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NCR Plus eases restrictions Certified-safe gyms, spas may reopen at 20% capacity—Palace

20% SOLUTION. A gymnasium worker prepares his equipment after Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque has announced that the Inter-Agency Task Force against COVID-19 has allowed the reopening at 20% capacity of gyms and no-contact sports within NCR Plus this month, part of moves to boost the economy, provided these businesses have obtained safety seal certification to be able to operate. At right, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora shows a sample of a safety seal, proof that safety and health protocols are observed. Norman Cruz, Manny Palmero

By Vito Barcelo, Othel V. Campos and Willie Casas

HE government has allowed the reopening of gyms, fitness centers, and spas to operate at 20 percent limited capacity starting on June 16 in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal which are currently placed under a general community quarantine (GCQ) bubble, Malacañang said Friday.

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JUNE 11)

1,300,349 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

6,686 61,345

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said aside from gyms and spas, Next page

VOL. XXXV • NO. 117 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NEW

ACTIVE

22,507

196

1,216,497

3,190

DEATHS

Health centers in Vis-Min told to rethink virus surge plan

RECOVERIES

NEW

G7 VOWS 1B DOSES FOR ‘THE WORLD’ WORLD / B2

By Willie Casas VISAYAS and Mindanao have been showing faster increases in the number of new COVID-19 cases, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday. As of June 8, Mindanao logged 13,425 active COVID-19 cases, Next page

Polio outbreak tamed, says WHO but DOH still wary

LITER OF LIGHT/BED OF ROSES.

The SM Mall of Asia celebrates the 123rd Philippine Independence Day with the most number of bottle lights - The Liter of Light has ever produced in the country, while the iconic MOA Globe pays tribute to the Philippine National Flag. Lower photo shows visitors appreciating a giant Philippine flag-inspired plant installation - a colorful bed of roses -- in Eastwood Central Plaza in Libis, Quezon City.

By Miguel Angelo Magbag THE polio outbreak in the Philippines that began in September 2019 has been stamped out, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) said Friday. Polio was declared eradicated on June 3 because it has not been detect-

WHEN overseas Filipino worker Jill Balasan learned that the Kuwaiti government will begin inoculating minors against COVID-19, she immediately registered THE Integrated Bar of the Philippines her 17-year-old daughter for the vaccina(IBP) on Friday called for accountabil- tion program. The benefits of getting the jab, Balasan ity following the deaths of football player Keith Absalon and his cousin Nolven at the said, outweighed fears for any possible adverse effect on her daughter, who rehands of communist rebels. At the same time, the Commission ceived her first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech on Human Rights told the Communist vaccine on May 4. “We registered our daughter for the Next page

Pagasa, Kalayaan isles get power

Lawyers, rights Jab for kids: Pros, cons assessed Nijel Aquino, agency weigh in ByColeen Magahis and on Absalon case Raxenn Lachica By Rio N. Araja and Maricel V. Cruz

ed in a child or in the environment in the past six months, the two agencies said. Despite the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines was able to manage and stop polio with information drives, prevention and training, they said. “This is a major win for public

vaccine as soon as the Kuwait government gave advisory allowing children aged 15 to 17 to be vaccinated,” Balasan told Manila Standard in an online interview. Here in the Philippines, the Food and Drug Administration on June 8 approved an expanded emergency use authorization (EUA) Pfizer's COVID jab for children ages 12 to 15. But not all parents are as willing to let their kids get inoculated as Balasan. “I am not in favor because those vaccines are not yet proven to be 100 percent safe and effective. From the very term they use—those are approved only for Next page

TODAY, state-owned National Power Corporation (Napocor) will switch on its 300kW power plant in Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan Island Group at the West Philippine Sea as the country celebrates its 123rd Independence Day. Napocor said it allotted P33 million for the project that covered the supply, delivery and installation of the diesel

generating sets, its 13.8 kV distribution line and the fuel oil storage tanks that would ensure continuous fuel supply. “Following the successful series of test and commissioning of the facility this week, we have seen that it is only fitting to formally switch on the power plant as the Armed Forces of the Philippines Next page

Rizal’s descendant tells youth: Get involved IF NATIONAL hero Dr. Jose Rizal were alive today, according to his descendant Jeremiah Villaroman, he would probably tell the Filipino youth to get involved in their own little way to protect the country's freedom paid for by the blood of martyrs hundreds of years ago. “I feel like he would tell the youth, Next page

News

SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DOH warns: Fakers, liars go to jail Lying about having an illness is considered a violation of Republic Act 11332 or the Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases, said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire. “We will also look for other

laws that may be used in such incidents. When we falsify illnesses, especially in cases where it’s going to be on public record, there are corresponding penalties. We are violating existing laws in

the country,” Vergeire said during a press briefing. “Don’t go with that strategy. You don’t need to do that. Let’s just wait until the vaccines arrive and we will all get vaccinated,” she added. Vergeire said that while instances of people lying to get vaccinated show that there is a high interest in the COVID-19 inoculation campaign, the prioritization list must still be followed. “You don’t need to fake your documents...You will get a vaccine because that’s your right,” she said. Local authorities in the cities of Cebu and San Juan caught some people lying

NCR...

disapproved some 105 applications, basically due to non-compliance to the prescribed minimum health protocols. Lopez said these establishments will need to meet these minimum standards before they can be certified. Some 600 more applications are pending, he said. Lopez said the government is optimistic that the 22,000 displaced employees working for gyms and fitness establishments may soon gain employment. To date, there are more than 2,000 fitness as well as wellness establishments across the country. The Department of Tourism welcomed the opening of historical sites and museums in NCR Plus albeit at a limited capacity. The reopening, approved by the IATF, limits tourism sites to 20 percent venue capacity and is subject to health and safety restrictions of the DOT, and other restrictions of the relevant local government unit. Guided tours, however, remain prohibited. “Our historical sites and museums in the NCR + Area may welcome visitors following the easing of quarantine restrictions. This is part of our efforts to restart tourism and leisure activities in a safe and steady manner, and to help bring back employment. Visitors are still urged to follow the minimum health and safety standards set for historical sites and museums to prevent a possible COVID-19 outbreak,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Puyat. In May 2021, the government’s COVID-19 task force allowed the operation

of outdoor tourist attractions, also on a limited capacity. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, for her part, reminded fully vaccinated senior citizens that they will still need to follow health protocols against COVID-19. She said that the government has allowed fully vaccinated senior citizens to go outside starting June 16, but this is only for those who have gotten two doses. The DOH also clarified that senior citizens are allowed to go out but need to be vigilant and follow minimum public health standards to avoid getting infected or infecting others. Roque said the IATF has issued new guidelines for persons fully vaccinated who wish to travel within the country, including the need to bring vaccination cards. The guidelines also require a sevenday facility-based quarantine period for Filipinos returning from abroad. Researchers tracking the pandemic, however, said NCR Plus is not ready yet to be under the most relaxed modified general community quarantine (MGCQ). OCTA Research fellow Ranjit Rye told radio dzBB that the average number of new COVID-19 cases in NCR Plus remains high at about 1,000 infections a day. “Our position in OCTA is let’s look at the data first. Let’s wait for the weekend, maybe we’ll be able to give our position then. But if the decision is made today, we won’t qualify for MGCQ, that’s definite,” Rye said.

“But we’re healing much, much better now than two months ago. But our healing slowed down because the economy reopened, and more people are going out,” he added. NCR Plus will be under the GCQ until June 15. Several other areas including Zamboanga City, Iloilo City, and Cagayan de Oro are under the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine amid a spike in COVID-19 cases. The Philippine logged 6,686 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 1,300,349, as three laboratories were not able to submit their data on time, the Department of Health (DOH) reported. The DOH reported 196 new fatalities, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 22,507. The DOH also reported 3,190 patients who recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 1,216,497. There were 61,345 active cases, of which 91.6 percent were mild, 4.3 percent were asymptomatic, 1.2 percent were critical, 1.7 percent were severe, and 1.15 percent were moderate. The DOH also reported that, nationwide, 58 percent of ICU beds, 48 percent of isolation beds, 47 percent of ward beds, and 35 percent of ventilators, were in use. In Metro Manila, 50 percent of ICU beds, 36 percent of isolation beds, 33 percent of ward beds, and 32 percent of ventilators, were in use.

country representative for Unicef, said the agency “celebrates all the vaccine champions and partners who made this possible.” “We must keep the momentum and accelerate routine immunization and safeguard essential child health services while rolling out COVID-19 vaccines for priority groups,” she said. After two decades of being poliofree, the Philippines confirmed 17 cases

of the viral disease, but none of these cases led to death. The WHO said polio is a highly infectious viral disease that mostly affects children younger than the age of 5. The virus is transmitted from person to person mainly through the faecal-oral route or contaminated water or food. Health Secretary Francisco Duque cautioned that polio could return if heightened surveillance is not main-

tained. “This victory of ours is not permanent. It still depends on local governments and the DOH to strengthen surveillance efforts,” he said in Filipino in an interview with radio dzBB. Duque also called on parents to get their children inoculated against diseases like polio, stressing that vaccines have been tried and tested to be safe and effective.

pendence Day every June 12, which is declared a regular holiday. The country’s first president, Emilio Aguinaldo, proclaimed the country's independence from the Spanish colonial rule in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898. Aguinaldo’s proclamation of independence made the Philippines Asia’s first free nation from the clout of Western powers. Roque said Filipinos would do everything to defend the country’s freedom. “Our message is that Filipinos, from the very start, are ready to sacrifice their lives for the freedom of the nation,” he said. On June 12, 2020, Duterte skipped the ceremonies for the celebration of Independence Day at the Rizal Park in Manila due to the limited number of participants in last year’s event. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases allowed the celebration of Independence Day last year despite the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, on condition that only 10 persons would attend the event. Duterte in 2019 led the celebration of the 121st Independence Day at the 6th Infantry Battalion headquarters in Malabang, Lanao del Sur. In 2018, Duterte delivered his first keynote speech for Independence Day at the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite.

Jab... emergency use,” said Jena Magsambol, a mother of three minors from Laguna. “Kung may nakita na ako dito sa Philippines na na-administer na - na mga bata, tapos nakita ko na safe talaga siya, pwede. Pero sa ngayon, hindi ko kayang i-risk ang mga bata,” she added. Arra Obispado, a mother of three and a medical social worker in a government hospital, echoed the same concerns. “I want to see further studies involving that age group [12 to 17 year olds] since the vaccines given to us adults are for emergency use only,” Obispado said in a separate interview. In a television interview, Health spokesperson Usec. Maria Rosario Vergerie underscored the need to study vaccination among minors thoroughly. “We would want to study further. We want to have more studies being published because these are children that we are talking about and we want to be very, very sure that this is going to be safe for them,” Vergeire said. The Task Group on Vaccine Evaluation and Selection (TG VES), however, has excluded minors from participating in vaccine trials. “Adults of legal age have a more developed immune system compared to minors, which has been the primary basis of the trials of vaccine efficacy and safety,” said Department of Science and Technology Usec.

