according to the same mold. commandment of love” significantly shaped self, I often wondered why English gram- define and strengthen our connectedness with The second, “educere” aims to equip the young with lessons that will capacitate the growth of the Judeo-Christian civiliza- mar lessons about nouns, pronouns, verbs others and the world. The third is the Filipino word used to re- them to create solutions to problems yet tion, with its emphasis on altruism, charity and adjectives were often repeated year after year. Then, I realized that memorizing fer to a “university”—“pamantasan.” This unknown. and servanthood. Our own human experience has long esLooking back, Archbishop Dean was and repeating the lessons was one of the word is derived from the root, “pantas,” which means wise. A university, therefore, tablished that what we learn shapes how we correct that these simple but profound les- most effective ways of mastering it. In a way, that is how we learn as students is a place for wisdom, where the learned do live, and both, in turn, inspire us to lead. But sons help define what it means to learn, live and lead in our time. We learn by discover- and grow as persons. Our characters are not only consume knowledge, but actually the three put together—learning, living and ing the truth about ourselves made evident formed, in the same way that our learning create new perspectives about the world leading—is more than just an experience

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO

the vaccines are coming in trickles is not cause for confidence. Herd immunity is a long way off. In all these, it is not at all encouraging to hear news about politicians preparing for battle—not against the pandemic but against their would-be opponents in next year’s polls. Soon, the filing of the certificates of candidacy and the campaign period will be upon us. How can we tell if the good moves we would see arise from the officials’ earnest efforts to do their job or to boost their—or their handpicked successors’—stock for the polls? The lines are getting blurred. Meanwhile, there continue to be families who lose loved ones, whose fi nances are bled dry by their medical bills, who have lost their jobs and who do not know where to get their next meal. This has gone on for too long, and we believe it is apparent that we have not been managing well since Day One. Our crisis managers need to start working with better words—if they put the right labels and characterizations on situations, they would be in a better place to tell it like it is, squarely and logically look at the problem, and address it accordingly.

We need a digital-ready policy environment

Learning, living, leading

ManilaStandard

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In particular, as also pointed out by telcos, there will be conflicting provisions in Republic Act 3846 that regulates radio communications and the pending Open Access in Data Transmission bill (HB 8901). A recently published statement of Globe Senior Legal Counsel Ariel Tubayan warned that if the Open Access bill is passed, telcos will be forced to comply with two separate and conflicting laws that require a Congressional franchise for both voice and data services. He is correct. In today’s technology, these services are already converged and delivered digitally using the same telecommunications infrastructure. This will become yet another unnecessary bureaucratic burden that will go against the HB 8901’s important objective which is to liberalize, lower cost, and accelerate roll-out urgently needed broadband infrastructure. Another situation that needs urgent action are the idle radio frequency franchises being treated like real estate lots waiting to be sold to the highest bidder. Another old policy flaw that allowed such practice. This should also be changed with a legal mechanism for government to confiscate these strategic assets and ensure that these radio frequencies are readily available to be fairly utilized to augment telecommunications services. The DICT has a National Broadband Plan that needs government funding. A low-hanging fruit that must be prioritized is the lighting up of the existing fiber network already existing in the nationwide power transmission network of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. It’s frustrating that this project has been delayed for years because of lack of funding. Also critical is the connecting networks needed to bring these high speed broadband signals to the consumers. To quote the Telco Tower Watch statement, “There is an urgent need for a new regulatory regime that will boost the development of a nationwide digital infrastructure to meet surging demand for fast and reliable connectivity in an emerging digital ecosystem.” of growth, but rather, it is a path towards personhood, by shaping our character and competence, by building our confidence and connectedness and by inspiring in us compassion and contribution. The hard truth is, the person who is schooled only to pass the test, however, is ill-prepared to cope with the demands of today’s rapidly changing world. “Non scholae, sed vitae discimus.” We learn not for school, but for life.

MORE OPINION ONLINE (www.manilastandard.net) NAKED THOUGHT CHARLIE V. MANALO

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Sri Lanka recovers black box from sinking cargo vessel

ALONE IN GRIEF. South Korean Kim Jong-gak stands before a grave of his brother at the National Cemetery in Seoul on June 6, 2021 as South Korea marks Memorial Day remembering those killed in the 1950-53 Korean War. AFP

A BLACK box from a ship loaded with chemical and plastic that is sinking off Sri Lanka has been located, officials said Sunday, as investigators probe what caused the vessel to catch fire. The Voyage Data Recorder, also known as a maritime “black box,” enables investigators to review procedures and instructions ahead of an accident. Sri Lankan authorities said they hope it will provide details of the ship’s movements and its communications with the harbour in the capital Colombo, where it had been due to dock. “The navy facilitated technicians to remove the VDR from the bridge which is still above the waterline,” navy spokesman Indika de Silva told AFP. The Singapore-registered MV XPress Pearl has been slowly sinking into the Indian Ocean since Wednesday after a fire that raged for nearly two weeks within sight of the coast.

VAX DIPLOMACY AMID CHINA PRESSURE

US to donate jabs to Taiwan

BIPARTISAN delegation of three United States senators landed in Taiwan on Sunday and announced that Washington would donate 750,000 coronavirus vaccine doses to its ally. The high profile delegation and gift comes as Taiwan accuses China of hampering its efforts to secure enough doses as part of Beijing’s ongoing campaign to keep the island isolated. Senators Tammy Duckworth, Christopher Coons and Dan Sullivan – two Democrats and a Republican – landed

on Sunday morning at Taipei’s Songshan Airport in a US military plane. “We are here as friends, because we know that Taiwan is experiencing a challenging time right now, which was why it was especially important for the three of us to be here in a bipartisan way,” Duckworth said.

“It was critical to the United States that Taiwan be included in the first group to receive vaccines, because we recognise your urgent need, and we value this partnership.” President Joe Biden announced last week that the United States would give around 25 million vaccine doses to countries that needed them, mostly through the global COVAX vaccine sharing program. It is highly unusual for the United States to use a military plane to fly officials to Taiwan.

Washington remains Taiwan’s biggest ally but it does not maintain full diplomatic relations with Taipei because it officially recognises Beijing. Taiwan foreign minister Joseph Wu was among those greeting the senators. “Taiwan is facing unique challenges in combating the virus,” he said. “While we are doing our best to import vaccines, we must overcome obstacles to ensure that these life-saving medicines are delivered free from trouble from Beijing.” AFP

Man with knife kills six, wounds 14 more in China

A MAN armed with a knife killed six people and wounded 14 others in a city in eastern China, state media reported Sunday. The attack occurred Saturday afternoon in the streets of Anqing, Anhui province, 430 kilometres (270 miles) west of Shanghai, state television CCTV said. The suspect was arrested and an investigation was under way to determine the circumstances of the attack that unfolded in a pedestrian shopping street, Anqing Public Security Bureau said in a statement released on the Weibo social network. Quoting the bureau, CCTV said the suspect was 25 years old, unemployed and “angry.” The authorities had earlier reported five dead. A badly injured victim died in hospital on Saturday, CCTV said. Knife attacks are not uncommon in China, which heavily restricts access to firearms. In April, a man with a knife killed two children and injured 16 others at a nursery school in southern China. In 2018, a man who stabbed nine children to death and wounded another 11 in northern China was sentenced to death. Violent crime has risen in China in recent decades as the country’s economic boom has created a bigger gap between rich and poor. Studies have also described a rise in the prevalence of mental disorders. AFP

A delegation composed of Senators Tammy Duckworth, Christoper Coons and Dan Sullivan pose for photographs with Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and American Institute in Taiwan Director Brent Christensen and other officials following their arrival at the Songshan Airport in Taipei on June 6, 2021. AFP

Death toll rises to 88 in attack Nigeria: police POLICE in northwest Nigeria’s Kebbi state told AFP Sunday that the death toll from an attack by a gang of cattle thieves on seven villages Thursday had risen to 88. The region has struggled with decades-long communal clashes over resources but more recently some groups have become more violent, looting, killing and kidnapping for ransom. “Initially 66 bodies were recovered but 22 more have been found,” Kebbi state police spokesman Nafiu Abubakar said, adding that the search for more bodies was ongoing. Dozens of assailants on motorcycles attacked seven neighbouring villages

SUPPLEMENT TO THE DEED OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT Notice is hereby given that the share of the late RICARDO M. CARRION, in the estate of their late mother Adelaida Manas Carrion more particularly in that property covered by TCT No. 215947 have been extra-judicially divided and settled by and among heirs on May 20, 2021 before notary public Atty. Christian E. Chan as per Doc. No. 255; Page No. 32; Book No.: 10; Series of 2021. (MStandard-May 31, Jun. 7 & 14, 2021)

Republic of the Philippines National Capital Judicial Region REGIONAL TRIAL COURT Mandaluyong City

OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF NOTICE OF HEARING Notice is hereby given that the summary hearing on the Petition for Notarial Commission of Atty. Katrina Janine B. Cabanos will be held on June 14, 2021 at 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon in the courtroom of RTC Branch 279, 3rd Floor New Hall of Justice, Maysilo Circle, Mandaluyong City. Any person who has any valid reason or cause to object to the granting of the aforesaid petition may file with the undersigned a verified written opposition thereto before the date of the summary hearing. Witness the Hon. Juliet M. Manalo-San Gaspar Executive Judge, this 31st day of May 2021, Mandaluyong City.

(Sgd.) ATTY. ERWIN N. BARATA Clerk of Court VI (MStandard-June 7, 2021)

in Danko-Wasagu district on Thursday, Abubakar said. The gunmen targeted the villages of Koro, Kimpi, Gaya, Dimi, Zutu, Rafin Gora and Iguenge, he said. Many people were still unaccounted for Sunday after fleeing the attacks. “The search is still going on and more bodies could be found. So, the toll is not conclusive yet,” said Abubakar. Policemen were deployed to the area over the weekend to forestall further attacks, he said. The assailants were believed to have launched the attacks from neighbouring Zamfara or Niger states where criminals are known to maintain camps.