Rowena Cristina Guevara in a statement. “Only those of legal age, 18 years old above, are allowed to give ethical and legal consent on their own. On the other hand, additional permission from the parents or legal guardian is needed for those in ages 17 below.” “It would be better if 'acceptable efficacy and safety data' would be obtained first among the adult participants before expanding the trials to include minors,” Guevara added. As of June 10, the Department of Health has logged a total of 1,293,687 cases of COVID-19 in the country, with 1,214,454 recoveries and 22,312 deaths. At least 127,334 belonging to the 0 to 19-year-old age group tested positive for the virus, accounting for about 9.84 percent of the total cases. Of the number, 122,999 recovered while 382 died, data from the DOH showed. A number of countries have already planned or even started vaccination campaigns for the 12 to 17 year-old age group since the Pfizer vaccine was approved for minors by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Countries planning or considering to include this demographic to their vaccination programs include Austria, Estonia, Lithuania, and Norway. The Philippines is among the countries that have approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine for minors aged 12 to 17, along with France, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong, Chile, and Canada.

and the rebel group must surrender their personnel who planted the explosives. “The problem of insurgency has once again resulted in the deaths of civilians and a promising Filipino football player who could have brought more honor to our country,” Alvarez said. “Justice must be meted out and it is only by allowing the perpetrators to face the courts that would permit the family and the whole nation to begin the grieving process. Until then, the NPA should be considered as harborers of criminals,” the former Speaker added. Alvarez, the current chairman of the Partido Reporma, also pointed out that "rebellion, which challenges our national resolve, has deeper roots particularly the concentration of wealth in the hands of a privileged few, brought about by a government structure that centralizes power

in the National Capital Region. A strong nation requires strong localities and regions as foundation." It was later revealed that the cousins also had gunshot wounds. Nolven’s 16-year-old son also sustained injuries from the blast. “We strongly condemn the use of antipersonnel landmines, seek justice for the innocent victims, and demand full accountability and punishment for those who callously deployed the landmines,” the IBP said in its statement. “Let us be firm and united in banishing anti-personnel landmines from the Philippines and in the world. Let us work together to uphold our laws and the principles of humanity to achieve genuine and lasting peace in our beloved country.” The CHR said: “If the New People's Army is serious and sincere about taking ac-

countability for the IED (improvised explosive device) killing of civilians in Masbate — beyond owning responsibility, offering indemnity, and promising an investigation — they should identify all those responsible and surrender them to the lawful authorities to face justice within the court system. “They should likewise be held accountable for all other crimes they have perpetrated in violation of international humanitarian and human rights laws since they began pursuing this armed conflict. “As we demand transparency and accountability from the government, we demand the same from the NPA..” It added: “We continue to condemn all forms of violence that tramples on the rights and dignity of all persons. In this regard, we urge the government to ensure that perpetrators are held to account under existing laws.”

By Willie Casas

HE Department of Health (DOH) on Friday warned the public against falsifying documents and lying about comorbidities just to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

From A1

venues for indoor non-contact sports such as skating rinks, and racket sports courts are also allowed to operate at a limited capacity, as long as they obtain a safety certification from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Roque said the decisions were made following a meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF). In addition, the IATF has also allowed fully-vaccinated senior citizens aged 65 up, to venture outside of their homes but limited within the NCR Plus zone. “For purpose of tourism, the 65+ age group are also allowed to travel point-topoint provided they are well beyond two weeks, post-inoculation,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said. Roque said seniors traveling outside their homes should bring their COVID-19 vaccination cards and follow the minimum health protocols. Under previous IATF policies, only persons aged 15 to 65 years old are allowed outside their residence. Gyms were among the over 100 businesses given the Safe Seal Certification by the DTI as the government further expands the coverage of industries allowed to operate under the new GCQ. While there were 115 establishments awarded the Safety Seal, the DTI also

Polio... From A1

health and is an excellent example ofwhat collective efforts can attain, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rabindra Abeyasinghe, the WHO representative in the Philippines. Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, the

Pagasa,... From A1

raises the Philippine Flag on the island on Independence Day,” said Napocor President and CEO Pio Benavidez. Benavidez said that its Kalayaan Diesel Power Plant will provide round the clock power to the 68 facilities (housing facilities, government establishments and military camps) connected to the local distribution line. Kalayaan Island, a fifth-class municipality under the Provincial Government of Palawan, has an airport runway, a daycare center, an elementary school, a fish landing center, a naval port, a municipal health center, and a couple of government offices like Comelec and Pagasa weather station. It opened to civilian settlement in 2002. On Thursday, Malacanang said President Rodrigo Duterte would lead the country's 123rd Independence Day commemoration “outside Metro Manila” on Saturday but did not disclose the exact place for what the presidential spokesman said was “security reason.” Some political observers were saying the President might attend the switching on of the Napocor power plant on Pag-asa Island, but this could not be confirmed by Malacañang on the eve of the celebration. Filipinos annually celebrate Inde-

Lawyers... From A1

Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army that owning up to a crime was not enough to realize justice and accountability. It demanded greater accountability, following the statement of the CPP and the NPA taking full responsibility for the death of Absalon of the Far Eastern University and his cousin, Nolven Absalon. Police said members of the NPA detonated an anti-personnel mine, while a group of bikers, including the Absalon cousins, were passing along Barangay Anas, Masbate City last Sunday. Meanwhile, Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez said a mere apology, without accountability, was unacceptable

From A1

about comorbidities to get vaccinated. Currently, only health workers, senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, and essential workers are eligible for vaccination due to the limited supply. Persons with comorbidities must prove that they have a medical condition through a recently issued prescription, medical certificate, or laboratory test result. The Philippines has vaccinated over 4.6 million individuals as of June 8, still far from the government’s target of inoculating 58 million people in COVID-19 hotspots this year.

Health... From A1

while the Visayas logged 9,725 new coronavirus patients, the DOH said. “Hospitals have been told to revisit their COVID-19 surge plan,” Health Undersecretary Abdullah Dumama said in Filipino during an online press conference. At least 210,000 Pfizer vaccines have been shipped to Davao City, where 19,654 people are currently battling the disease, Dumama said. “They said they will also deliver some to Cebu... They are hoping to increase the shipment,” he added. Some 4,000 health workers have been deployed to hospitals in the Visayas and Mindanao as the DOH ordered health facilities to increase up to 50 percent their dedicated beds for COVID-19 patients, he said. Health spokesperson and Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the transmission of the virus in these regions usually happens in workplaces, and not in residential communities. “The clustering in workplaces has been identified as the reason behind the surge of cases. In the NCR, it's coming from communities,” she said. The presence of foreign variants, which make the virus more transmissible, is also worsening the spread of COVID-19 in the Visayas and Mindanao, Vergeire said. "We have already detected four types of variants in different regions in the country," Vergeire said. "These variants increase the transmissibility of the virus. It's not just because they are not complying with the protocols," she said. While the bulk of COVID-19 patients are in Davao City, President Rodrigo Duterte's hometown should not be considered as the virus' new epicenter in the Philippines, Vergeire said. "You cannot compare a city with a region," she said, referring to NCR, the current epicenter of COVID-19 in the Philippines. Davao City contributes to 6 to 7 percent of COVID-19 cases in the country, while Metro Manila-- which is composed of 16 cities--accounts for 10-12 percent, according to data from the DOH. The DOH earlier said local COVID-19 transmission in Northern Mindanao is already at a high 91 percent. Last week, Davao City was placed under the second highest community quarantine restriction, while General Santos was put under a general community quarantine to curb the spread of the disease in these areas. Health officials in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) attributed the spike in COVID-19 cases to mass gatherings like weddings and birthday celebrations. Meanwhile, Visayas and Mindanao health care capabilities have been expanded to accommodate more patients due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the two regions, Dumama said. Dumama said 365 intensive care unit beds and 957 ward beds have been added across Regions 6 to 13, and the BARMM. He said there were more than 88,000 beds in temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMF) but noted that some areas in Visayas and Mindanao fell short of the required 1 TTMF bed per 1,000 population ratio. The DOH has been working with uniformed personnel to further augment the health workforce., Dumama said. He said that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III ordered regional directors to coordinate with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to ensure that finances are in order.

Rizal’s... From A1

tell my generation, to involve themselves, to make sure that they have a say in the ins and outs of society, in what is going on in the country,” Villaroman told Manila Standard in an interview. “You need not be a martyr to call yourself a ‘bayani ng Pilipinas.' Ask yourselves this: If the likes of Jose Rizal and his colleagues did not involve themselves during those times, where would we be? Who would we be under? What would the Philippines be in 2021 if they did not involve themselves personally?” The 27-year-old Villaroman who is related to Rizal's eldest sister, Saturnina, said exercising the right to vote is one way to show patriotism. “Make sure to exercise that right to vote. That little way can accumulate into a bigger impact and that can be your contribution to call yourselves a hero of the Philippines. It can be as simple as that. Anyone can be a hero in their own right,” he said. “Right now we are free. We are still free and we should keep it that way and make sure that the sacrifices that led to this celebration will not be in vain. Moving forward, as Filipinos and as citizens, it’s up to us to make sure that it stays the way it is, today and in years to come,” he added. Raxenn Lachica, Coleen Magahis, Theriz Silvano, and Meggie Carpio

News

SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2021

It’s time to lift moratorium on nursing course, CHED urged

PCG MOBILITY ENHANCED.

Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral George V. Ursabia Jr. leads the blessing of four PCG vehicles at the PCG national headquarters, Port Area, Manila on Friday June 11. 2021. These vehicles are intended to enhance the mobility of coastguards who will be ployed in four substations. PCG photo

Metro Davao: Marcos wary of power ‘overload’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta ALTHOUGH Senator Imee Marcos supports the creation of the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority, she however, stressed that the proposed agency should not have so many powers. Marcos underscored the need for Davao to have a coordinated and integrative body owing to its promising development. Marcos, author of Senate Bill No. 2116 or the Metro-Davao Regional Development Authority Act, said the move will help the region reach its potential. The move is an integration concept derived from her mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos, who served as the first governor of Metro Manila. The Senate Committee on Local Government, chaired by Senator Francis Tolentino, has approved the creation of the MDDA as part of efforts to spur economic growth and hasten delivery of services in the area. Tolentino on Thursday announced during the committee hearing the approval of various measures, seeking to create the MDDA, which will be composed of Davao City and certain cities and municipalities from the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, and Davao Occidental. Senate Bill Nos. 2116, 2153, and 2157 were filed by Senators Marcos, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, and Christopher “Bong” Go, respectively, while the counterpart Bill in the l House lower chamber House Bill No. 8930 was filed by Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab.

By Maricel V. Cruz

SC adopts decongestion plan to cut backlog of ageing cases By Rey E. Requejo

UPREME Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo on Friday vowed to resolve all ageing cases along with incoming cases before the Supreme Court in the next 24 months by enforcing a decongestion program and adopting what he described as “technology-driven judiciary”.

During his first media briefing since his appointment as top magistrate last April, Gesmundo admitted that there were numerous cases languishing in the docket for several years now. Gesmundo stressed that he and his fellow magistrates have agreed to adopt a case decongestion program which would require justices to prioritize the resolution of aging cases in the next 24 months. “Likewise , my fellow justices and I have resolved to decide all petitions,

cases, or matter that have been filed before the Supreme Court after April 5, 2021 strictly within the said 24-month period from date of submission pursuant to Section 15 (1), Article VIII of the 1987 Constitution, and to strictly observe requirements for the proper exercise of its power of judicial review,” Gesmundo said. According to him, the High Court has also issued a resolution approving several amendments to Internal Rules of the SC that are intended to ease the

Court’s docket. These include changing the total period of continuances in the deliberation of cases in the SC; prescribing a period of one month within which the members of the Court should submit reflection, comments, or suggestions, and a period of two weeks to resolve thereafter; shortening the period for distribution to the other members of the Court of the Member-in-Charge’s report on a case prior to its scheduled agenda date to at least three working days p; imposing a limit on the nature of administrative cases that can be elevated to the Court en banc. Gesmundo noted that hiring of more law clerks for the offices of the Justices to help eliminate ageing cases or those already beyond the 24-month constitutional period for deciding cases is now in the pipeline.

WALKTHROUGH.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar and Build, Build, Build Committee Chairperson Anna Mae Lamentillo conduct a ceremonial walkthrough on the Bonifacio Global City– Ortigas Link Bridge, a four-lane, two-way bridge currently under construction across the Pasig River. It will connect Lawton Avenue in Makati to Sta. Monica Street in Kapitolyo, Pasig. It will open to motorists today, June 12, 2021. Norman Cruz

Joma group liable for 141 incidents of APM use, task force says THE Armed Forces of the Philippines has recorded 141 incidents involving production, stockpiling, transporting and use of these banned anti-personnel mine by the communist New People’s Army, injuring or killing more than 30 civilians. “Based on Intelligence information, the CPP-NPANDF has continuously produced, stockpiled, transported, and used these prohibited weapons with the blessing and approval of CPP leaders Jose Ma. Sison, Luis Jalandoni, Juliet De Lima-Sison and other CTG leaders, making them fully responsible and liable for the deaths of dozens of civilians, including Kieth Absalon,” Undersecretary Severo Catura, Executive Director of the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS)

and NTF-ELCAC spokesperson on human rights said. in 2009, will weigh heavily on the charges against SiSison and other leaders of the CPP-NPA-NDF must son et. al that will be filed in the country’s appropriate be held accountable for the summary executions of Ki- courts to exact accountability,” Catura added. eth and Nolven Absalon, even as families of the victims, civil society groups, human rights defenders, and peace advocates stood in solidarity in condemning the perpetrators, the NTFELCAC said yesterday. “We are fortunate that we have a domestic law (RA 9851) that clearly effects our adherence to IHL. This law, signed

80 PH students gain entry to US AT LEAST 80 Filipinos accepted to various universities in the United States have signed up for EducationUSA Philippines’ second virtual pre-departure orientation on Thursday. In a statement, the US Embassy in Manila said that a real-time survey during the free event revealed that more than half of the participants had received financial aid offers from their respective schools, amounting to P57 million ($1.2 million). More than 15 students also received financial aid awards that are renewable each year. The outgoing Filipino students include undergraduate and graduate stu-

dents attending a wide range of U.S. higher education institutions throughout the United States. U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires John Law welcomed the students and applauded them for their successful acceptance to U.S. universities. “I want to thank you in advance for the contributions you will make to enriching U.S. campuses and classrooms,” he said at the virtual event. The orientation answered timely questions about international study and travel in a pandemic as most US universities return to in-person classes. Rey Requejo

Commemorative plate

THE chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Health has asked the Commission on Higher Education to allow the reopening of nursing courses owing to the shortage of health care workers, particularly nurses in the country and abroad. Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, head of the panel, also urged the leadership of the House of Representatives to revisit the moratorium on nursing programs as contained in CHED Memorandum Order 32, which was issued in 2010. CHED imposed the moratorium on the opening of all undergraduate and graduate programs on nursing and four other courses effective school year 2011-2012 because of the proliferation of colleges offering undergraduate and graduate programs and due to a gradual decline in the performance of nursing graduates, which indicated the deterioration of instruction in the nursing courses. Tan, in a privileged speech, said that “even before the COVID-19 pandemic, a global shortage of nurses was already projected”. This was highlighted in a World Health Organization report which calls for urgent investment in nursing as the COVID-19 pandemic puts need for nurses into sharp relief. Tan is a registered nurse who pursued further education to become a physician. “The role of nurses in our health care system cannot be over emphasized, not only in delivering quality health care but as well as in achieving our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They make critical contributions to the achievement of national and global targets related to a range of health priorities, including universal health care, mental health and communicable and noncommunicable diseases, emergency preparedness and response, patient safety, and the delivery of integrated, people-centered care,” Tan said, adding that “pre-COVID-19 pandemic data reveals that the world does not have a global nursing workforce commensurate with the universal health coverage and SDG targets.”

CBCP-issued 500 YOC plate now available POPE Francis has granted a jubilee year with the inherent plenary indulgence for the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines. The pope made the decision in a decree issued on Feb. 25 to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. It was signed by the Head of Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza. The celebration officially began on April 4 which would be an opportunity to increase the virtues of faith, hope and charity. The country’s 85 dioceses have listed about 537 pilgrimage churches for the quincentennial celebration of the evangelization of Asia’s bastion of Christianity. Still, when the faithful make the pilgrimage, they have to meet the usual conditions of going to confession, receiving the Eucharist, and praying for the intentions of the pope. “Gifted to Give”, that’s the theme of the celebration of the 5th Centenary of Christianity in our country. It’s taken from the gospel of St. Matthew, Chapter 10, Verse 8 where we hear Christ telling his apostles: “Freely you have received. Freely give.” It’s actually Christ’s order for his apostles to do all, to give all they have got in their work and mission of apostolate. The theme and logo of the celebration was approved by the permanent council of CBCP on September 18, 2019. Recently, the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines has initiated a fundraising by making available the 500 YOC Commemorative Plate that encapsulates the encompassing theme of the 500 Years of Christianity celebration in the Philippines. This plate is a valuable souvenir and the best memorabilia for this joyous event. It is also an important reminder of how the Christian faith came to the shore of Mactan, Cebu in 1521 which grew throughout the Philippine islands for the next 500 years.

News

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SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2021

Body cam rules on warrants set soon—SC

REHEARSAL. Members

of the National Historical Commission and Philippine Navy troops hold a flag raising rehearsal at the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite ahead of the 123rd anniversary of Philippine Independence Day on June 12. Norman Cruz

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court is expected to approve next month the rules on the use of body cameras in the implementation of search and arrest warrants, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said Friday. During his first virtual press conference since becoming Chief Justice in April, Gesmundo stressed the issue would be discussed as early as June 15 when the high bench resumes its regular sessions. The Supreme Court first tackled the matter last March 16. “Our colleagues have submitted their respective inputs. We are optimistic that maybe two or after three deliberations we will come up with that final version,” Gesmundo said. “It’s in the works and by July perhaps we can have the final version and we’ll approve it for implementation immediately,” he added. Gesmundo said Associate Justice Marvic Leonen had circulated to the other members of the Court a working draft on the proposed revisions on the rules related to the issuance of search and arrest warrants. Pending approval of the rules, the Philippine National Police launched on June 4 the body-worn camera system for them to ensure transparency and legitimacy of law enforcement operations. PNP Chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar said an initial 2,696 body cameras have been distributed to 171 police stations and offices.

Nurses plead for retroactive pay hike anew By Willie Casas A NURSES’ organization on Friday called on the government to release their retroactive pay since January 2020, in compliance with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea’s June 1, 2021 memorandum setting the salary of entry level nurses to Salary Grade 15 (P32,000) from Salary Grade 11 (P22,000). This developed as health workers from the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, San Lazaro Hospital and Fabella Hospital held a noontime protest action calling for the Department of Health (DOH) to immediately return and release their budget for meals, accommodation, and transportation benefits for public and private health workers under the Bayanihan Law 2. In a statement, the Filipino Nurses United (FNU) said Medialdea’s memorandum is consistent with the October 2019 Supreme Court decision setting the base pay for nurses in government institutions at Salary Grade 15 as provided under the 2002 Philippine Nursing Act. “We urge the government to ensure that all nurses in public sector enjoy the upgrade of entry salary to SG 15 for beginner nurses with Nurse 1 positions, including those in local government units and those without employee-employer relationship, with retroactive pay since January 2020 as stipulated in DBM Circular 2020-4,” the FNU said. Medialdea’s memo reversed the Department of Budget and Management circular, which demoted those with Nurse 2 to 7 rank to one rank lower even as they retained their salary prior to demotion.

ON POWER OUTAGES

Cusi points to NGCP ‘compliance issues’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

HE Philippines does not have a power crisis, only “compliance issues” with its power reserves that are supposed to be delivered by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi told a Senate committee hearing on Friday.

At the same time, Senator Risa Hontiveros said the government should regain control of the country’s power grid as the Department of Energy proposed recently, especially with the NGCP being 40-percent owned by Chinese state-owned corporation. “What we have right now is not a power crisis, but compliance issues,” Cusi said as he pushed energy stakeholders to comply with the implementation of power-related policies.

The Energy chief explained that the main cause of the current rotational brownouts in Luzon was the forced or unplanned outages of several major power plants. He reiterated there should be reserves which should be provided by the NGCP. Unfortunately, he said, the Department of Energy has found NGCP to be continuously remiss in its obligations under its franchise agreement, particularly in procuring ancillary services (AS) or power reservers.

Another cause to the power outages, Cusi said, is the delay in the completion of transmission lines connecting Negros to Panay to Cebu, and Mindanao to Visayas, which could have helped bring more energy to Luzon. “It has been frustrating. But at least, now we again have an opportunity to talk about this. Hopefully, this time, the Senate would appreciate what the DOE has been talking about all these years,” he said. To improve the power situation, the Energy chief appealed to the legislators to consider what the DOE has been proposing – to allow the government to engage in power generation. The intention is not to compete with private companies, Cusi said, but rather to augment the energy supply requirements when needed.

ENTERTAINERS’ JABS. Celebrities

gets inoculated with the anti-COVID-19 vaccine at the MMDA Auditorium in Makati following the vaccination program for local artists and workers in the entertainment industry by the Metro Manila Film Foundation in partnership with the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation on Friday. Manny Palmero

NBI files murder raps vs. 7 cops in mayor’s killing THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed murder and frustrated murder complaints before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against seven policemen and two others identified in the killing of Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino last March. The NBI based their conclusion on

53 statements, CCTV footage, and cellphones they obtained during the course of the investigation. Named respondents in the case are Police Lt. Col. Harry Sucayre, Police Maj. Shyrile Tan, Police Capt. Dino Goles, Police Lt. Julio Armeza Jr., Police Senior Sgt. Neil Cebu, Police Senior Sgt. Edsel

Omega, Patrolman Nino Salem, Julius Garcia, and Randy Merelos Aquino was shot at least 21 times in Laboyao Bridge, Barangay Lonoy, Calbayog City on March 8. Witnesses described it as an ambush. Police had earlier described the incident as a shootout. Willie Casas

400 court workers getting jabs

CINEMA SHOTS. Residents of Bacolod City line up for their COVID-19 vaccines at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central cinema area, with Mayor Bing Leonardia (not in picture) personally making the rounds on Friday. Bacolod PIO

SOME 400 court employees are scheduled to receive their anti-COVID-19 vaccines this week, as the Supreme Court celebrates its 120th anniversary, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said Friday. In virtual press briefing with the media covering the judiciary, Gesmundo said he was just informed by Senior Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe of the vaccination schedule. The judiciary has some 30,000 officials and employees nationwide. Gesmundo made the disclosure even as he admitted that all SC magistrates have received their vaccine jabs. In the past few months, the SC had been requesting for a share of the vac-

cines for the employees of the SC, Court of Appeals (CA), Court of Tax Appeals (CTA), Sandiganbayan (SB) and the regional trial courts (RTC) in the country. According to the top magistrate, having their employees -- considered as the most valuable resource of the Judiciary -- vaccinated would help avert a “looming judicial crisis.” Based on the SC’s COVID-19 Response Team report, as of June 3, a total of 1,994 employees of the SC, CA, CTA, SB and RTC have been afflicted with the virus, of which 33 have died. About 1,846 judiciary workers have recovered, and 115 remain as active cases. Rey E. Requejo

Binay: Let biz, private sector control jabbing By Vito Barcelo FORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday lamented the government’s vaccination program for prematurely announcing it would be vaccinating essential workers when the vaccine supply is not enough. In a press statement, Binay said many hundreds of workers flocked to vaccination sites only to find out there was no vaccine available for them. “There are no vaccines, but because of the announcement, many essential workers went to vaccination centers and majority were not vaccinated,” the former VP said. “The government played a cruel joke on workers who desperately need to find work, get back to work to feed their families, or be protected while working. It’s another government publicity stunt at the workers’ expense,” he said. “Let’s turn this over to the private sector. Let them vaccinate their employees and give incentives for companies and employees. Let them buy vaccines directly from suppliers or manufacturers,” Binay added. “We have been under a state of emergency since last year. Yet there seems to be no sense of urgency and out of the box thinking. If we really want to re-open the economy, there should be no room for red tape and government control,” he said. “Let’s encourage and support private initiatives to get more vaccines and vaccinate more people. Let’s be flexible,” he concluded.