In April, nine policemen were killed in the area in a shootout with gunmen who invaded a village in nearby Sakaba district to steal livestock, Abubakar told AFP at the time. Northwest and central Nigeria are a hub of criminal gangs known locally as bandits, who raid villages, harass residents and burn down homes. The gangs maintain camps in Rugu forest which straddles Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states. Nigeria’s security forces, who are also battling a more than decade-long jihadist insurgency in the northeast of the country, are being stretched thin. AFP

The ship, carrying 25 tons of nitric acid and a huge amount of plastic raw materials, was heading to Colombo from Gujarat, India. Sri Lankan officials have said an acid leak since May 11 may have sparked the blaze. Ports in Qatar and India had refused to offload the leaking nitric acid, they added. Police on the island nation launched a criminal investigation, interviewing the vessel’s skipper and chief engineer – both Russians – and its chief officer, an Indian, and seizing their passports. Authorities are bracing for a possible oil spill after the stern submerged. There has been no sign of any leaks so far, they added. Tonnes of microplastic granules from the ship swamped an 80-kilometer stretch of beach declared off-limits for residents. Fishing in the area was also banned.AFP

Eleven killed as roadside bomb hits Afghan bus AT LEAST 11 civilians including four women and three children were killed when a roadside bomb struck a bus in Afghanistan, officials said Sunday, in the latest attack targeting passenger vehicles in the violencewracked country. The attack occurred on Saturday evening in the western province of Badghis, raising fears of fresh violence in the months ahead as the US military continues to pull out its last remaining troops from the country. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast but Badghis governor Hessamuddin Shams accused the Taliban of planting the bomb. Another official from the province, Khodadad Tayeb, confirmed the toll and said the bus fell into a valley after it was hit by the bomb. Saturday’s attack came after a series of blasts targeted passenger buses in Kabul this week. The jihadist Islamic State claimed two back-to-back attacks on buses in Kabul. Violence has soared in recent weeks as government forces and the Taliban clash in near-daily battles across the rugged countryside, with the militants appearing to focus on capturing new territory and battering checkpoints and bases near Kabul. The Taliban said on Saturday that they have “captured the district of Deh Yak” in the province of Ghazni, about 150 kilometres south of Kabul. The authorities said they had only “relocated” their forces from the area. Ghazni is strategically located on the main road from Kabul to Kandahar, the former bastion of the Taliban in the south. The province sees regular fighting between the two warring sides. In 2018, the Taliban briefly seized the provincial capital Ghazni, which has the same name as the province, in an all-out attack that left several government buildings torched and destroyed. The surge in violence across Afghanistan comes as the US military continues to withdraw its remaining 2,500 troops from Afghanistan. President Joe Biden has ordered the military to complete the pullout by the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. AFP

Back on stage: Trump airs conspiracies, flirts with 2024 run FORMER US president Donald Trump returned to the spotlight Saturday for his first speech in months, framing next year’s midterm elections as a battle for the “survival of America” – but keeping followers guessing on his own plans for 2024. Trump lapped up applause from Republican supporters as he described the United States as “being destroyed before our very own eyes” since he was voted out, and launched bitter criticism of his victorious rival President Joe Biden. “The survival of America depends upon our ability to elect Republicans at every level, starting with the midterms next year,” Trump said. “We have to get it done. We have no choice actually. We’re going to defend our freedoms.” Trump described 2024, the year of the next presidential election, as “a year that I look very much forward to” – drawing loud cheers from the audience in Greenville, North Carolina at the state’s Republican Party convention. Addressing a sold-out crowd of about 1,250 for his first major speech since February, Trump, 74, appeared to lack much of the raw energy and enthusiasm that he often brought to his raucous, larger campaign rallies. Verbal attacks against his favorite targets, including Biden’s border policy, China, “radical left Democrats,” and “critical race theory,” all triggered wild cheers. In contrast, the crowd fell largely silent during his claims of successfully tackling COVID-19 and of developing the vaccines that have helped quell the pandemic. AFP

PROLETARIAN ART. A woman takes a picture of souvenirs featuring late

Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong at Panjiayuan antique market in Beijing on June 6, 2021. AFP

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MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

POEA stops sending nurses abroad T

HE annual limit of 5,000 health care workers like nurses has been breached, thus prompting the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to suspend their deployment abroad,

POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia in an advisory said the processing and issuance of overseas employment certificates (OECs) of newly hired nurses, nursing aides, and nursing assistants are temporarily suspended. “In view of the above, the pro-

cessing and issuance of overseas employment certiﬁcates and the deployment of new hires for healthcare workers are hereby suspended effective immediately,” Olalia said, citing an order signed on June 1. The POEA said HCWs who have been issued OECs prior to the

Plastic wastes threaten environment, Villar warns By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE overwhelming volume of plastic wastes has remained a major environmental problem, Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, said on Sunday. Villar made the call amid the celebration of World Environment Day last June 5 with the theme “Ecosystem Restoration.” Villar cited the need for all sectors to collaborate their efforts to eliminate the plastics waste problem. “I am looking forward for our country to achieve success in this (campaign) within the decade,” said Villar who will also join on June 8 the Oceans Day celebration led by Cecille Guidote-Alvarez of the Earthsavers UNESCO DREAM Center/Artist for Peace. According to Villar, plastic wastes in the ocean destroy marine life and the oceans’ ecosystem. “And so, our plastic waste problem is an environmental issue we need to urgently address if we are to help in ecosystem restoration and in the conservation of our oceans.” The senator cited a 2015 University of Georgia study showing the Philippines

was the world’s third largest source of plastic waste leaking into the ocean, next to China and Indonesia. Villar said she has embarked on recycling plastic wastes and turned these into school chairs. The Villar SIPAG distributes the schools chairs to various public schools and farm schools nationwide. The senator is also strongly pushing for the passage of the bill making permanent the Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) mechanism as part of the country’s solid waste management system and strategy to reduce the proliferation of single-use plastic. Senate Bill No. 1331 or the Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2021 authored by Villar, seeks to institutionalize the practice of EPR in waste management. It also amends the 20-yearold Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. The measure would ensure that the responsibility for the entire life cycle of plastic products rests on the manufacturers. It mandates manufacturers to recover plastic wastes from their products as a mechanism towards achieving an efﬁcient solid waste management.

reimposition of the deployment ban are exempted and are allowed to proceed to the country they are being employed. “Healthcare workers who were already issued with their corresponding overseas employment certiﬁcates however are allowed to depart for their overseas employment,” it said. The agency said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is conducting studies and expected to come up with recommendations to

the government to increase the 5,000 annual deployment limit. “The Department of Labor and Employment’s Mission Critical Skills Technical Working Group (MCSTWG) continually studies and deliberates upon the issues to come up with policy recommendations for submission to the Covid-19 Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) for consideration or

G-string not for tourists? dress code proposed

POLE POSITION. A personnel of the ManilaCavite Expressway in Paranaque City fixes the Philippine flag at the top of the toll Plaza in preparation for the commemoration of the 123rd independence day on June 12, 2021. Danny Pata

Mining firms set vaccine donations to Masbate LGUs TWO Masbate-based companies Filminera Resources Corp. and Phil Gold Processing & Reﬁning Corp., are poised to donate thousands of doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the workers of local government units in Masbate province, and will proceed further to vaccinate all Filminera and PhilGold employees. This is the latest of the ﬁrm’s set of resolute responses, which had already allocated P38 million wholly for anti-Covid 19 health defenses for their workers and residents of local government units in Masbate province. Earlier this year, Filminera and PhilGold had turned over two sets of CMAC video laryngoscope to the Masbate Provincial Hospital to enable the health facility to enhance

the hospital’s success rate in treating patients with severe Covid-19 symptoms, leading to the patient’s recovery. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Luisito Co acknowledged the firm’s community commitments, saying: “The Filminera and Phil Gold medical equipment donations have made the Masbate Hospital the only medical facility in the entire Bicol region that has the CMAC laryngoscope.” A total of P38 million was reallocated from the two firms’ 2020 Social Development and Management Program funds for Covid assistance meant for the province of Masbate, municipality of Aroroy, and selected institutions in the Bicol Region. Of the P38 million total budget, P11.2

million was taken from Filminera’s SDMP funds, while P21.9 million was from PhilGold’s SDMP funds, and P5 million from PhilGold’s CSR funds was allocated to buy the ambulance unit, including the equipment. It will be recalled that an ambulance unit plus more medical equipment were donated to Masbate. At the height of the lockdown last year, the frontliners in the medical ﬁeld, as well as the police force and municipal risk reduction and management ofﬁce, received two months worth of food support through the minesite’s catering services, PPEs and disinfectant materials A total of 21,320 families in the eight impact barangays and the 33 neighboring

barangays in Aroroy received food packs. Weekly supply of food packs were given to those within the impact barangays, and two tranches of food pack distribution were donated to families living in the remaining 33 neighboring barangays. Other municipalities in Masbate province received 800 sacks (containing 50 kilos each sack) of rice to augment their relief food packs distribution. Medical supplies and disinfectants were also given to the Rural Health Unit of Aroroy. Filminera is holder of the mining tenements and environmental compliance certiﬁcate, while PhilGold, wholly owned by Vancouver-based gold producer B2Gold, operates the processing plant.

Yemeni nabbed for ‘weed’ cultivation DAYS after the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency dismantled a drug ring in Tubao, La Union, the anti-narcotics agents served a warrant and arrested a Yemeni national for cultivating marijuana plants in his house. The Yemeni identiﬁed asHussain Muaad Hasan also known as Muath Yaf had mid-eastern nationals with young Filipinas in two frequented his home, agents said.

He did not resist t arrest in his residence at 149 Purok 5, Bakakeng Central, Baguio City on the June 5, 2021 upon seeing a platoon of government forces who were sent to serve the arrest warrant. The Yemeni had been placed under surveillance operations after reports of his and his peers rowdy behaviours in the neighborhood every time they were high on drugs. Seized as evidence were marijuana plants and dried stalks ready for use. PDEA CAR’s Operation Division said it would also conduct background investigation on Hasan and his friends on their drug connections with the immigrations and other line agencies. Dave Leprozo

approval,” the advisory said. Last month, Olalia said most of the countries or the traditional market for the nursing profession have requested an increase—the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and New Zealand, among others. In December last year, the POEA lifted the moratorium on the deployment of nurses, nursing aides, and nursing assistants “until it reaches the annual deployment ceiling of 5,000 new hires for healthcare workers.”