PDEA to scrub Leyte lawmaker from drug list By Rio N. Araja THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Friday said it would acknowledge and respect the decision of the Court of Appeals ordering the deletion of Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso III from the Inter-Agency Drug Information Database (IDID), and the destruction of all documents, records and information related to his inclusion in the list. “PDEA, as one of the executive arms of the government, is bound to abide by and follow the rule of law. However, we defer all our actions,” the PDEA statement read. “Upon assumption of the Director General (Wilkins Villanueva), he immediately ordered the conduct of validation and adjudication at the regional level of all personalities included in the IDID,” it added. To show the government’s resolve in validating the list, no less than the heads of the concerned agencies who are members of the Review, Evaluation and Management of InterAgency Drug Information Database (REMIDID) Committee met last month to hasten and facilitate the adjudication process, PDEA said.

Opinion Reasserting Philippine independence in 2022 JUNE 12, 2021 marks the 123rd anniversary of the declaration of Philippine independence from Spain. It was on June 12, 1898 when our Filipino revolutionaries led by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo courageously moved to declare the Philippines as a free and sovereign nation. Our heroes asserted our independence at a time when the revolution against our Spanish colonizers was still raging. Hen. Miong has just returned from exile in Hong Kong just a few weeks before and after the revolutionary leadership decided that the struggle should be continued. It was the leaders’ decision for Hen. Miong to again lead because he was the only one who could unite and inspire the various Filipino forces to fight against our colonizers. Indeed, as soon as Gen. Aguinaldo was back, the commanders of the different revolutionary units reported to and took orders from him.

‘Sa manlulupig, di ka pasisiil!’ Soon after, with renewed vigor, our patriots were winning battles against the enemy. The very first took place in Alapan in Imus, Cavite where the Filipino forces defeated the Spanish forces in a battle that lasted for about five hours and resulted in the surrender of enemy soldiers. To celebrate this first victory, Gen. Aguinaldo unfurled for the first time the Philippine flag that he commissioned Marcela Agoncillo to do in Hong Kong. This was the first time that Filipinos saw what would become a most important national symbol. The flag was again publicly displayed during the Declaration of Independence on June 12 when the national anthem, “Marcha Nacional Filipina” was also first played publicly. Thus, on that historic day, the Filipino people were gifted with the resolve for the country to be finally free and sovereign, our national flag, and our national hymn. We have much to thank our revolutionaries for. We owe them big time. Since 1898, the country has been celebrating Independence Day every June 12 as a national holiday. Moreover, under Republic Act (R.A.) No. 8491, May 28 to June 12 of each year are designated as “Flag Days”. This law mandates government offices to publicly display the national flag. It also encourages Filipinos to do the same in front of their homes. We used to see our flag lined up proudly flying on all major thoroughfares. Families used to exert effort to display our national colors. I remember being awed whenever I would see our flags displayed as if proclaiming to the world our independence. Indeed, it is a sight to behold. However, it

has been noticeable that the Flag Days have not been significantly observed in the past years. Is patriotism, our fervor and love of country waning? I can understand that we are still suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, displaying our national symbols at a time like this may be good for the people’s psyche as they herald the country’s sovereignty. But then again, we have been having problems because our territories in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) are being claimed by China, a friend of this administration. Perhaps for some in this government, reinforcing our sovereignty is not that important and it shows in how the Flag Days are not observed. Many thousands of our revolutionists offered their lives so our country becomes independent, and our people, free. They heroically sacrificed everything and went through tremendous hardship so the generations after them would not suffer the way they did in the hands of foreign colonizers. We cannot continue disregarding our sovereignty as what this administration is doing. We cannot put to waste the revolution that won for us our country, our citizenship, and our national identity. The WPS issue is a crucial one for the 2022 elections. It is a golden opportunity for us to reverse the direction that the Duterte administration has taken regarding China and its attempts to colonize our WPS territories. This administration has been acting like our country, the Philippines, is a province of China (Duterte actually “joked” about making the Philippines a province of China) that cannot go against the big bosses. This needs to stop. The country needs real public servants, people who will pursue the welfare and interests of our country and our people. We need to elect to office people who are not scared of any country that disrespects our sovereignty as a nation. We need leaders who are ready to defend our independence through all means as how independence was pursued by those who gave their lives to this cause. We cannot be independent in name only while allowing China to continue terrorizing us and claiming what’s legally ours. We cannot let China go on toying with our territories. We need to decide to act and choose candidates who will put the country’s interests first and foremost. The Filipino electorate must scrutinize candidates’ stand on the WPS issue and question them on how they will protect the country’s sovereignty. The 2022 elections is our one chance to correct the neglect and wrongdoing of this administration. If we fail to do this, we will likely have more serious problems in the future. We do not want to be an actual province of China, do we? As Gen. Aguinaldo and our revolutionists asserted our independence in June, 1898, we must be resolute in reasserting the same independence in May, 2022. Remember the lines, “Lupang hinirang, bayan ka ng magiting, Sa manlulupig, di ka pasisiil!”

SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2021

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EDITORIAL

Independence

NE hundred twentythree years after Emilio Aguinaldo unfurled the Philippine ﬂag on his balcony in Cavite, we ask again: Have we become really and truly independent?

The context in those days was independence from a foreign power. For centuries, Filipinos were made to feel inferior in their own land, existing to serve the needs and whims of the colonizer. We could not chart our own destiny nor speak out when oppressed. In 1898, however, that appeared to have ended. The operative word is “appeared.” Over the next decades, what happened to the Filipino people has been well documented. We went through two more periods of colo-

Not the nominal kind. nization, martial law by a strongman, and in between, we figured out which governance models worked and which did not. It seems we are still grappling. This year’s Independence Day commemoration is marked by the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic including an economic recession, persistent lack of government accountability, untrammelled bullying by a giant neighbor, and the specter of national elections a mere 11 months from today, among others. Given all these issues, it might be good practice to reflect on our grasp of the word “independent.” Do we understand, for instance, that an “independent” foreign policy does not mean shunning all

advice and criticism from other nations while taking in all that a preferred neighbor says and does even if it is detrimental to our interest? Do we appreciate that one’s ability to be an effective leader is independent of one’s wealth, connections or prominent family name? Do we comprehend that poverty is not a result of inherent laziness but a result of untapped potential and missed opportunity? Can we imagine that independence is about thinking critically based on verified information, instead of parroting lines fed by the herd or propagated by spin doctors? Finally, independence is about speaking the truth no matter who might feel offended or alluded to. There is nominal independence, of course. But there is a substantial, meaningful side to independence we all must aspire to every day, in our individual and national lives.

Lacson’s illogical stand and antipathy BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

branded as a terrorist organization. Moreover, when Senator Lacson opted to put political color to the law by measuring what he did to something incongruous or incoherent to what others would say of him, many could hardly understand what he meant. He is not supposed to shy away from his duty and responsibility. His stand now reveals that he is a wavering coward who cannot decide for himself.

ATL. Sotto may win on his own merits but not on the condition set by Lacson. Besides, he assumes that Sotto will accept his offer. People do not even know whether Sotto will run as his running mate or he will be the one to run under Sotto. Finally, Lacson exposed himself as a consummate opportunist. His refusal to accept the invitation made by retired Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio to run under the newly formed 1Sambayan Coalition was a lost opportunity for him. It was an honor despite the fact that some consider him as some kind of washout candidate for the presidency. Despite the questionable ideology with which he disagrees on issues like human rights, our stand in the West Philippine Sea, our relations with China, the Visiting Forces Agreement, extra judicial killings, dictatorship, authoritarianism, and in defining our foreign interest, he remains an odd ball but not sufficient to be identified as hardcore member of the opposition. On the other hand, it seems that 1Sambayan was formed by the exigency and necessity to form a coalition against the Duterte administration. One that is visibly missing in them is their lack of a particular candidate to lead them from their current political quagmire. Lacson’s refusal to accept the invitation effectively resulted in 1Sambayan’s decapitation as AWMAKERS should a political party. For itsdrop part, everything the oppositionand is completely pathetic. immediately This is the onlydebate politicalover party in our that is 2021 having budget. difficulty fielding a thehistory proposed credible candidatepass that will be treated by They should the not new our people as kibitzer. It cannot be said the appropriations act with opposition has run out of swiftly issues, such that they little time left, as if their lives are the same issues they raised against the depend on it. Marcos administration at a time when martial law was in force. Many suspect that the opposition is running out of financial President Rodrigo Duterte as brokers early to as last month stressed the importance fund their candidates. While admittedly, of cost the 2021 spending plan and itsisearthe of election in this country getting ly passage, calling the country’s costly, financial brokersit whose interests are biggest package. The 2021 are tied up tostimulus the outcome of the election budgetleaner. in a sense will the govern-of a getting This is be symptomatic ment’s inresponse to the change ideological orbitCOVID-19 both for the pandemic has killed the econolackeys andthat the brokers. my and rendered millions of Filipinos rpkapunan@gmail.com jobless. Lawmakers should be reminded time and again that this is not the time for political bickering. Their petty squabbles can wait but the spending program to reinvigorate the economy and preserve the