ALAN’S AYUDA. Former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano (center) answers the queries from the media in a press conference held at SM Aura Taguig City. Cayetano distributed another round of P10,000 each to 300 overseas Filipino workers and 50 non-OFWs, highlighting how the amount can help the country recover from the crisis brought about by the virus pandemic. Norman Cruz

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—A dress code for tourists? The coldest town in this province is crafting one as it prepares to open its tourist sites before the end of the year. Mayor Raymundo Sarac of Atok said the rules will be part of the tourism ordinance and plan stipulating restrictions, entrance fee, and environmental fee, among others. Sarac said that after a briefing on the ordinance, arriving tourists will be requested to wear clothing that fits the weather and will not annoy the locals’ culture. “We need to respect the local culture and upon their (tourists) arrival and before proceeding to the different tourist destinations, there will be an orientation to inform them about our people, our culture, and the place,” he said in the Ilocano dialect. Sarac said the dress code will also be for the protection and safety of the visitors. “Atok is one of the coldest places and they should be wearing a jacket or a shirt and there should be ‘no skin’ that is showing,” he added. Sarac said “very short” pants will not be allowed considering the weather and for safety reasons. “Atok is a mountain area and if they slip, they might be wounded and nobody wants that happening,” he said. Sarac said if visitors, especially the ladies, will be wearing “decent” clothing, there will be no “whistle” coming from a local which others may perceive as insulting and demeaning. “We want to avoid conflicts or anything that may lead to confrontation so we added the requirement, anyway it is cold in Atok,” he said. Atok became popular with the establishment of the Sakura garden at the Heights Place in Paoay, a village located at the upper portion of the town where frost forms. It also boasts the Northern Blossom in Sayangan along the highway that has a view of the sunset, as well as the country’s second highest peak—Mt. Pulag and the Mt. Timbac. Atok is also popular as one of the sources of flowers, among them are those that require a cold temperature to grow like the carnations and tulips. Several greenhouse gardens of the Puyat farms owned by the family of Department of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat are also located in the town. During the visit of Puyat to this town last week, Sarac told her that Atok is not yet ready to open its borders to tourists but he assured they hoped to receive visitors by September or before the year ends.

Marawi rebuilding shows progress—CSO leader

Hassain Muaad Hasan

REHABILITATION efforts for war-torn Marawi City have shown some progress, according to at Padoman Paporo, leader of the Lanao del Sur People’s Council Paporo, lead convenor of civil society organizations (CSOs) that act as third-party monitoring partners of the government for Marawi rehabilitation, lashed back at those who continuously create “public uproar against Marawi’s rebuilding process without offering any solution.” “I would really afﬁrm that the Marawi rehabilitation inside Ground Zero is so far so good. It’s a work in progress,” Paporo said in a recent statement. “I have seen much progress ever since the construction of key public facilities went on full blast in July last year.” Paporo commended the 56 implementing agencies of the Task Force Bangon Marawi

(TFBM) for unhampered rehabilitation amid the coronavirus pandemic. People should be aware of the improvements on the infrastructure projects and other recovery programs pushed by the government, she said. “I am urging CSOs, whenever you see good things in MAA (Most Affected Areas), say it, tell the truth. And those things you haven’t seen? Shut up, stop criticizing. Let us motivate the TFBM more so that together we can beat the timeline of December 2021,” Paporo said. Citing its recent ocular inspection at the site of the infamous 2017 siege, Paporo said the LDSPC is optimistic that internally displaced persons would be able to go back to their hometown in MAA by December this year, as promised by the TFBM.

“So as you can see, there is indeed progress. We had witnessed this over the past months,” she said. Paporo said the construction of modern infrastructures like road networks with underground facilities, solar lamps, and traffic lights, the mall-like Grand Padian Market, mosques, and School of Living Tradition will definitely help Maranaos return to normalcy and rebuild their lives destroyed by the conflict. “With that, we would like to thank this administration led by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, that at least, na-implement, ‘yung mga sinabi niya na (it has been implemented as he said). Marawi will rise again. It has started, nakita namin, nagkaroon kami ng (we have seen it and we have gained a) ray of hope na makabalik kami doon (that we can go back there),” she added.

News DOJ taps panel to investigate Wirecard fraud By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Justice has created a two-man panel of prosecutors to determine if there is sufficient basis to criminally indict before the courts persons connected to the multi-billion-dollar financial scandal of Wirecard AG, a firm based in Munich, Germany. The panel would be probing former Wirecard executive Jan Marsalek and former Department of Transportation (DOTr) Assistant Secretary Mark Kristopher Tolentino based on the complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation. The DOJ’s National Prosecution Service (NPS), headed by Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento, has designated Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Wendell Bendoval and Prosecution Attorney Ivn Maj Nopuente as the panel to conduct the preliminary investigation. NPS Assistant State Prosecutor Honey Delgado, spokesperson for the Office of the Prosecutor General, said the panel has not yet set a date for the first preliminary hearing or submission of counter-affidavits of Marsalek and Tolentino, “but will confirm with them on Monday (today).” Last May 31, the NBI and Bank of the Philippine Islands filed a criminal complaint against Marselek, Tolentino and M.K. Tolentino Law Office, Joey Dela Cruz Arellano a.k.a. Joey Cruz Arellano, Judith Singayan Pe, and other unidentified individuals. The complaint accused the respondents of allegedly falsifying of commercial documents in relation to Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 for issuing spurious documents such as bank certifications and account summaries, among others. The NBI also sought the prosecution of the respondents for allegedly violating sections of the General Banking Act, the New Central Bank Act, and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. The bureau also alleged that the respondents violated Section 33 of RA No. 8792 or the Electronic Commerce Act, for allegedly hacking or cracking or unauthorized accessing into or interference in a computer system/ server. There were also other violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 such as offenses against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data and systems and computerrelated offenses, the NBI added. Last year, two Philippine-based banks were dragged into controversy as they were allegedly holding trust accounts worth 1.9 billion Euros or US$2.1 billon for the German payments processing firm Wirecard AG.

Aquafeed project shows promise for farmers’ income

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021

Senators rip 25% tax on private schools By Macon Ramos-Araneta

ORE private schools would shut down if the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will not withdraw Revenue Regulation (RR) No. 5-2021, imposing a 150% increase to their income taxes, Senator Nancy Binay warned Sunday. Due to the pandemic, Binay noted that many private schools have been closed, as they opted to stop operating under the global coronavirus pandemic. Under the BIR regulation issued on April 8, 2021, income tax on so-called proprietary educational institutions

that are run by stock corporations would be increased to 25% from the current 10%. Binay said imposing additional taxes on private schools is contrary to the intent of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE)

Act, which was passed to help ease the effects of the pandemic on businesses through lower corporate income taxes. Binay supports Senate Bill 2272 filed by Senator Sonny Angara. It seeks to amend a section of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) that aims to correct an erroneous interpretation on the tax imposed on proprietary educational institutions. In filing the bill, Angara cautioned that the unfeasibly higher taxes could lead to even more private school closures, as they are already struggling to cope with the financial pressures brought about by the pandemic. “This will lead to even more teachers

and other school personnel losing their jobs and the loss of income for the extensive network of linked small and medium enterprises and livelihood activities of the host communities as well,” Angara said. “We can be more sensitive in our policies. We must be sensitive to the needs of our people since these schools are important institution of our society and partner of the government in molding our youth,” he added. Angara said being proprietary and non-profit is a “legal impossibility” because the term proprietary generally means one that is privately-owned andmanaged and run as a profit-making organization.

DPWH finishing more facilities for Lung Center

‘PAW PANTRY’. A pet owner registers his dog for free checkup at the ‘Community Paw-ntry’ event of SM City Marikina on Saturday. The two-day event also features photo booths and play areas. Joey O. Razon

Angeles City to create bike lanes too, says Lazatin ANGELES CITY – Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. has ordered the creation of bike lanes to promote a “bikefriendly” city and to ease traffic by allowing residents to use the two-wheeled vehicles as an alternative mode of transportation. “Napapanahon na para maglagay tayo ng mga bike lanes sa siyudad, para magamit ng mga residente natin. Bukod sa makakatulong ito sa pagpapagaan ng ating trapiko, mas makakatipid din ang ilan sa ating mga kababayan sa paggamit ng bike,” Lazatin said.

The local chief executive has instructed the City Engineer’s Office, headed by Engineer Donato Dizon, to conduct an initial ocular of the city’s main roads to determine the best areas to install the said bike pathways. “Ang instructions ni Mayor Lazatin both national and city roads ay dapat magkaroon ng bike lane,” Dizon said. The project aims to lessen the traffic in the city by encouraging residents to take up biking as a cheaper and healthier mode of transportation.

“Makakatipid na ang mga Angelenos sa pamasahe, magandang exercise din para sa kanila ang pagbi-bike,” Lazatin said. The installation of bike pathways is also in line with the city government’s programs for the environment, according to Lazatin’s Chief Adviser IC Calaguas. Bikes have also proven to be extremely useful for front liners since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with public transport options being limited. Butch Gunio

PUBLIC Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar announced that the Lung Center of the Philippines will have additional rooms for management and treatment of COVID-19 patients by the end of June. Villar, as the country’s “isolation czar,” said the DPWH Task Force to Facilitate Augmentation of Health Facilities is fast-tracking the construction of five cluster units of modular hospital facilities for moderate to severe and critical cases at the Lung Center compound in Quezon City. In his report to Villar, DPWH Undersecretary and Task Force Head Emil K. Sadain said three cluster units with 66 rooms are targeted for completion this month, while the remaining two cluster units will be delivered in July. DPWH will also complete on July a 16-room dormitory equipped with double-decker beds for 32 healthcare workers of the Lung Center, as it hopes to play a pivotal role in the country’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, the department said in a statement. To ensure the project conforms to DPWH design standards for health facilities, Sadain and Task Force members Director Aristarco M. Doroy and Assistant Director Edgardo C. Garces inspected the project on Saturday. At present, frame and roofing works for the off-site modular hospitals were already completed, with workers now doing room partitions, flooring, and electrical wiring. Sadain said the Lung Center project is “extremely significant” since the government-run hospital receives most patients with respiratory conditions.