Opinion

WHEN Senator Lacson rejected the offer to run under the newly organized opposition coalition known as 1Sambayan this coming 2022 presidential election, he said: “to [have me lead] would be inconsistent and inconWhat is the senator gruous for the groups to endorse, let alone, be identified with somebody who is one of the saying? authors and principal sponsor of the Anti-Terrorism Law.” His position on this particular issue is rathRather, the Anti-Terror Law exposed him er illogical, a shallow excuse for an ambitious as utterly subservient to the wishes of the US. politician like him. He cannot even differis nothing new in that law except that entiate his role as legislator from that of an There pire were spared from pillagers. This it added teethnot to our law enforcing authorities author of a particular law that was approved. is known as the sack of Rome, “whenthem the to pin down subversives by classifying It is Lacson’s duty as senator to submit fate of the Roman culture would depend Before that, there was the Anbills for legislation, and we pay him for that. as terrorists. on the barbarians’ readiness to preserve Act of R.A. No. 1700. SubverHe should have detached himself from what- ti-Subversion or transmit it” (History of the World, John sives can be arrested on that basis alone. The ever law he submitted. He should not considWhitney after Hall, that pp 139 andpolitical 141). Centuries hypocrites, great swindle er himself as a lesser tyrant or dictator all for later, in the worldwide expansion of Euat EDSA, argued that to openly profess belief the fact that hehas is one theunexpected authors of the THERE beenof an union rope, the natives of South America were in communist ideology or be a member of the much-criticized Anti-Terror Law.Navy and the killed by the between the Philippine thousands during the early Communist Party of the Philippines should If that be the case, Senate Lacson seems ng stages of the European Tagapagtaguyod ng Sining at Kultura conquest. The not make one liable criminal acts. to have no trust(TSKP). of himself a legislator. Pilipinas TheasPhilippine Navy English colonistsforwho settled in North When PC Chief Fidel Ramos later became health Worse,is ifthe henaval has no confidence in whatForces he branch of the Armed America originated the notion that the andIndian wanted to acleanse himself of on Day submitted. is awfully badThe is the of the What Philippines (AFP). AFPfact is re- President only good was dead Indian (Hisas the former hangman of The that hesponsible has no trust the Filipinothe people. He being forinupholding sovereignty toryidentified of the World, John Whitney Hall, pp President scrapped the Anti-Subversion reenact shouldoftake that once a bill is approved, ournote Republic, supporting the Consti- the414-415). only towas come a muchthe harsher their jo all aretution enjoined obey and enforce thatterritory law. Law, There andtodefending Philippine alsoout thewith Anschluss, Gerunder the aegis of ofAustria democracy andMarch freebudget This explains why we do foreign not calland an elected against all enemies domestic. lawman annexation on 12 @bethangsioco on Twitter; Elizabeth Angcalled the Anti-Terror Law. because It is for budget TSKP on theorother hand, a nongov- dom President a dictator a tyrant forisenforcing 1938 unopposed by the Austrians sioco on Facebook Lacson appears schizophrenic in that and approved. nonpoliticalThe organization the lawernmental that has been law he thisofthat intense Nazinow propaganda. In November in distancing himself as author of that law. my wo which was organized to develop and proauthored is not personal to him, and no sane 1938, on a day aptly called Kristallnacht he isof right knows he would Philippine arts culture, and to Maybe (“Night thebecause BrokenheGlass”), most of personmote should blame him forand being the author landing right into lap ofwere the hypocrites synagogues inthe Vienna destroyed of thatuse law.arts and culture as a means to educate be the vigorously chanting the Filipinos on Philippine traditions, andwere burned in full view of the against fire departAnother, he should not sethistory, conditions on who T very law he authored. and foster distinct valments and the public. others to set sail his ambition whether Lacson feels uneasy standing side by side including the Jewish businesses he willues decide to runnationfor president on conwho opposed his and bill. and Vicente patriotism. vandalized dition hood Senator Sotto III will take with the same people were sho be branded as the greatest hypocrite of The Philippine ransacked, and thouhim as running mate. This to the mind is Heiscan There an whenofoneJews of hiswere felon Navy, ascondition, a protectornot of to say inconse- all time, and his fear is sands an awkward low candidates in the opposition they will deunlikely union the nation and TSKP arrested and deportquential to his being the author of the Anbud Presently, black sand mining operations by nounce him before the ed public. opposition as an Law. advocate of to The concentration ti-Terrorism between soldiers foreign or local firms require only a mayor’s cave in because people cultureobservers and arts,also bothnoticed that be- coalition will instantly camps(https://encyPolitical permit from the local government unit conand the arts. will know that the opposition is nothing more aim to strengthen the clopedia.ushmm.org/ tween the two conditions he set are not only cerned, thus, unrestrained exploitation is pracbut a band of people with different ideologies fabric but of illogical. Philippine content/en/article/ incongruous Choosing Sotto as tically allowed. percent pire we society.mate Cynics willunrelated or has but united for the single purpose of grabbing austria). his running is totally Given the situation, Probinsyano Ako Rep. passed is know find a disconnect in political power from the administration. During World War no connection to his being the author of the Jose “Bonito” Singson Jr. has filed a bill callof the fate of P partnership, questioning the Navy’s When stated he French will only run if II, theLacson Director of the Muśees ATL. their No supporter of him will ever consider ed in a BLACK sand, for all the dollars it could ac- ing for the imposition of a ban on the exportaon the relevance with regard to arts and culture. Senator Vicente Sotto will team up with Nationaux, Jacques Jaujard, anticipated that condition. Some even consider him silly tually generate for the country even in its tion of black sand in its raw form. or trans This is how we see it —the Philippine the fall of France and decided to orgahim, that condition spelled out the truth after claiming authorship of the ATL. Maybe Singson, chairman of the House Comraw form, is not without negative impact. Whitne protects andtopreserves nizehimself. the evacuation of because the Louvre art I say this Sotto’s we canNavy admire him forthe hisnation firmness make about What could be considered the latest craze in mittee on Public Accounts, said the current later, in our society. This society must embrace collections into the countryside. By the candidacy has nothing to do with his stand a stand against the communist insurgency THERE has been an unexpected union rope, th mining, black sand or magnetite is used as an economic crisis dictates that black sand exarts and culture because it is that which time the Germans arrived in Paris on 16 on certain issues like his support for the which he and his misplaced neoliberals rebetween the Philippine Navy and the killed b additive in the manufacturing of concrete and tracted in the country be processed locally creates a civilized society, lays history August 1940 the museum was almost into steel and other byproducts, rather than (www.manilastandard.net) Tagapagtaguyod ng Sining at Kultura ng stages steel products, magnets, paint, ink, paper, jewand traditions, and gives a nation its iden- empty. For instance, the Mona Lisa was exploiting our resources, our people Pilipinas (TSKP). The Philippine Navy makers English elry and cosmetics, making it a very lucrative exporting it in its raw form only to be im- to Singson, tity. adding that it’s rather ironic from moved from Chambord to several casdangers mincountries are and allowed “to is exploit is the naval branch LONG of the Armed Forces by Americ commodity in foreign markets such as in Chi- ported back to the country in the form of that otherTo some, arts culture only forabsorb the tles the andenvironmental abbeys, to finish at thetheend of STORY of the Philippines (AFP). The AFP is re- on cause,” laments at theinsame time our natural resourcesand while wewho get can scraps only na and Taiwan and as such, magnetite extrac- expensive steel products. the privileged those afforders the thegoa war Singson at the Muśee Ingres MontauSHORT sponsible for upholding the sovereignty pion unregulated black sand mining in return.” tory of tions are now being conducted in large scale in to appreciate it. It is only them who maywarning the ban that (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ of our Republic, supporting the Consti- 414-41 erosion that trigger floods, a rise in Last own February, Singson filed the House Bill ofcauses a part of it or enjoy pleasures Expe the areas of Cagayan, Pangasinan, Zambales Evacuation_of_the_Louvre_museum_ ADELLE We have to make tution and defending Philippine territory events Ther level and other geohazards. 6321 proposing prohibit the my exportation a culturedtolife. I asked son whoofis insea art_collection_during_World_War_II). and some parts of the Visayas. CHUA against all enemies foreign and domestic. have man an now, huge amounts of blackwhich sand black sand its raw form to require highinschool aboutand how he seesfirms culture Right no However, despite its promises, black sand The art collections in the Louvre, sure we are not on the TSKP onwill thealways other hand, is a between nongov- tion. 1938 Af un being shipped andvarious processed in other involved black “indi- are carried andinarts. Hesand said mining that “it either is nonessential; items out from cultures in poses a greater risk. Black sand mining disTHERE be a gap Love unleashed losing end. ernmental and of inten viduallyarts or are collectively, to institute, build, unless or countries. just drawings or paintings ay the world were saved for the next genturbs marine and coastal ecosystems and inexpectation and nonpolitical reality. The organization world is not once which was organized to develop process, Singson explains, grossly delease advanced for in magnetite you haveprocessing a personalplants interest it.” He fur- This We oa erations to behold. creases erosion and associated geohazards perfect. People are not perfect. and Theproex- 1938, mote Philippine arts and culture, andwe to these (“Night therprovince expounded that “culture is discussednies the that could within the where they are conducting ex In country recent massive memory revenues is the looting of and that removal of material and associated pectations, however, remind us that use artsnot and accept culture the as a current means tosituation, educate palm-in the syna By imposing such restrictions, Singson said actual in Araling Panlipunanand where we study in-be the derived in processing in mining operations,” specifically Baghdad Museum magnetite in Iraq inand 2003 erosion also likely results in land subsidence, should Filipinos on Philippine traditions, and bur digenous communities and theircould cultures,importing them instead of giving that magnetite or its derivatives during the armed conflict of Iraqdisplaced with the and that we can alwayshistory, improve—if we weren’t which makes local communities particularly it could help revive the economy which has provides and foster distinct valbeen hit badly by the pandemic. and Philippine traditions and practices make u United States. It also resulted in damage Filipinos much needed jobs. “It is the foreign only be exported have been processed locally. want to. vulnerable to floods, damage from seasonal ues including nation“Dead and dying businesses have to be like fiestas, serenading or harana, bayani-exporters to the who ancient are city able of to Babylon offer jobs(in to prestheir In a recent hearing of the House Committee What are these instances of expectation a nation typhoons, and sea level rise. hood and patriotism. han, among others.” revived to provide jobs for the growing ent day Iraq). The incessant civil unrest countrymen.” on Natural Resources on his proposed measversus reality? We need not look further number Unfortunately, there is no law banning What the Philippines The However, culture and artsblack is more in course, Syria has exposedblack its heritage sites regulating sand mining bared that “massive” sandthan Of than what wePhilippine saw at the House ofThere Repre- is But black sand mining thus black sand mining in number of Filipinos who have been ren- ure, Singson an w Navy, as acontribute protector practices—it is anfirms expres-maytonot massive, inadvertent, can to win be the ideal solution. and But ifdeliberate the govoperationsand conducted by foreign sentatives these past of few days. itself is legal as long as the company engaged dered jobless as a result of the COVID-19 mining tradition unlikely theExpectation nation and 1: TSKP siongoing of theonideas, eventsnow andinperspectives destruction(https://www.brandeis.edu/ Independence. The union cannot do anything to stop this activifor years various ernment in this activity is granted permit, the only lim- pandemic. The multi-billion-dollar local have been against climate change as an advocate of of a people in a period in history. This is ethics/peacebuildingarts/pdfs/library-aublack sand industry could provide the angovernment is composed of three branchty, it might as well ensure that we don’t end up localities in Regions I and II and in the Visayas. between soldie‘ itation is if the dredging is done in reservoirs culture and arts, both why incompanies times of war andhuge occupation, thors/2015_10_KristinParker_Heritageswer to these grave problems,” according es of government that are independent, losing end. “Foreign take profits theon the and protective areas. the arts. aim to strengthen the Theyand annexing powers take control not only andReconciliation_Final.pdf). Because separate and co-equal. check and of c fabric of Philippine of the government and military force but of these shifts in power and voyages of balance each other, ensuring that no one ded society. Cynics will Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher abuse of power. The Exalso of the way of life. The Spanish for branch commits Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser conquest, cultures were destroyed alongManilaStandard can be accessed at: find a disconnect in more than three hundred years introduced side their peoples. These may be realities doesBlanco not meddle the Editor affairs of Honor Cabie in Night Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor ecutive Anitatheir F. Grefal Treasury Managerand culture to ONLINE manilastandard.net theirLegislature, partnership, questioning the Navy’s II, the way of life, religion ofChin warWong/Ray and armed conflict Associate but arts, Editors culthe and the City lawmakers Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Jimbo Owen Gulle Editor act S. Eñano relevance withcrafting regard toand artspassing and culture. Baldwin“Las R. Felipe Head—Ad Solutions Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Islas de Filipinas.” When Spain ced- ture, Joyce monuments, and heritage will MEMBER on their own, laws Nation M. Santos Chief Photographer Pangco Pañares Newssites Editor Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone ThisLino is how we see itgood —the Philippine Philippine Press Institute the fall ed the Philippines to Manager the United States in have to be saved to preserve both the culpe Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation they believe would be for the peo- must numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all The National Association Navy protects the nation and preserves nize th departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. 1898 through the Treaty of Paris, they, in to vote ture and history of civilizations. ple. Their words and actions do not in any of Philippine Newspapers Box 2933, Manila Central Post Ofﬁce, Manila. Website: www. our society. society must embrace Emil P. Jurado Chairmanway Emeritus, Board collectiw turn, used education and religion as tools courtEditorial theThis favor of the Executive, and polls, manilastandard.net arts and culture because itare is determined that which discern time th to influence the way we live. Full version at www.manilastandard. developments in Congress creates a civilized themselves society, lays history August Old civilizations like the Roman Em- net only by lawmakers – not law- —rejec and traditions, a nation iden- not empty. dow makers dancingand to gives the tune of theitsExectity. moved the truth utive. To some, arts2: and culture The is only for tles and Expectation Urgency. House

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G7 to provide 1b vax doses ‘to world’

7 LEADERS will agree to expand global COVID vaccine manufacturing to provide at least one billion doses to the world through sharing and financing schemes, Britain said.