QC launches Sharon Farm to give food, livelihood via urban farming By Rio N. Araja TO ENCOURAGE residents to participate in food security, the Quezon City government has launched Sharon Farm in a 5,000-square meter lot in Barangay Novaliches to provide food and livelihood through urban farming, according to Mayor Joy Belmonte. “It is nice to see that there are now more urban farms in the city since we started the program 10 years ago. This is just one testimony of the success of Joy of Urban Farming project,” Belmonte said. “This will not only beef up the capability of the residents to plant and avoid hunger but also provides livelihood and encourage the people to plant within their backyard and eat nutritious food,” she added. Sharon Farm is one of the city’s

community model farms under the GrowQC Food Security Program serving as a “feeder farm” to other urban gardens and farms by providing seedlings and other agricultural inputs. Belmonte is the chairperson of QC Food Security Task Force. Emmanuel Gaa, task force co-chairperson, thanked the urban farmers and the city’s partners for their commitment in helping feed the most food vulnerable and provide income opportunities through urban farming. “We thank Bishop Gaa and Fr. Joseph Buslon in making this a reality for more residents of Quezon City here in Novaliches. Thank you all again for being here. This is just the beginning and I look forward to a lively community farm and continuous partnership with the diocese. Mabuhay po kayo,” he said.

TO HELP lower the price of fish amidst volatile food prices across the country, an international aquaculture research center is coming up with a new fish feed formulation that is costefficient and eco-friendly. Using byproducts of ethanol production, rendered animal protein, and processed copra meal, a scientist at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) formulated fish feed that performed better than commercially available feeds as proven in pond trials. The fish diet is cheaper as it only costs about P28 per kilogram to produce, while the average cost of a commercial feed is about P34 to 36 per kilogram. “We came up with this feed formulation to lower the price of feeds which account for more than 50 to 60 percent of the total production cost in aquaculture,” said Dr. Roger Edward Mamauag, a scientist at SEAFDEC/AQD and head of its Technology Verification and Extension Division. Dr. Mamauag compared the new formulation with commercial feeds in high-density tilapia pond culture and found it will cost about P1.6 million in commercial feeds to provide for one hectare in a year of operation, while only P1.2 million using the new formula. Accounting for the costs and returns of the trial runs, net income from one hectare of tilapia ponds is about P21,862 in a year using commercial feeds, and P543,925 using the TILAPIA HARVEST. Pond aides of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development new formula. Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) harvest tilapia produced from a project on the field testing of cost-effective aquaculture feed. JF Aldon

VALENZUELA JABS. A health worker inoculates a woman with a Sinovac COVID-19 dose at a vaccination center in Valenzuela City on June 5. The vaccination of economic frontliners both from the private and public sectors under the A4 category will begin today (Monday). Boy Bautista

University of Caloocan City gets nod from CHED COPC for 5 more courses By Jun David FIVE more courses at the University of Caloocan City were recently awarded Certificates of Program Compliance (COPC) by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). CHED recognized the Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, Bachelor of Science in Accounting Information System, Bachelor of Secondary Education Majors in English and Science, Bachelor of Early Childhood Education, and Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education Major in Home Economics courses for their compliance to CHED standards and to provide quality education for UCC students. Mayor Oscar Malapitan congratulated and thanked the university leadership led by University OIC Prof.

Marilyn De Jesus, Vice President for Academics lawyer Roderick Vera, College of Education Dean Ramona Prado, and College of Business and Accountancy Dean Dr. Shirly Saragcon. Last month, five other courses were also awarded from the university’s College of Business and Accountancy. Last year, four courses in Computer Studies and one in Criminology also received their COPC. “Quality education has become a legacy during the time of our current local administration. The leadership, faculty and even students of UCC have been inspired. Only under the leadership of Mayor Oca has COPC been awarded to the university for its focus on the goal to provide quality and free education for the city’s youth,” said Prof. De Jesus.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021

Saso loses lead, trails Thompson by a stroke SAN FRANCISCO—The Philippines’ Yuka Saso scrambled to an even par 71 for 207—leading by as many as two but dropping out of a share of the lead with her fourth bogey of the day at 18 in the US Women’s Open Saturday (Sunday in Manila). The reigning PSA Athlete of the Year trails by a shot new leader Lexi Thompson, who fired five birdies without a bogey in a sparkling round on the Olympic Club Lake Course. The American’s five-under par 66 on the imposing layout gave her a 54-hole total of seven-under par 64 and a onestroke edge over second-round leader Yuka Saso of the Philippines. Saso, a 19-year-old whose pro resume features two wins on the Japan LPGA tour, scrambled to an even par 71 for 207 —leading by as many as two but dropping out of a share of the lead with her fourth bogey of the day at 18. US amateur Megha Ganne, a 17-yearold New Jersey high school student, kept herself in contention with a oneover par 72 that left her sharing third on 210 with South Korean Lee6 Jeong-eun, who battled her way to a two-over 73. China’s Feng Shanshan was alone in fifth after a 72 for 211. Thompson was the first player to post a bogey-free round this week at Olympic Club, which has hosted five men’s US Opens but had never before hosted a women’s major. The 2014 ANA Inspiration winner is seeking a first US Open title in her 15th attempt. She first competed in the championship as a 12-year-old amateur in 2007. “Honestly, I just thought my patience of being out there,” Thompson said of the key to her lowest career round in a US Open. “I struck it well all day, made a few good putts out there. And I guess probably just picking up the missed fairways or missed greens when I did, getting up-and-down or just getting it as far as I could out of that rough. “It’s all about patience out on this golf course.” AFP

Yuka Saso of the Philippines reacts to a chip shot on the 14th hole green during the third round of the 76th U.S. Women’s Open Championship at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, California. AFP

Azkals to bank on Fil-Spanish Guirado in world, Asian meets T By Peter Atencio

HE Philippine Azkals national football team will count on the experience of Fil-Spanish player Angel Guirado when they plunge into action in the 2022 Qatar Fifa World Cup and AFC Asian Cup 2023 joint-qualiﬁers.

The 6’3” Guirado has returned to the team since 2019 and is looking forward to step up and fill in the spot left by Phil Younghusband following his retirement last year. “I want to give my best for

everybody. It’s nice when you go all out,” said Guirado in a podcast on the Azkals’ ongoing bubble training camp. Guirado and the Azkals have left their training camp in Doha, Qatar,

and went to Sharja in the United Arab Emirates to prepare for the resumption of the qualifiers. “Many young players have come and gone into the team. But my spirit and passion for the game and team remain the same,” added Guirado, who first played for the Azkals from 2011 to 2015. The matches start on Tuesday at the Sharjah Stadium, with the Azkals clashing with China at 1 a.m. (Manila time). The Philippines will next face Guam on June 11, 10 p.m. and close out the second round of qualifiers against Maldives on June 15, 10 p.m.

Last week, the Chinese Football Association called off the games of the 2022 Qatar Fifa World Cup and AFC Asian Cup 2023 joint-qualifier in Suzhou, China. Reports of COVID-19 infections from members of the Azkals, the Syrian and the Maldives squads prompted the change in the schedule and venue of the matches. The Philippines has a 2-1-2 windraw-loss record in third place, behind China (2-1-1) in the Group A standings. A win will help the Azkals in their bid to advance to the third round of the qualifiers.

Ayuda sa Atleta gets boost from Athletes’ Commission THE Athletes’ Commission of the Philippine Olympic Committee has thrown its support to the “Ayuda sa Atleta”, a campaign by a private sector group to extend a helping hand to national athletes during this time of the pandemic. Triathlete Nikko Huelgas, chairman of the commission, has turned over Gatorade sports drinks he has solicited to Triathlon Association of the Philippines president Tom Carrasco Jr., one of the trustees of the campaign, aside from committing to tap his corporate friends like Chooks To Go and others to lend a hand. The group has already raised a total of P420,000 from cash donations and pledges, on top of the support from Nestle Phils., which is donating MILO sachets, Britton Pharmaceuticals and Biocare Life sciences for vitamins, Alaska for energy drinks, and trustee Alex Wang’s Philippine Couriers, which donated packs of noodles. Foton Philippines and F2 Logistics have also responded with firm commitments of support. Earlier, the Asian Centre for Insulation Phils. Inc., co-owned by Carrasco, also turned over its own cash donation. The trustees, who also include sepak takraw head Karen Tanchanco Caballero, Nino Sinco and Wang, all of whom have given personal contributions, have started sending letters to various companies and other individuals, aside from those who have already donated cash but prefer to remain anonymous. The campaign will end on July 30 with the first batch of recipients, differently-abled national athletes, in cooperation with PHILSPADA, receiving their packs by late June as the group will meet to discuss logistical and storage concerns.

Squash racquets association to honor former chief Ribano THE contributions of former Squash Racquets Association of the Philippines president Romeo Ribano will not be forgotten. Ribano, who used to head the organization for more than a decade, passed away last Thursday due to a lingering illness and a bout with pneumonia. He was cremated Friday. Officials of the SRAP have plans of honoring him when the national squash center in Rizal Memorial finally opens. SRAP president Robert Bachmann said the association will have a commemoration ceremony for Ribano. “He was a good man. And he surely loved sports and the game of squash. When the national squash center in Rizal Memorial opens and with the permission of the PSC, we will dedicate a wall for past presidents, athletes, and coaches,” said Bachmann in a message to the Manila Standard. An accountant by profession, Ribano was also a board member of the Philippine Olympic Committee until 2012. Peter Atencio

Federer set for French Open pullout PARIS—Roger Federer could end his French Open career which has stretched over four decades with an injury-enforced withdrawal on Sunday as the 39-year-old rests his weary bones for an assault on his primary objective, a ninth Wimbledon title. The 20-time Grand Slam title winner, who will be 40 in two months’ time, battled over three and a half hours until 12:45 Sunday morning to reach the last 16 in Paris. He is due back on court on Monday to tackle Matteo Berrettini for a place in the quarter-finals. However, having undergone two knee surgeries in 2020, the Swiss star admitted there are doubts he’ll make it. “I don’t know if I am going to play,” said Federer who is likely to be playing his last French Open. “I have to decide whether or not to continue. Is it too risky to keep putting pressure on the knee? Is it a good time to rest? “Every match I have to reassess the situation and see the next morning in what state I wake up and how my knee is doing. “It may be even more true after a match as long as the one tonight.” If his knife-edge 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 win over 59thranked Dominik Koepfer was his last match in Paris, it will be remembered as a gripping affair on the court, but soulless off it. Wimbledon target Due to a government-imposed Covid-19 curfew, Court Philippe Chatrier was devoid of fans and atmosphere. Federer is playing only his third tournament since last year’s Australian Open and has always said Wimbledon is his main goal. AFP

Business

IN BRIEF Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, June 4, 2021

4.47 PTS. 6,796.34

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,535,668,937 88,182 5,918,133,978.44 110 88 48

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.8060

Japan

Yen

0.009067

0.4335

Pound

1.410600

67.4351

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128896

6.1620

Switzerland

Franc

1.106807

52.9120

Canada

Dollar

0.826105

39.4928

Singapore

Dollar

0.753296

36.0121

Australia

Dollar

0.765900

36.6146

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655478

126.9478

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266674

12.7486

Brunei

Dollar

0.750469

35.8769

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.032113

1.5352

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.0162

Euro

1.212800

57.9791

Korea

Won

0.000896

0.0428

China

Yuan

0.156152

7.4650

India

Rupee

0.013691

0.6545

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.242718

11.6034

New Zealand

Dollar

0.714600

34.1622

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036123

1.7269 Source: BSP

Cargo volume increased 5% to 52.21m MT in first quarter By Darwin G. Amojelar CARGO volume increased in the first quarter despite the global pandemic, while sea travel slowed on travel restrictions, data from state-run Philippine Ports Authority showed over the weekend. The PPA said cargo throughput grew 5 percent to 54.85 million metric tons in the first three months from 52.21 million MT in the same period last year. Domestic cargo dropped 0.2 percent to 22.06 million MT, while foreign cargo rose 2.2 percent to 32.83 million MT. Container traffic also climbed 3.5 percent to 1.77 million twenty-foot equivalent units in the first quarter from 1.71 million TEUs in the same period last year. Domestic container traffic reached 725,199 TEUs while foreign container traffic hit 1.05 million TEUs. Data showed that passenger traffic fell by 68 percent to 5.19 million in the first quarter from 16.58 million passengers in the same period last year. Roll-on roll-off traffic also dropped to 1.61 million from 1.82 million last year. The number of shipcalls in the first quarter totaled 85,140, down from 119,774 year earlier. Domestic shipcalls totaled 83,546 while foreign shipcalls reached 2,594. PPA general manager Daniel Santiago earlier said the agency posted a 3-percent increase in net income in the first quarter despite the pandemic. Santiago said the increase suggested that economic activities were rebounding from the effects of the pandemic. PPA remitted P17.17 billion in dividends to the Treasury last year, a 108-percent increase compared to the full-term remittances during the previous administration that only totaled P8.270 billion for six years.

THE Mindanao Development Authority said it is opposing the privatization of the Agus-Pulangui Hydroelectric Complex in Northern Mindanao to reduce power costs while ensuring adequate supply. MinDA issued the statement after the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee assured consumers and stakeholders in the region of a stable and reliable

THE Food and Drug Administration advised local cosmetic companies to ensure that notified products meet the labeling and packaging requirements stipulated under the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive. Labeling is the information written or printed or graphic matter on the immediate or outer packaging and any form of leaflets, while immediate packaging is the container or other form immediately in contact with the cosmetic product. The outer packaging refers to where the immediate packaging is placed. “Brand name is the name which may be invented or after a company name or a brand line or product line, and then the product name, this is what your product is… That’s the difference between brand name and product name for cosmetic establishments that will apply for product notification,” said FDA regulation officer II Maria Lynette Macabeo. She said the ASEAN cosmetic labeling guidelines include product content in weight or volume, brand and product name of the cosmetic product and its function, batch number, manufacturing/expiry date of the product in clear terms, and country of manufacture. Othel V. Campos

Citicore unit included in green energy list

1M SINOVAC VACCINES. Cebu Pacific airlifts another batch of 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from Beijing to Manila. This is the fourth shipment picked up by CEB, in coordination with the Department of Health. The vaccines were safely flown in temperature-controlled containers, aboard CEB’s chartered A330 flight 5J 671, and arrived at the NAIA at 7:35 a.m. on Saturday. Welcoming the shipment are Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the NTF against COVID-19 and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

Exporters warns of losses due to shortage of vessels By Othel V. Campos

ARMENT and furniture exporters expressed concerns over shipment delays and rising freight rates amid the global supply chain squeeze.

Robert Young, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. trustee for the textile sector and president of the Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines, said the garment industry was incurring millions of dollars in losses because of the supply chain squeeze. “The issue of vessel space availability is a huge one for us and our clients. De-

lay is between two weeks to almost two months. We are seasonal holiday-heavy and [it is] very critical that goods move on time as they have a short selling period,” Young said. The space issue creates a domino effect that aggravates delays in shipment, one garment company said. Garment stakeholders said if they could not move the goods, then they would not be paid. Other issues ailing the garment industry are the slow release of permits and import license, rising cost of natural materials and shortage of raw materials. These add to manufacturing costs and lead to continuing loss of the local business to Vietnam and Indonesia. Meanwhile, furniture exporters asked the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines to help them find slots

on vessels and address soaring freight rates. One shipper said the cost of freight rose from around $4,000 per 40-foot container to $12,000, making their products uncompetitive. “We hope that we can resol1ve this soon as the worst is yet to come,” the exporter said, referring to the approaching peak shipping season. The thirdquarter and fourth-quarter surge of exports might be a nightmare with this setup, he said. PhilExport president Sergio Ortiz-Luis, Jr. earlier said while this is a global issue that might be beyond anyone’s control, the government and private sector should work closely together to effectively address the logistics constraints.

ALI’S AWARD. Ayala Land Inc.’s Ayala Triangle Gardens Tower 2 Project wins the high-rise structures category in the first Philippines Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards. As one of the country’s winning projects, ATG Tower 2 will represent the Philippines in the 2021 American Concrete Institute International Excellence in Concrete Construction Competition. The 40-story ATG Tower 2 project has a total concrete volume of 62,651 cubic meters. Its foundation, with a concrete volume of 9,724 cubic meters, was cast for 52 hours at a rate of 187 cubic meters per hour–making it one of the largest single concrete pours in the country.

Review board adopts incentives framework for qualified firms By Julito G. Rada THE Fiscal Incentives Review Board adopted the framework for the grant of incentives to qualified industries under the Strategic Investment Priorities Plan that aims to attract high-value, laborintensive investments to make the Philippines more competitive in the global market. The Finance Department said over the weekend that as provided in the newly-signed Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises law that rationalized the corporate tax incentives for investors, “this framework puts flesh into the SIPP.”

It said the menu and length of incentives that would be offered to corporations or investors would depend on the tier classification of the enterprise applying for the investment perks. Tier 3, which covers sectors considered “critical to the structural transformation and industrial revolution of the economy”, will receive the longest period of incentives. This SIPP framework was drafted by the Department of Trade and IndustryBoard of Investments. The three-tier structure of the incentives offered to priority investors is already contained in the CREATE law. After the adoption of the framework,

Finance Secretary and FIRB chairman Carlos Dominguez III asked the DTI to identify at least two leading companies in each of the industry tier and determine what incentives should be offered to potential investors to encourage them to set up shop in the Philippines. “Let’s already identify these firms. Let’s take a couple in tier one, a couple in tier two, and a couple in tier three, and let’s do the research on them. Then, offer them and ask them: ‘what will it take for you to come here?’’ Dominguez said during the FIRB’s second meeting last week. Dominguez said the investment promotion agencies could undertake these tasks.

Mindanao agency opposes privatization of 728-MW Agus-Pulangi hyroelectric power complex By Alena Mae S. Flores

Cosmetic firms told to meet labeling rules

power supply. “While our power supply is considered to be stable, we continue to pursue measures and approaches to support expected rise in the demand for power while keeping energy rates cost-effective as the economy recovers from the pandemic, and industries reset operations to pre-COVID levels,” MinDA chairman Emmanuel Piñol said in a statement. The Agus-Pulangi hydropower proj-

ects consists of seven hydroelectric power plants owned by state-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. and operated by the National Power Corp. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez has been pushing for the rehabilitation of 728-megawatt Agus-Pulangui hydropower assets in northern Mindanao. The World Bank in April this year approved the financing for the project’s feasibility study and tender documents.

Piñol said that while Luzon suffers from rotational brownouts because of insufficient power supply, Mindanao enjoys a surplus of 825 megawatts. Based on the daily monitoring of the Department of Energy, the Mindanao grid as of June 2 reached a peak demand of 1,928 MW, with an available capacity of 2,780 MW, resulting in a gross reserve or supply excess of 852 MW.

CITICORE Power Inc. said retail electricity supplier arm Citicore Energy Solutions Inc. was included in the Department of Energy’s expanded list of entities qualified under the Green Energy Option Program. GEOP is a voluntary mechanism launched in 2018, which allows consumers to source power supply from a renewable energy supplier. Under the program, contestable customers who consume at least 1,000 kilowatts can contract directly with RES directly for the volume, rate and package that they prefer. The program is aligned with the Retail Competition and Open Access policy, which are both designed to bring down electricity prices through competition. Citicore has a diverse portfolio from solar, hydro and biomass energy sources and has the largest installed solar energy capacity in the country. The company operates eight solar plants with an aggregate installed capacity of 163 megawatts, all of which are 100-percent contracted.

DENR pushes green cold chain facilities

THE government is pushing for policies on the use of “low-carbon, energy-efficient” cold chain system to eliminate the use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons—an ozone depleting substance causing global warming. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is carrying out the $27.5-million “Global Partnership for Improving the Food Cold Chain in the Philippines” project that involves putting up environment-friendly cold chain facilities. It said these refrigeration systems for transporting goods for the food industry would no longer use ODS-HCFC. Stringent policies are important in providing a stable investment environment for investors in “green” cooling technologies, the DENR said. Cold chain covers every produce that needs cooling from the “field to the fork” including transport, storage, transformation and packaging. Policies will involve national standards for flammable refrigerants and revision of energy efficiency standards.