The announcement came after the United States said it would donate 500 million jabs to 92 poor and lower-middle-income nations. The UK, which is hosting the big powers’ gathering in southwest Eng-

land, added it would donate at least 100 million surplus doses within the next year, including five million beginning in the coming weeks. The commitments follow growing calls for richer countries to step up their

efforts to share COVID-19 shots with less developed nations, with charities warning the current situation is leading to “vaccine apartheid.” Britain, which has orders for more than 400 million doses, has faced criticism for failing to begin making donations to poorer countries. But on the eve of welcoming world leaders from the group of seven wealthy nations to their first summit in almost two years, British Prime Min-

ister Boris Johnson vowed that would soon change. “As a result of the success of the UK’s vaccine programme we are now in a position to share some of our surplus doses with those who need them,” he said. “At the G7 Summit I hope my fellow leaders will make similar pledges.” A Downing Street statement said: “At the Summit world leaders are expected to announce they will provide at least one billion coronavirus vaccine doses

Indonesia dengue fever study offers new hope in disease battle DENGUE fever infections dropped dramatically in an Indonesian study where a bacteria was introduced into disease-carrying mosquitoes, offering hope in the battle against an illness that sickens millions annually around the world. Results of the three-year study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week, found that infecting dengue-carrying mosquitoes with a harmless bacteria called Wolbachia led to a 77 percent drop in human cases. Infections requiring hospitalization also fell by 86 percent in Wolbachiatreated areas of Yogyakarta, a city on Java island where the experiment was conducted, researchers said.

to the world.. and set out a plan to expand vaccine manufacturing in order to achieve that goal.” Meanwhile EU members have agreed to donate at least 100 million doses by the end of 2021 – with France and Germany each committing to providing 30 million. French President Emmanuel Macron issued his own call for pharma groups producing vaccines to donate 10 percent of their production to poor nations. AFP

AFTER THE FALL. This

picture taken on June 10, 2021 shows a night view of the ruins of the 13th century palace Qara Serai (Black Palace) of the Zengid Turkoman Sultan Badruddin Lu’lu’ in Iraq’s northern city of Mosul, on the seventh anniversary of the city’s fall to Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP

The study was conducted by the World Mosquito Program at Monash University in Australia and Indonesia’s Gadjah Mada university. “The 77 percent figure is honestly quite fantastic for a transmittable disease and we’re very grateful with the result,” said Adi Utarini, a public-health researcher from Gadjah Mada university who was a co-lead on the study. The trial involved releasing Wolbachia into the mosquito population across specific parts of Yogyakarta to measure how it impacted the incidence of infections among three- to 45-yearolds. It has now been expanded to other parts of the city. AFP

Hong Kong to censor films for national security breaches HONG KONG censors are to vet all films for national security breaches under expanded powers announced on Friday, in the latest blow to the financial hub’s political and artistic freedoms. Authorities in semi-autonomous Hong Kong have embarked on a sweeping crackdown to root out Beijing’s critics after huge and often violent democracy protests convulsed the city in 2019. A new China-imposed security law and an official campaign dubbed “Patriots rule Hong Kong” has since criminalised much dissent and strangled the democracy movement. The latest target is films. In a statement on Friday, the government said the Film Censorship Ordinance had been expanded to include “any act or activity which may amount to an offence endangering national security.” “When considering a film as a whole and its effect on the viewers, the censor should have regard to his duties to prevent and suppress acts or activities endangering national security, and the common responsibility of the people of Hong Kong to safeguard the sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity of the People’s Republic of China,” the new guidance, which is effective immediately, states. Films are rigorously vetted on the Chinese mainland and only a handful of Western films or documentaries ever see a commercial release each year. Hong Kong’s Film Censorship Authority has traditionally employed a much lighter touch. Historically, the city has boasted a thriving film scene and for much of the latter half of the last century, Cantonese cinema was worldclass. In more recent decades, slick mainland Chinese and South Korean blockbusters have come to dominate the regional film scene. But Hong Kong still maintains some key studios, a handful of lauded directors and a thriving indie scene.AFP

(MS-JUNE 12, 2021)

MOSQUITO HACK. In this undated handout photo released by the World Mosquito Program, mosquitoes are collected at the research center in Yogyakarta. Results of the three-year study found that infecting dengue-carrying mosquitoes with a harmless bacteria called Wolbachi led to a 77 percent drop in human cases. AFP

Rover, named after fire god, leaves ‘China’s imprint’ on Mars

(MS-JUNE 12, 2021) (MS-JUNE 12, 2021)

SOLAR panel “wings” spread out and two camera “eyes” pointing ahead, China’s Mars rover Zhurong struck a birdlike pose as it explored the red planet in photos released by the country’s space agency Friday. Manila Zhurong’s touchdown in May was the first ever successful probe Standard landingTODAY by any country on its first Mars mission – a milestone in China’s ascent to space superpower status. The rover, named after a mythical Chinese NOTICE OF ADDENDUM fire god, has since been studying the topograTO THE EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT phy of a vast Martian lava plain known as the Notice is hereby given to the Utopia Planitia. public that the Addendum to the Extrajudicial Settlement of Photos published by the China National Estate of the Late Vicente C. Villegas, Sr. has been executed Space Administration showed tracks in the by and among his heirs, namely: Adelfa V. Garcia, Corazon V. red soil left by Zhurong, which the agency deEspano, Adelina V. Sydiongco, Josefina V. Potestas, Vicente M. scribed as “China’s imprint,” after it drove onto Villegas, Jr., Tracy M. Villegas, the planet’s surface from a landing platform Bernardo M. Villegas, and The Estate of the Late Sofia M. adorned with a large Chinese flag. Villegas, as per Doc. No. 620, Page No. 120, Book No. XXII, The six-wheeled, solar-powered, 240-kiSeries of 2021 of the Notarial Register of Atty. Gomeriano V. logram Zhurong is expected to spend three Amurao, Notary Public for and in the City of Pasay. months taking photos, harvesting geographical data, and collecting rock samples.AFP (MS-MAY 29, JUNE 5 & 12, 2021)

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

SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2021

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, June 11, 2021

32.08 PTS. 6,907.79

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

4,130,446,607 98,152 5,764,515,090.19 118 90 50

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.7280

Japan

Yen

0.009146

0.4365

Pound

1.417700

67.6640

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128868

6.1506

Switzerland

Franc

1.117943

53.3572

Canada

Dollar

0.827061

39.4740

Singapore

Dollar

0.755515

36.0592

Australia

Dollar

0.775300

37.0035

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655831

126.7575

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

12.7275

Brunei

Dollar

0.752672

35.9235

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.032082

1.5312

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

12.9950

Euro

1.217500

58.1088

Korea

Won

0.000899

0.0429

China

Yuan

0.156426

7.4659

India

Rupee

0.013686

0.6532

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.242807

11.5887

New Zealand

Dollar

0.719400

34.3355

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036134

1.7246 Source: BSP

GT Capital, unit Metrobank set to start vaccination METROPOLITAN Bank & Trust Co. and GT Capital Holdings Inc. said Friday they are expecting 400,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines that will be made available for employees of each of the Tyled group of companies, which includes Toyota Motor Philippines, Federal Land, AXA Philippines, Philippine Savings Bank and others. The vaccination program will be rolled out in the third quarter this year to be administered by the group-owned Manila Doctors Hospital and ActiveOne Health Inc., a leading corporate clinic and wellness services management. “We are looking forward to seeing the economy bounce back, so this vaccination program will increase the protection for the health of our employees,” said Gerboy Ortega, head of Metrobank’s human resources management group. “In keeping with our commitment to be the good hands that our people can depend on, we will prioritize all our front-liners and those with comorbidities,” said Ortega. He said as the group continuously implements strict health protocols to protect both employees and customers, the vaccination program will further ensure safety of everyone including their family members at home. “We continue to support programs that contribute to the fight against COVID-19 and mitigate its effects on our country,” said Metrobank president Fabian Dee. “The multi-million peso funds we have released to support shortterm relief and recovery assistance to affected sectors will now include the group’s assistance in the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and free inoculation for employees,” said Dee.

Business BSP RESEARCH TIE-UP. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas continues to strengthen its research capabilities and intellectual exchanges by signing separate memoranda of understanding with the Agricultural Credit Policy Council and the Philippine-American Educational Foundation-Fulbright. Signing the agreements on behalf of the BSP are (from left) Monetary Board Member Bruce Tolentino, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno and Deputy Governor and BSP Research Academy head Maria Almasara Cyd TuanoAmador.

Foreign exchange reserves slipped to $106.98b in May T By Julito G. Rada

he gross international reserves declined slightly to $106.98 billion in May from $107.71 billion in April as the government settled some of its foreign debts, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday.

“The month-on-month decrease reflected outflows mainly from the foreign currency withdrawals of the national government from its deposits with the BSP to pay its foreign currency debt obligations and various expenditures,” the BSP said in a statement. It said these outflows were partly offset by the inflows from the BSP’s foreign exchange operations and income from investments abroad and an upward adjustment in the value of gold holdings

due to the increase in the price of gold in the international market. The reserves level represents a more than adequate external liquidity buffer equivalent to 12.2 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income, the BSP said. The May figure was also about 7.4 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 5.1 times based on residual maturity. Shortterm debt based on residual maturity

Cebu Landmasters gets PRA approval on P20-b Ming-Mori reclamation project By Jenniffer B. Austria CEBU Landmasters Inc. has obtained the approval of the Philippine Reclamation Authority on its P20-billion MingMori project in Cebu province. CLI said during the signing of an agreement between the local government of Minglanilla and the PRA it plans to complete the projects in the next three years. CLI chief executive Jose Soberano III said the 100-hectare Minglanilla Techno-Business is envisioned to be a regional growth center designed to be sustainable and responsive to the environment. Phase one of the Minglanilla TechnoBusiness Park will include development of commercial, residential and institutional projects. “The project will take CLI to a brandnew level and widen the range of our customer base to include light-industrial and technology-driven companies,”

said Soberano. “We aim to achieve a balanced and mutually supporting relationship between urban mixed-use development, light-industrial land use and environmental stewardship. This will be our formula for sustainable growth and development.” The property firm said it is fully equipped to develop and manage the capital -intensive project with the support of equity and bank partners. Early this year, the listed company sold P3 billion in notes at a competitive rate to fund early works for Ming-Mori beginning fourth quarter of 2021. “This is one of CLI’s biggest projects thus far. Because of the scale of this project that will take several phases to develop, we have carefully and meticulously planned it to be sustainable and supportive of future generations,” Soberano said. CLI has engaged Singapore-based Surbana Jurong Consultants to masterplan the whole development.