PLDT Enterprise extends accord with Cloudstaff PLDT Enterprise, the business-tobusiness arm of PLDT Inc., renewed its partnership with Cloudstaff Modern Workforce―one of the Philippine’s leading business outsourcing providers with the signing of a new threeyear service extension agreement to further drive innovation and enhance business productivity. The latest deal fortifies the longstanding partnership between Cloudstaff and PLDT Enterprise as the outsourcing leader extended its decade-long association with Google Workspace, renewing licenses for its more than 3,000 staff spread across the Philippines. “We would like to express our utmost gratitude to Cloudstaff Modern Workforce for their continued trust in us after all these years. Likewise, we at PLDT Enterprise convey our unbreakable commitment in helping their business grow and become even more successful with our end-to-end digital services,” said Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT president and chief executive and senior vice president and head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups. Cloudstaff’s long association with the PLDT Group organically evolved throughout the partnership, originally starting as a telecom provider, before transforming into a fully-fledged solutions partner. PLDT previously provided Cloudstaff internet connectivity through PLDT ClarkTel and wireless mobile plans via wireless arm Smart Communications. PLDT Enterprise supplies Cloudstaff with a series of world-class digital solutions including Smart Bizload and Messaging Suite, Google Workspace and Smart 5G Rocket WiFi through its ICT arm ePLDT to further boost Cloudstaff’s operations and productivity. Lloyd Ernst, Cloudstaff chief executive, said the secret to the partnership’s success and longevity stems from the agile and adaptable way in which both organizations approach their operations.Darwin G. Amojelar

Business

B2 || MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021 extrastory2000@gmail.com

G7 takes step to making firms disclose their climate risks LONDON—The wealthy G7 countries on Saturday moved closer to mandatory disclose of companies’ climate impact despite a lack of global agreement and doubts from some NGOs. “We support moving towards mandatory climate-related financial disclosures,” their finance ministers said in a statement released after two days of meetings, adding that this would “provide consistent and decision-useful information for market participants.” The idea backed by the UK, the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan would make it mandatory for all major companies to come clean on, for example, their carbon dioxide emissions—a crucial aspect of the transition towards cleaner energy. Such regulations would help companies assess the financial impact of the climate crisis and make necessary changes as their countries set ambitious targets such as becoming carbon neutral by 2050. It would also help investors who offer financing to large groups and take an ever closer interest in the impact of the climate on businesses, both in terms of performance and reputation. The G7 says it is following the recommendations of the task force on climate-related financial disclosures (TCFD), put in place in 2017 with members from across the G20. The finance ministers went even further by hailing the creation of a task force on nature-related financial disclosures, which covers not only the climate but also nature and biodiversity. The challenge is that every country takes responsibility and imposes measures on its own companies and so there has to be agreement on accounting rules. Britain already plans to force companies to go public on their environmental impact from 2025—with the government claiming this makes it the most progressive country in the G20. Nevertheless, disclosing such information will not be mandatory at first, and businesses in the country are only required to either publish the data or to explain why they are not doing so. The governor of the Bank of France, Francois Villeroy de Galhau, said in an interview with The Financial Times on Wednesday that a global agreement could emerge from the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow in November. AFP

Stock market poised for correction By Jenniffer B. Austria

NALYSTS expect the stock market to experience a healthy correction over the nearterm period after the index climbed by more than 600 points in the last two weeks.

Online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia. com said the technical correction is needed before the market retests the 7,000-point level. “A rising tide does not come every day, thus healthy corrections from time to time should be expected given the velocity of the recent ascent. This is also true especially as the index retests the critical 7,000 level zone,” the online brokerage firm said. “In the case, range-trading may be

PSEi June 4, 2021

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

CSB

8.45

1.56

22.64%

BKR

1.4

0.15

12.00%

1.57

0.16

11.35%

4 5

EVER I

0.196 1.42

0.016 0.11

8.89% 8.40%

OPMB

0.013

0.001

8.33%

2GO

8.8

0.62

7.58%

MAC

5.61

0.33

6.25%

9 10

ION FOOD

1.12 0.64

0.06 0.03

5.66% 4.92%

TOP LOSERS

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a press conference at Winfield House in London on June 5, 2021, after attending the G7 Finance Ministers meeting. Finance ministers from wealthy G7 nations on June 5 pledged commitment to a global minimum corporate tax of at least 15 percent, rallying behind a US-backed plan targeting tech giants and other multinationals accused of not paying enough. AFP

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VENICE, Italy—Saturday saw the first cruise ship cast off from Venice after almost one and a half years’ suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, reinflaming a war of words between supporters and opponents of the massive floating hotels. With the MSC Orchestra looming over Saint Mark’s square, demonstrators in small motorboats waved banners reading “no to cruise ships.” “Cruise ships bring a hit and run tourism that actually brings little benefit to Venice,” demonstrator Lucia Tedesco, 57, told AFP. Concerned for the environment and the city’s cultural heritage, opponents of

nan (grandmother) used to have.” ‘Green shoots’ As Britain gradually eases its restrictions and customers slowly return, London’s thousands of cabbies are praying the worst is finally behind them. Ivens believes business is back at around two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels, but notes that is barely sustainable. “That’s my profit margin—that top one-third pays for life, basically,” he said. Steve McNamara, of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA), said the industry is “hopeful” and can see “the green shoots.” But drivers have drained any savings to survive the past year, he said. “Any slack’s gone,” he added. “And any slack’s gone for (Prime Minister) Boris (Johnson) as well. If he tries to lock us down again, I think he’s going to be looking for a different job.” Official statistics show the number of black cab licenses dropped nearly 5,000 over the past year, to around 13,700. Newspaper pictures published worldwide last year showed a sea of abandoned cabs parked up in a field east of London. “A lot of guys have scrapped vehicles, sold vehicles, de-licensed vehicles,” McNamara said. “We’ve heard awful stories: vehicles being repossessed, bailiffs knocking at doors.” AFP

the ships say they cause large waves that undermine Venice’s foundations and harm fragile ecosystem of its lagoon. But the UNESCO World Heritage site is also home to fans of the massive vessels, many organized in the “Venice at work” movement. They say stop-offs by tourist cruises create jobs in a city dependent on tourism—itself massively undermined by the pandemic. Around 650 people boarded the MSC Orchestra in Venice after showing a negative coronavirus test less than four days old and passing another on the spot. None showed any sign of annoyance at the strict hygiene measures designed to

prevent the intense outbreaks that hit some cruise ships at the pandemic’s height. Just half the MSC Orchestra’s 3,000 places will be filled for its tour taking in destinations in southern Italy, Greece and Croatia. The ship’s crew took on supplies and tightened up safety protocols during their time in Venice. Venice’s economy had lost “around one billion euros” ($1.2 billion) in the space of a year from the 800,000 fewer cruise passengers visiting, Cruise Lines International Association director Francesco Galietti told AFP—calling the Orchestra’s stop “our contribution to the restart of this city.” AFP

TCB2A OV IPO BC MBC LAND AUB FRUIT MJIC PRC

LAST PRICE 0.86 0.011 7.4 4.12 10 1.87 43.1 1.43 1.55 5.82

CHANGE -0.12 -0.001 -0.45 -0.23 -0.5 -0.07 -1.55 -0.05 -0.05 -0.18

% CHANGE -12.24% -8.33% -5.73% -5.29% -4.76% -3.61% -3.47% -3.38% -3.13% -3.00%

MOST ACTIVE

Cruise ships’ return to Venice reignites war of words

London taxi driver Barry Ivens, 53, poses for a photograph next to his cab in central London on May 27, 2021. Ivens, who has been driving London’s iconic black taxi cabs for a quarter century, has never experienced anything like the past tumultuous year in the British capital. AFP

LONDON—Barry Ivens, who has been driving London’s iconic black taxi cabs for a quarter of a century, has never experienced anything like the past tumultuous year in the British capital. As waves of coronavirus swept the country and lockdowns wreaked havoc on his industry, the 53-year-old said the financial and mental anguish had “taken its toll.” “It’s been really hard,” Ivens told AFP from behind the wheel, as he plied the still-quiet streets of central London looking for customers. He has relied on everything from repayment holidays on his mortgage and cab to government financial support schemes, and feels lucky to be alive given COVID-19 has caused nearly 128,000 deaths in Britain. However, Ivens—one of 15 members of Black Taxi Tour London, a collective offering bespoke guided tours alongside regular rides—has also sorely missed the social side of his work. “You’re almost a showman for London,” he said. “You miss that all the time, so your mental health has really gone through it. “All I keep thinking is: I’m still here, I’m still driving the cab, my family’s alright, let’s keep going. “It’s like the wartime attitude that my

erage of P11.96 billion. Weekly top price gainers were First Gen Corp., which advanced 7.8 percent to P30.95; D&L Industries Inc., which climbed 7.9 percent to P7.94; and Philippine National Bank which rose 7.7 percent to P23. Weekly top price losers were Philex Mining Corp., which declined 6.7 percent to P6.90; Puregold Price Club Inc., which dropped 3.8 percent to P37.75; and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., which fell 3.8 percent to P17.22. Global equity markets, meanwhile, moved higher while the dollar fell on Friday after tepid job US growth numbers assuaged fears of a rapid reduction in stimulus measures and interest rate hikes. The start of a Group of Seven finance ministers meeting drew investors’ attention as well, with Europeans optimistic the world’s wealthiest countries will support US-backed plans for a global minimum corporate tax. With AFP

G7 ISSUES. US

London’s cab drivers hope to fare better after waves of coronavirus

By Joe Jackson

optimal for now but note that laggards whose valuations have been late to the part and may offer higher alpha (growth) in the long term,” it added. Among the factors that could push the market are stable inflation rate in the country and the continued vaccine rollout, which could result in further easing of mobility restrictions. The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week posted its straight week of weekly gains, gaining 1.8 percent to close at 6,796.23. The broader All Shares Index also climbed 1.5 percent to 4,108.59. All sectoral indices ended in the green, led by financial which rose by 2.6 percent, property which advanced 2.4 percent and holding firms which gained 1.9 percent. Foreign investors were net buyers for the week by P5.17 billion while the average daily value traded reached P10.87 billion, down from previous week’s av-

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SMPH ACEN ALI BDO MONDE SM ICT GLO AP AC

VOLUME 25675400 56791900 11151600 3421830 22601300 229220 940540 74505 5321100 146770

VALUE (PHP) 945120860 439369838 405654170 366555583 301505780 229069585 139834216 137000280 122040215 118064815

To disclose or not to disclose? Mental health at work TO DISCLOSE or not to disclose? That is the question. Are the employees comfortable confiding their mental health condition with their employer without being judged? Will they still get the same and fair treatment in their organization? Will they still retain their job? These are some of the major concerns of people experiencing mental illness towards their colleagues and their organization. Before we proceed, it is good to first, understand mental health and mental illness fundamentals, especially for those who think this is just a typical emotion and does not require any medical intervention. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her abilities can cope with the everyday stresses of life, can work productively and can contribute to his or her community. On the other hand, any alterations to the given definition due to major changes in a person’s mental state can be considered mental illnesses. Depression and anxiety are the two most common mental health conditions that colleagues can observe in the workplace. People experiencing mental health problems can have different signs and symptoms, such as stopping themselves from getting on with life, it affects their mood over several weeks, and they might have suicidal thoughts in the long run. At work, you might notice that they are more tired than usual. They might make uncharacteristic mistakes, it becomes difficult for them to be motivated, or you may also observe a person for having very short-tempered. Most of the time, people with poor mental health can negatively affect an employee’s job performance and productivity. Engagement and communication with coworkers are also affected. Mental illness is no different from other diseases. If cancer requires medical intervention, it should be adequately assessed and adequately treated to increase the patient’s prognosis until fully recovered. It is the same for mental illness. If this will be evaluated appropriately and provided the right treatment, the chance of bringing back the mental well-being of a person is possible. The mental health condition shouldn’t define a person for who he is. This is one reason why people with mental illness opt to keep their battle among themselves because people don’t understand what they are going through and their struggles. Also, they don’t get support from their family, friends and community. They choose to fight alone because of the fear of being discriminated against and the stigma from society. The Philippine government passed the Mental Health Act,

R.A. 11036, in 2018 to enhance the delivery of integrated mental health services, promote and protect the rights of persons utilizing psychiatric, neurologic and psychosocial health services. In line with this, the Department of Labor and Employment released a department order that will require all workplaces and establishments to formulate a mental health workplace policy and program that will promote mental health awareness, prevent stigma and discrimination, provide support to workers who are at risk with mental health conditions, facilitate access to medical health services and promote workers’ well-being towards healthy and productive lives. Despite all government initiatives, employees in the workplace tend not to disclose BRYAN because of the fear of losing N. BERNABE their job, the stigma of being discriminated and the fear of losing the respect of their colleagues. However, according to the Mental Health Foundation, if we create workplace cultures where people can be themselves, i is easier for people to speak about mental health concerns without fear and easier for them to reach out for help when they need it. The Human Resource leaders and corporate executives have vital roles in promoting mental health awareness and support in the organization. Most of the time, they interact with their people, and they can quickly identify should there be some changes in the behavior and routine of their employees. We don’t need to force them to disclose their mental health problem, but simply asking them how they are doing warmly and authentically and giving them a chance to realize that you are sincere and friendly will open the door to discuss their problem. You don’t need to provide any advice if you are not trained to handle this kind of counseling but just simply lending your ears and be there for them and ready to listen is enough. You may encourage them to seek medical assistance if suicidal thoughts have been verbalized during your discussion. By doing so, we can save our colleagues. We can save lives!

Green LiGht

Bryan N. Bernabe is a DBA student at De La Salle University. He is also the Assistant Vice President in Employee Benefits at Philinsure. He almost a decade of experience in the insurance and insurance broker industry. He can be reached at bryan_bernabe@dlsu.edu.ph. The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021

AiAi Delas Alas whips up a delicious song Kritiko concludes song trilogy with track about illicit affair

Rapper Kritiko

A SONG trilogy about an illicit love affair caps off with the release of rap virtuoso Kritiko’s debut extended play (EP) titled Tama Ko’y Mali. Self-penned entirely by the Star Music artist, the freshly dropped mini album was crafted with the overarching theme of how sometimes, love can be dangerously right at the wrong time. “The main message that I want to send through the EP is that it’s never wrong to love. But if from the get-go you already know that you will hurt someone because of the relationship, then just let go. Because in the end, you’ll be hurt and realize you’ve made a mistake,” he explained. Knowing that he is tackling a sensitive topic on relationships, Kritiko also emphasizes in the EP the importance of knowing when something is wrong

and learning to let go to prevent disappointments and hurting other people. The EP’s key track “2AM” concludes the forbidden love story of his previous singles “AMAZAK” and “PM,” which were both released in 2020. Also included in the EP are the tracks “Bakit Ikaw” and “Kahit Di Tayo.” The album drop also coincides with the back-to-back release of the music video of “PM” and “2AM.” This 2021, Kritiko won anew in HIMIG 11th Edition as one of the interpreters of 4th Best Song “Ang Hirap Maging Mahirap” composed by Kenneth Reodica. He first won in the songwriting competition as a composer in 2018 for his entry “Kababata.” Unravel a clandestine love affair in Kritiko’s Tama Ko’y Mali EP, out now on various digital music streaming services.

Showbiz fresh faces Joaquin Domagoso and Andi Abaya top bill Perry Escaño’s‘Caught in the Act.’

The world according to apps

WHAT the world needs now, are apps, sweet apps! Pardon me for bastardizing the lyrics of Jackie De Shannon’s mid1960 pop anthem “What The World Needs Now Is Love,” but it’s just that we cannot live without mobile apps anymore. These digital products are now part of the lives of the majority who have become dependent on their mobile devices. For our careers, personal stuff, amusement, weather, there is an app suited and currently being used for it. Thus, I cannot help but wonder, what happens if a crime stopping app is invented, and that this invention not only terminates the incident, but also leads to the discovery of the perpetrator of the crime. Will the world be a safer place “not just for some, but for everyone?” This exciting premise of a crime solving app is the center of Caught In The Act, the latest movie from writer and director Perry Escaño. The relatively young filmmaker has two motion pictures to his credit, Ang Gurong Di Marunong Magbasa and Ang Sikreto ng Piso. Declares director Escaño in an offi-

cial statement: “Caught in the Act depicts how talented Filipinos are when it comes to invention and creation of advanced technology. The film promotes good Filipino traits like not giving up on trials and adversities of life, very hardworking, responsible, hopeful in achieving their dreams in life.” The continuing statement says: “Most Filipinos nowadays -- especially the millennial generation -- are into social media. It is also an awareness to everyone that apps nowadays are faster and easier versions of websites to interact and connect. These apps are companions for today’s social life. They are literally very significant in our daily lives, especially on emergency matters, like what will be seen in this film.” Lead stars in the movie are GMA’s Joaquin Domagoso and Andi Abaya, 2nd placer in ABSCBN’s Pinoy Big Brother Connect. These Generation Z stars to watch out get their biggest break on this motion picture. They portray senior high school students who invented the new mobile app which allows people to report crimes. “I am excited to be part of this movie,” says Domagoso. “I like the fact that is not a romantic lead and that there is more to the character than I can bite on since he is not limited to be this millennial version of a Prince Charming.” Full story on manilastandard.net.

T SOUNDS funny when AiAi Delas Alas admitted that she hasn’t made any hit despite being tagged as the country’s Comedy Concert Queen. Though she kind of accepted that fact, it doesn’t mean she’s going to stop creating music and performing for her public. In fact, she’s back to making music. Speaking to Manila Standard Entertainment, the 56-year-old comedienne explained that she performs on television covering songs of her favorite k-pop girl group, Blackpink, for the very simple reason that it’s her passion and there are people who appreciate what she does. “No matter what you do, people will always have something to say, so might as well do what makes you happy,” AiAi alluding to the comments of people who don’t quite appreciate her brand of music and comedy. “It’s better if we would just spread happiness and attract positivity. That’s the main reason why we are releasing a novelty song,” she added. AiAi has just dropped “Siomai (what?).” Released by Viva Records, the single can now be listened to on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube music. The k-pop inspired music video is also available on Youtube. So what’s got AiAi to sing about this particular Asian dumpling? Does she just plain love the taste of it? That just maybe the case if we’re going to take her word as she sings and halfraps the following verses: ‘fried man or steam, basta merongtoyo, kalamansi sakasili, para medyo may anghang, para pagkinain ‘to mas malinamnam.’ Or maybe there’s a deeper meaning to it? Because the way AiAi delivers it, one would think that the siomai she’s having is different from the rest. ‘Ang sarapkainin ng favorite kongsiomai, lalopagmainit ‘di namakapaghintay, ‘di ko mapigilan ang sarili ko sasiomai-

Comedy Concert Queen AiAi delas Alas is back to making music.

kasi, what? Sarap ay pamatay.’ Well one could start by listening to her first on all the streaming platforms, as “Siomai (what?)” was only recently released two weekends ago. And it comes complete with all the sidings. An accompanying music video was at the ready when “Siomai (what?)” dropped. And for spice, AiAi gets down for some TikTok-worthy choreo. Yes, AiAi knows how to give her “Siomai” special sauce. Seriously, AiAi just wants to lighten

the mood. A year-plus into the pandemic and with everybody still relatively fresh from the latest lockdowns, Ai Ai, as per her character, is not putting out anything serious or upsetting out into the world. “It’s all about having fun really. Kantahan and sayawan lang, Let’s do this,” she said. Check out the official music video, with Ai Ai dancing and singing about siomai, on the Viva Records YouTube channel.

GMAKF receives aid from New Zealand Embassy GMA Network’s socio-civic arm, GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc. (GMAKF), was recently awarded a grant of 800 thousand pesos from the New Zealand Embassy, under the High Embassy Fund-Manila. Allocated for GMAKF’s Kapuso School Development program, the grant will help build two Kapuso classrooms in Calassitan Elementary School in Sto Niño, Cagayan. This support will benefit the Agta/Aguy Indigeneous People who inhabit this remote town. Calassitan Elementary School and other schools sustained heavy damage caused by typhoon Ulysses last year which prompted GMA Kapuso Foundation to build new classrooms to provide a safe environment to public elementary students and teachers in the area. “30 percent of the school’s population are members of the Agta tribe and indigenous people are a priority beneficiary group of GMA Kapuso Foundation,” shared Rikki Escudero-Catibog, GMAKF Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. The New Zealand Embassy supported GMA Kapuso Foundation’s Kapuso School Development because of the

Groundbreaking ceremony of Calassitan Elementary School

Agta/Aguy Indigeneous People who inhabit this remote town and who will use the new Kapuso classrooms. The groundbreaking ceremony of Calassitan Elementary School was held on April 28 attended by Escudero-Catibog, GMAKF EVP/COO and its multisectoral partners: Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. AFP, Mayor Atty. Vicente G, Pagurayan, and Dr. Lauro Daquioag, Public School District Supervisor.