ABOITIZ SUPPORT. The Aboitiz Group, represented by Aboitiz Foundation president and chief operating officer Maribeth Marasigan (second row, center), takes part in an official ceremony marking the beginning of the government’s expanded vaccination program which now includes all economic front-liners from across industries. The Aboitiz Group,along with a coalition of public-private sector partners under the Taskforce T3 (test, trace, treat), pledged support to the government’s efforts to initiate the vaccination of the A4 priority sector.

refers to outstanding external debt with original maturity of one year or less, plus principal payments on medium- and long-term loans of the public and private sectors falling due within the next 12 months. Data showed the GIR consisted of $92.64 billion worth of foreign investments, $9.9 billion in gold holdings, $2.39 billion in foreign exchange, $1.23 billion in special drawing rights and $807.9 million in reserve position in the International Monetary Fund. The net international reserves also decreased by $730 million to $106.96 billion in May from the April level of $107.69 billion. The GIR hit a record-high of $110.117 billion in December 2020. The BSP expects it to settle at $114 billion by end2021 and $117 billion by end-2022.

PMFTC executive pushes change for smoke-free future

AN EXECUTIVE of PMFTC Inc., the local affiliate of Philip Morris International, said Thursday the company is embracing technological innovation to deliver a smoke-free future. Speaking during the American Chamber of Commerce Business Innovation Forum 2021 titled “Redefining the Future” held online, Dr. Victor Joseph Yamat, scientific affairs manager of PMFTC, said science proved that burning or the combustion process when smoking a cigarette is what produces harmful constituents that cause disease, and not nicotine. “Our best opportunity to contribute to positive change is clear: we need to innovate and innovate responsibly,” said Yamat, who participated in the virtual event along with experts of various fields to share insights on how businesses can leverage technological innovations to transform industries. Yamat was referring to PMI’s pronouncement of “Delivering a smokefree future.” He said this corporate vision has a very specific goal: to provide the world’s adult smokers, who would otherwise continue to smoke, with smoke-free alternatives. “Scientific evidence has shown that burning is indeed the main problem. The reality is the moment we light anything on fire we practically open up a chemical factory. This applies to the tobacco in a cigarette. The fuel in a car. Or the wood in a stove,” he said. Yamat said studies have shown that as the temperature of tobacco increases, the levels of harmful chemicals being formed also increases. “The onset of combustion is actually at around 400 degrees Celsius. This is why there is a movement across sectors to reduce and eliminate combustion or burning in the equation,” he said.

Meralco bares slight increase in power rates By Alena Mae S. Flores MANILA Electric Co., the country’s biggest retailer of electricity, announced Friday a slight upward adjustment in rates for June. The utility raised the electricity rate for a typical household by P0.0798 per kilowatt-hour to P8.6718 per kWh from last month’s P8.5920 per kWh. A residential customer consuming a monthly average of 200 kWh will experience an increase of around P16 in the total bill. Meralco vice president and spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga attributed the increase in June rates mainly due to higher charges in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, the trading floor of electricity. Zaldarriaga said this month’s overall rate is still lower than last year’s rate by P0.0534 per kWh and is also the lowest rate for June since 2018. Meralco’s generation charge for June rose P0.0697 per kW to P4.6171 per kWh from P4.5474 per kWh in May.. WESM charges increased P1.6322 per kWh due to tight supply conditions in the Luzon grid. Meralco last month secured around six percent of its power supply requirement from the WES. Demand in the grid increased 1,131 MW to 11,556 MW in May from 10,425 MW in April with the increase in temperature and economic activities. The Luzon grid was placed on yellow alert on May 5, due to insufficient operating reserves as the average capacity on outage remained at the 3,000 MW level from 2,700 MW last year. As a result, WESM prices remained high for extended periods, triggering the imposition of the secondary price cap on May 4-7 and then again on May 20-22. Zaldarriaga said the increase this month was tempered by Meralco’s implementation of the Distribution Rate True-Up refund that began in March.

IN BRIEF PH processed meat items get Japan nod THE Philippines can now export processed meat products to Japan after the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare included Manila in the list of certified countries that passed the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point-based (HACCP) hygiene management protocols. The Philippines has been supplying chicken yakitori to Japan for over 10 years prior to the inclusion. Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the Philippines was pleased over meeting the stringent standards required by the Japanese authorities on food imports. “This is definitely a big boost for our livestock producers, and food manufacturers, meat processors and exporters, as we continue to look for market opportunities to jumpstart the country’s economic recovery amid the pandemic,” said Dar. “It is also a testament to our commitment in providing safe, healthy amd world-class quality food for both domestic and export markets, and Japan is a discriminating market. Thus, we look forward to penetrating more export markets,” he added. Othel V. Campos

DITO’s subscribe base nearing 1-million mark DITO Telecommunity Corp. said Friday its mobile subscriber base hit almost one million since its launching three months ago. “As of today, we are very close to hitting one million subscribers that is a big milestones to DITO,” Adel Tamano, chief administrative officer of DITO, said in a virtual briefing. DITO’s subscriber base as of June 10 stood at 890,000. DITO chief technology officer Rodolfo Santiago said his company was adding 23 cities and municipalities to its commercial service areas starting Saturday, bringing the total to 123. “We expect later this month, we should be able to have about 146 to 150 total cities and municipalities that we will be opening for commercial service,” Santiago said. “Later this year, you will see the aggressiveness of opening up more areas for commercial service because we are about ready to achieve the second year commitment of DITO in terms of coverage. We are about ready to complete the minimum 51 percent population coverage that is required to us by July 8,” he said. Darwin G. Amojelar

MB okays revisions to rules on securities THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, approved the amendments to the regulations on securities custodianship and securities registry operations in a bid to simplify the licensing process and expand both the client base and the number of financial institutions offering said services. BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said in a statement Friday the amendments were part of the commitment of the regulator to contribute to the development of the domestic capital market and strengthen investor protection. “The new rules will attract more players in the industry while ensuring that only BSP-supervised financial institutions (BSFIs) with robust risk management and governance systems as well as appropriate information technology infrastructure will offer securities custodianship and securities registry services,” he said. “This will complement existing initiatives to expand investment opportunities for the public and at same time ensure that their interests are adequately protected,” Diokno said. Julito G. Rada

Philippines 123rd Independence Day

SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2021 advertise@manilastandard.net

Supporting local businesses this Independence Day By P. Y. Deligero

HE country celebrates today its 123rd year of independence – a full century and 23 years since Emilio Aguinaldo waved the country’s flag from the balcony of his home in Kawit, Cavite, signifying liberty from the Spaniards who colonized the Philippines for more than 300 years. Filipinos have embraced their independence from foreign rule by exercising their freedoms. Some take to the streets and call out their oppressors, while others decide to use their presence online and raise awareness on the battles they wage. And since we now live in the modern age, Filipinos use their online space to celebrate their nationality. So aside from the usual parades and other festivities, Filipinos post artworks, historical facts, and memes to commemorate their independence and raise awareness about their cultural roots. Doing so allows them to show how proud of how far they’ve come since then and exhibit their love for the country. SUPPORTING LOCAL But there’s another way that Filipinos show their love for their country and that’s by supporting local brands or businesses. Over the years, Filipinos have shown their entrepreneurial skills as they have successfully established brands and businesses, no matter what the size, to help accomplish their goals. And with the support of their fellowmen, these objectives get realized promptly and efficiently. Yet there’s more to supporting local products and services than just giving Filipino entrepreneurs a chance to exhibit their strengths and earn an income. Here are other reasons why Filipinos should support local businesses: IMPROVES THE LOCAL ECONOMY Local brands and businesses often work with local industries as well. As incorporators of a brand or business established locally, they know the satisfaction of being recognized by consumers. This is why they tend to support other industries in the same community, too. Apart from being able to uplift each other, the money spent on goods or services tends to circulate in the same places, thus improving the economy of a particular area. So before you think about visiting a multinational clothing brand or a foreign-owned fast food chain, try looking at other local options first. CREATES A SENSE OF COMMUNITY We’re all familiar with the “Bayanihan” concept among Filipinos and how it fosters solidarity in a community. Supporting local businesses is a form of bayanihan, too. Local businesses, especially

TURNING PORTS INTO TURNING POINTS These are trying times, but we are resilient, responsive. Despite the many challenges in this unprecedented time, we continue to quickly and safely deliver basic goods, food, medicine and supplies. With tireless, selfless men and women at the forefront, we are able to deliver essentials needed by societies and economies to heal and recover.

WE ARE STRONGER THAN EVER

CORPORATE OFFICE ICTSI Administration Bldg., Manila International Container Terminal MICT South Access Road, Port of Manila 1012 Manila, Philippines +632 8 245 4101 info@ictsi.com www.ictsi.com

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small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), know how to anticipate the needs and wants of their customers, thus creating a connection that goes beyond the seller-customer relationship. Other than this, local businesses are aware of the quality of product or service that their target market is looking for, which is why they strive to make sure that they give out their best and remain accountable at all times.

FOSTERS TRUST AMONG PEOPLE For a local business to operate seamlessly, they would have to hire people from their community to get the job done. This gives individuals an opportunity to show their potential while being able to earn a profit from it or enjoy the fact that somebody trusted their skills and talents. Hiring people from a local community also allows consumers to know the people behind the products and services that they’re buying, thus instilling in them a sense of trust that their demands can be met. THREE LOCAL BRANDS TO CHECK OUT In the Philippines, several local brands have been established over the years. While some were born for profit, others have different objectives such as raising awareness or creating an inclusive community. For those who are searching for the right local brand to support, here are three names across various industries that are worth looking into:

MNL GROW KITS During the past year, there has been a rise in the urban gardening trend. This is because the pandemic limited mobility for food transportation, causing people in cities to worry about their food security. As a way to overcome this challenge, people

began growing food in their homes. People clamored to find suppliers for seeds and other gardening materials. And to those who haven’t tried to grow their food just yet, they needed a way to start and learn. MNL Growkits offers all-organic sow-and-grow kits that Next page

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Sports

rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Bucks hang on to beat Nets; Jazz nip Clippers LOS ANGELES—The Milwaukee Bucks started strong and clung on late to beat the Brooklyn Nets 86-83 on Thursday and claw their way back into their NBA Eastern Conference second-round playoff series. Khris Middleton scored 35 points and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 as the Bucks—routed in two games in Brooklyn —trimmed the deficit in the best-of-seven series to 2-1. Kevin Durant led the Nets with 30 points and 11 rebounds, but his three-point attempt to force overtime bounced off the rim and the Bucks avoided falling into an 0-3 hole. "It looked good, but thank god it didn't go in," Antetokounmpo said of Durant's final attempt. The Bucks were coming off a humiliating 39-point loss to the Nets in game two in Brooklyn, and in the first game of the series in Milwaukee they came out playing as if their lives depended on the outcome. It was tied at 80-80 with 1:30 remaining. Durant drained a three-pointer to put the Nets up with 1:23 left. Middleton drove for a layup to cut the deficit and Jrue Holiday spun in for a layup to put Milwaukee up by one with 11.4 seconds to play. Middleton pushed the Bucks' lead to three with two free throws that capped the scoring. The Bucks will try to level the series when they host game four on Sunday. Jazz hold off Clippers "Both teams played incredible defensively," Durant said. "Both teams played extremely hard, low turnover game. They had eight blocks, we had eight steals, so it was one of them grind out games. "They just made a couple more points late," Durant added. "They hit a couple more shots than we did." In Western Conference action, Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points and the Utah Jazz held on for a 117-111 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. AFP

Kickboxing, 5 others get Olympic nod By Randy Caluag

HE Philippines will soon have more potential medal producers in the Olympics as the International Olympic Committee on Friday accepted the proposal by its Executive Board to give full recognition to six new international sport federations.