GMA Kapuso Foundation is building a total of 6 classrooms at Calassitan Elementary School and Abariongan Elementary School in Sto. Niño Cagayan and Bural Elementary School in Rizal, Cagayan set to be turned over this year. A steel and concrete bridge will also be built at Barangay Umiray, Dingalan, Aurora and 6 classrooms will be rehabilitated at Villa Aurora Elementary School, Maria Aurora, Aurora this year.

‘Hamilton’ creator celebrates immigrant roots with ‘In The Heights’

From left: Director Jon M. Chu, Actors Stephanie Beatriz, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace and Jimmy Smits attend a preview screening of ‘In The Heights.’

LONG before his mega smash-hit Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda dazzled Broadway with In The Heights, a Latin pop and salsa-inspired musical celebrating the New York immigrant community that raised him. Warner Bros.’ big-screen version of Miranda’s debut work finally arrives in US theaters Thursday -- a rare foray by a major Hollywood studio into a lavish production that puts Latino stories, stars and filmmakers front and center. “It’s a big deal, and I think it’s the beginning of a Latin wave that I hope opens a lot more doors for more movies like this,” Mexican actor Melissa Barrera told AFP.

“From the moment they started casting in the movie, I was like ‘oh my gosh, because there aren’t many movies that give us this platform, I know everyone is going to audition for this.’” Barrera -- who rose to fame in Mexico’s “telenovela” soap operas -- landed the key role of Vanessa, an aspiring designer hoping to trade the Washington Heights “barrio” at Manhattan’s northern tip for the chic fashion world of downtown. Her love interest Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), a bodega owner, dreams of rebuilding his father’s beach bar in the Dominican Republic, while their Puerto Rican friend Nina (Leslie Grace) has

“escaped” to Stanford University but pines for home. Miranda -- who is of Puerto Rican descent, and has long advocated for his community in the entertainment world and beyond -- wrote the first version of In The Heights as a young student at Wesleyan University. It reached Broadway in 2008, where it earned 13 Tony nominations, and set its creator on the path to Hamilton -the wildly popular story of the first US treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton and his fellow founding fathers, itself told through the lens of modern, multiethnic America. AFP, full story on manilastandard.net.

Life

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

FOOD

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021

BEER, BARBECUE, BANCHETTO.

The newly opened Richmonde Banchetto at the al fresco area of Eastwood Café+Bar serves grilled meats and other comfort food items along with ice-cold beer and other drinks.

Dining al fresco in the metro

By Monica Sanchez

The Newport Parklet food park (left) houses restaurant pop-ups of various dining establishments in Newport City, Pasay. Resorts World Manila’s Bolahan offers Pinoy-flavored pizza (top), while Oori in Sheraton serves Korean street food (bottom).

HILE indoor dining (at 30 percent capacity) is now allowed in Metro Manila under the new quarantine classification “GCQ with heightened restrictions” until June 15, outdoor dining remains the more ideal option when eating out – better ventilation is a great selling point.

Hence, more restaurants are offering al fresco dining – which is allowed at up to 50 percent capacity in NCR, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna – to enable more diners to enjoy food outside while minimizing the risk of infection.

Eastwood banchetto

After more than a year of serving solely takeaway food for pickup and delivery, Eastwood Richmonde Hotel’s Eastwood Café+Bar on June 4 launched the Richmonde Banchetto. The restobar’s al fresco area is set up for a fun, casual dining with seats arranged to accommodate proper physical distancing. Richmonde Banchetto is serving pork and chicken barbecue, isaw, pork and chicken satay, brick oven pizza, Birria tacos, chicken inasal, Peruvian chicken, goto, tokwa’t baboy, plus beer and

street-side at the newly opened Newport Parklet. The food park houses restaurant pop-ups with designated dining areas for guests. Available at the Newport Parklet are the signature Shanghainese dishes from Hilton Manila’s Hua Yuan. Special menu highlights include pork cabbage dumpling, spinach pork siomai, steamed pork bun, and mushroom bun, which are best paired with the restaurant’s bestselling Red Dates Fruit Milk Tea. Prices range from P500 to P700 for two. Resorts World Manila’s Bolahan serves Filipino street food staples such Newport food park Restaurants at Newport City in as seafood and pork grilled items, Pasay bring their sumptuous offerings Pinoy-flavored pizza, and halo-halo. other drinks. Diners can take their pick from the menu of choice comfort food prepared fast and fresh by the hotel’s kitchen team at the live cooking stations. Prices go for as low as P50. Eastwood Café+Bar’s Richmonde Banchetto is open every Friday and Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. All freshly cooked items are also available for takeout, curbside pickup, and delivery. Charges apply for deliveries within Metro Manila but deliveries within Eastwood City are free. Call (02) 8570-7777 or 0917821-0333 for orders or table reservations.

Food delivered near, far, 8-kilometer away you are ON-DEMAND food delivery services are a heaven-sent, but the delivery distance limits make it harder for others to get the food they are craving in farther locations. Enabling brands to reach more customers, and vice versa, foodpanda launched Extra Mile Delivery. Restaurants and shops offering this service increases their delivery radius from 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) to 8 kilometers (about 5 miles). To avail of the service, open the foodpanda app and find the Extra Mile Delivery banner, scroll through a wide variety of shops and restaurants, then pick and place your order. It comes with a minimal charge.

Prices of a meal for two range from P500 to P800. Sheraton’s Oori, on the other hand, offers Korean street finds including tteok bokki (rice cake and fish cake in sweet and spicy sauce), eomuk tang (fish cake soup), samgyeopsal, and tong dak (fried chicken with rice). Two people can enjoy Oori’s Parklet offerings starting at P400 to P600. Hotel Okura offers classic Japanese favorites such as okonomiyaki, tamagoyaki, tonkatsu rice bowl, and sukiyaki udon bento along with a selection of sake, Japanese beers, and soda for a delicious dinner. Prices range from P800 to P1,200 for two diners. Peri-Peri’s Parklet menu highlights a

special dine-in group meal that consists of a whole signature Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, one Chicken Tenders Salad, a pasta to share, and four regular sides and java rice, plus the restaurant’s eight signature sauces. It also comes with one liter of drink, a choice of Lime-ade or house blend iced tea. Price starts at P999 for four people. RWM’s Newport Parklet also offers dishes from Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, Macao Imperial Tea, Crustasia Asian Seafood Market, Fiery Style Southwestern Flaming Grill, Starbucks, and Marriott Manila. This pet and bikers friendly al fresco place is open daily from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Parking at Newport Mall is free.

NEW EATS SaladStop! serves cauliflower salad

On-demand food delivery service foodpanda launches Extra Mile Delivery which allows restaurants and shops to expand their delivery radius from 3 kilometers to 8 kilometers.

CANDY COUNTER Salt in candy? Make it fruity

FAMOUS candy brand Halls introduces a fusion of flavors in its new range, Halls Salt. Refreshingly cool, deliciously fruity, and surprisingly salty, the new Halls Salt is available in two exciting candy flavors, Halls Salt Watermelon and Halls Salt Lemon Lime. “I think consumers are in for a big surprise. After being used to the same old flavors, the delicious twist of Halls Salt will really get them saying #SanaHalls kasing sarap!” enthuses Ryan Torres, assistant brand manager for Halls Philippines. The new Halls Salt is available on Lazada, Shopee, and in leading grocery stores and convenience stores nationwide for P28.50 per bag. Halls Salt in Watermelon and Lemon Lime flavors.

Lush Strawberry Milk

Lush-cious strawberry milk treat

THE luscious combination of creamy milk and tangy strawberries comes together in Lush Candy’s new flavor. Jack & Jill launches Lush Strawberry Milk, which, like the original Lush Chocolate, has a soft and chewy texture. A 50-pack of Lush Strawberry Milk has a suggested retail price of P30.90, and P26 for a 50-pack Lush Chocolate. Both variants are available in groceries and sari-sari stores nationwide, and on Universal Robina’s official Shopee store.

FOR a limited time only, SaladStop! is serving a hearty and healthy, and quite unique, cauliflower salad. Like the sunny and vibrant California, Cauli-fornia Dreamin’ is made with a mix of romaine lettuce, red and white cabbage, cauliflower cheese patty, baked mushrooms, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, carrots, avocado, and peanuts, all tossed with a tangy lemongrass turmeric dressing.

Unique to this seasonal salad is the cauliflower cheese patty made with three types of cheese: parmesan, cheddar, and feta. The patty is ovenbaked, made from scratch, and has no artificial flavors or colorings. Cauli-fornia Dreamin’ is available at all SaladStop! branches in Metro Manila and Cebu in both wrap and salad variants for P365. It is served today until June 28. SaladStop!’s Cauli-fornia Dreamin’

Machang at Jasmine IN CELEBRATION of the annual Duanwu Festival (Dragon Boat Festival) happening this year on June 14, New World Makati Hotel’s Chinese restaurant Jasmine serves machang (also called zongzi) in two flavors. Jasmine’s machang is available in traditional flavor made with pork, yellow bean, salted egg, mushroom, and glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf; and red bean flavor made with glutinous rice and wrapped in lotus leaf. An option for single or double layered filling is available. Each order is packaged in dim sum basket-inspired boxes with gold foil logo stamping. Machang is traditionally eaten during the Duanwu Festival (Doubler Fifth Festival) – Dragon Boat Festival in English – which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Families prepare them together on the eve of the festival and

Jasmine offers traditional and red bean machang.

eat them for breakfast the next day. Single and double layer machang are priced at P798 and P1,388 nett, respectively. Pick up of orders is until June 30. Deliveries may be made for bulk orders within a 3-kilometer distance. Call (02) 8811-6888 ext. 3679 or connect via www.tinyurl.com/NewWorldMKTViber for inquiries.