According to Olympic.com, the ofﬁcial website of the IOC, “there were no objections from the member federations of any of the IF associations” when the board passed the resolution. The International Federations in the sport of cheerleading, muaythai, sambo, icetocksport, kickboxing and lacrosse have attained the ﬁrst step to becoming part of the Olympic roster. “After the provisional recognition period, these IFs demonstrated that

they fulﬁlled all the requested criteria. Their statutes, practice and activities conform with the Olympic Charter, and they have adopted and implemented the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of Manipulation of Competitions,” said the statement in the Olympic.org. Their recognition is expected to be formalized when the IFs meet in an IOC Session in Tokyo ahead of the Olympic

The Philippines is looking at another possible medal producer if kickboxing makes it as part of the regular roster of sports in the Olympics

FILIPINA tennis star and Globe ambassador Alex Eala made her way back to the semifinals of the French Open, only this time in the girls’ doubles tournament, as she teamed up with Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva to defeat the fifth-seeded pair of Croatia's Petra Marcinko and Hungary's Natalia Szabanin, 7-6, 7-6, in a thrilling quarterfinal match on Thursday night (Philippine time) at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France. Eala and Selekhmeteva, who are the tournament’s top seeds, have so far been in a class of their own, having yet to drop a set in this competition. The FilipinaRussian pair, however, had to dig down deep against their opponents who rallied from a 2-5 deficit in the first set to take the upper hand, 6-5. Eala and Selekhmeteva, though, captured the 12th game to forge a tiebreak, which they later won, 9-7, to capture the first set, 7-6. The second set featured more of Eala and Selekhmeteva’s early domi-

nance as they zoomed off to a 3-0 lead before Marcinko and Szabanin got their bearings together and fought back to tie the set at 6-6 and force another tiebreaker. There, the brilliance of the 16-year old Filipina and the 18-year old Russian shone through as they pulled off a 7-5 win to wrap up the second set, 7-6, and the match, to book their ticket to the semis. Waiting for them in the semis is the Italian tandem of Lisa Pigato and Eleonora Alvisi. This marks the second time that Eala has made it to the semiﬁnals of the Roland-Garros. Back in 2019, the then-15 year old made it to the Final Four of the girl’s singles tournament but eventually lost to Elsa Jacquemot, 6-3, 6-2. Eala is also searching for her second grand slam title after she won the 2020 Australian Open girls’ doubles tournament with partner, Priska Nugroho, of Indonesia.

Philippine Independence Day celebrations begin at SM Malls nationwide

From C1

will guide users through the process of nurturing plants even without prior experience. The seeds they offer span from edibles to ornamental plants, making it an ideal steal for the wannabe “plantito” or “plantita” who wants to start gardening.

CANDID CLOTHING When it comes to fashion, consumers look for brands that promote comfort as well as style. That’s where Candid Clothing comes in. The brand offers comfortable clothing for lounging, a casual stroll, and even chic looks without sacrificing the style that’s sure to captivate onlookers. Another unique selling point of Candid Clothing is that it uses upcycled material that is transformed into top-quality fabric used to make their pieces. Consumers can proudly strut in their cozy clothes, knowing that they’ve supported a brand that considers the situation of the environment. These three brands aren’t the only names that Filipinos should look out for since there are many other local brands and businesses that consumers should support. Filipinos should be more than happy, not just on Independence Day, to show support to local businesses. By supporting these local names, Filipinos help empower their fellowmen, improve the local economy, and create strong communal ties with others.

Although kickboxing is a relatively new member of the Philippine Olympic Committee and just made its debut in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, it has a deep-seethed roots in the country as a combat discipline. In its ﬁrst foray in the SEA Games, kickboxing contributed 2 golds, 3 silvers and a bronze to the Philippines’ successful campaign. The World Association of Kickboxing Organizations, which has been a provisional member of IOC since 2018, said it’s a historic day for the sport of kickboxing, “This is a huge inspiration and acceptance of our sport worldwide. To be fully included and accepted in the Olympic movement is important for the recognition and the possibilities this means locally for our national federations,” said WAKO president Roy Baker.

Eala, partner barge into semis of French Open girls’ doubles

Supporting...

ELAIT Who doesn’t love ice cream especially on a warm, sunny day? But for Elait, a Filipino-owned ice cream shop, the opportunity to sell the sweet confectionery allowed them to create an inclusive community as well. PWDs have a hard time finding jobs in today’s world and Elait decided to change that notion by exclusively hiring employees who are hard of hearing. They communicate through sign language which allows the customers to get a glimpse of what it is like to be in their shoes. This creates more awareness about the PWD community and gives them a chance to show people their skills in making artisanal rolled ice cream available on the store’s menu.

Games set July 23 to August 8. With this development, the Philippines looks forward to having three more combat sports—muaythai, kickboxing and sambo—as potential sources of medals, aside from boxing, which has contributed ﬁve of 10 medals for the country in the history of the Olympics. “Our Olympic dream (for the sport) will now be possible, the podium underneath the 5 rings symbolizing unity among nations, together with the country's pride will be a reality for the sport,” said Samahang Kickboxing ng PIlipinas secretarygeneral Wharton Chan. “We are another step for our generation's success, although we have a lot more work to do. However, this is a huge milestone for this incredible sport (of kickboxing)," he added.

the land of our birth? Participating Malls nationwide always hold a solemn and moving flag ceremony on June 12 to commemorate the 123rd year of our independence. Wear your Barong, Baro’t Saya and join our mall teams at your nearest community SM Mall. Check your favorite mall’s Facebook page for schedules and venues. This June, we invite you to be thankful for the simple fact that the Philippines is a free country, ONE of the most important milestones in Philippine history is the declaration of our independence as a nation. It is the time to celebrate our heroes. And there are many modern-day heroes – the frontliners who serve the community during this pandemic, the work-from-home warriors - parents who juggle work and childcare, and practically all of us who have experienced various challenges in the past year. For 2021, we propose to free ourselves momentarily from our worries and stress. Be it work deadlines, bills to pay or a general anxiety, we say - take this occasion to care for yourself and bask in your ‘me time”. Let these days be called your “New Days of Freedom” starting this June 1 to 12. Here’s a list of activities SM Supermalls has lined up this month. Pinoypreneurs in Action. Check out our Pinoy bazaars with tenants & exhibitors offering a host of Filipino food, gift ideas, local crafts, artsy souvenirs, and Pinoy Pride masks. Snag early holiday buys for your relatives and friends abroad! Pinoy eats. Enjoy safe indoor and al fresco dining spaces decked

in ‘Filipiniana’ and choose from pop-ups serving regional and local delicacies. Take a selfie at designated dining areas with “tatak pinoy” decoration while munching on the best versions of the food you grew up with! Kalyelympics. And there’s more! A Pinoy-inspired online game, “Jolen” was developed for this special occasion and can be accessed via QR codes at the malls’ designated dining areas. Complete all 5 game levels and get a chance to win SM gift certificates and fun gifts from our mall tenant-partners. Be A Hero, Get Vaccinated. 45 SM Malls now serve as vaccination centers in service of the community and in partnership with their LGUs from Tuguegarao in North Luzon to CDO in Mindanao. Sign up and be registered through your LGU to get vaxxed. It’s your contribution to our goal of a Covid-free country. Plus, Bakuna Benefits from our tenant-partners await those who show their vaccination cards! June 12 Flag raising ceremony. What’s an Independence Day celebration without starting the day by showing our allegiance to

and to celebrate your own personal freedom in a truly Pinoy way, with laughter, food, a good bargain and the confidence of knowing you are safe and protected while visiting any of SM’s 76 Supermalls. Mabuhay ang Pilipino! For more information, visit www. smsupermalls.com or like and follow @smsupermalls on all social media platforms. #SafeMallingatSM #IngatAngatBakunaLahat #BakunaBenefits

Tech & Gadgets

SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2021

BRIA Homes on path to full digitalization

UNObank gets digital bank license in PH SINGAPORE—Singapore headquartered fintech DigibankASIA Pte. Ltd., one of the primary incorporators of UNObank, has received approval by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to operate a digital bank in the Philippines. The first fintech to receive a license outright to operate a digital bank, UNObank will be entirely regulated under the Digital Banking License framework in the Philippines. DigibankASIA Pte. Ltd. is co-founded by three executives who collectively have extensive experience across banking, capital markets, treasury, lending, digitalisation, and technology. UNObank will be helmed by Manish Bhai as CEO, a career banker and tech entrepreneur. Co-founder Kalidas Ghose is a recognised fintech influencer who led the effort to build FE Credit in Vietnam from scratch and created VP Banks digital bank ecosystem. Puneet Gupta, Co-founder & CTO is an acclaimed deep tech innovator known for building cutting edge digital products and platforms. With UNObank, the founders aim to help bridge the financial inclusion gap(3) in the Philippines and eventually Southeast and South Asia. UNO means ‘one’ and sets the premise for a digital bank that offers one app and one card to enable anyone anywhere in the Philippines to save, borrow, transact, invest, and protect their finances easily, with speed and ease. UNObank is being built on a robust technology stack that includes products and services from highly regarded tech industry leaders including Mambu, Backbase, and AWS. “The BSP’s vision and foresight to digitize the local banking industry is futureforward and apt, because ultimately it will help align the Philippines as a modern banking center for the region,” says Manish Bhai, of UNOBank. “We are very grateful to the BSP and honoured by the trust placed in our team.”

What to do, or not to do, when hit by data breach P

UT simply, a data breach is when private and confidential information has been exposed or shared without the owner’s permission. Anyone is at risk of a data breach—a company, a government or an individual can fall victim to it. But do Filipinos really get a good grasp of it? According to Kaspersky’s 2020 figures, it would cost a small and medium business a whopping $101,000 (P4.8 million) if they get hit. Meanwhile, an enterpriselevel company’s potential losses would be way higher at $1.09 million (P52.4 million). Organizations both big and small also stand to incur reputational damage which could result in loss of customers. If a government organization’s highly classified information has been compromised, expect that military operations, political dealings and details on critical national infrastructure can pose a major threat not just to the government but to its citizens, too. For an individual, it could mean becoming a victim of burglary or car theft if your home address, location or vehicle registration details are shared publicly. Worst case scenario: you could be a victim of identity theft. If your device is hacked, you could potentially lose priceless personal photos and videos, lose access to your online accounts like social media and email and then get blackmailed, lose money if cybercriminals get hold of your financial information, be charged for loans if they get your social security or passport details—all because someone else now has your data and could easily pretend to be you. It’s that serious. A string of data breaches affecting Filipinos have been reported quite frequently in recent years up to the present. In April, almost 900,000 Facebook accounts of Filipino users were reportedly included in a large-scale data leak that affected over 506 million users worldwide. In the same month, some 345,000 sensitive court documents of ongoing legal cases were found to have been made publicly available. Earlier this year, data of about 3.3 million users

of an online lending platform was reported to have been sold on the dark web. In 2019, the country’s military database was hacked into—exposing personal details of almost 20,000 personnel. In the same year, private details of about 900,000 clients of a pawnshop operator were affected by a breach. There were several more but the massive leakage of personal information of 55 million Filipino voters in 2016 remains to be the biggest data breach in the history of the Philippines. Neighboring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam are all in the same predicament, making the region a hotspot of data breaches. “Generally, a data breach happens due to weaknesses in user behavior (human) and technology. Our devices get more connective features so there are places where data could slip through. There is no speciﬁc sector or person that’s being targeted as cybercriminals do not discriminate. Anyone is vulnerable,” said Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky. Cybercriminals responsible for data breaches use manipulation techniques like social engineering to exploit human error and penetrate the system. Social engineering tricks come in many forms, from offering time-sensitive opportunities, mass phishing, carrying out personalized and targeted attacks, intercepting communications, posing as someone legitimate, and many more. Among users of Kaspersky products In the Philippines, the cybersecurity company has reported a 160.43% rise in detected web threats under social engineering attacks from Q1 of 2019 (7,674,407) to Q1 of 2021 (19,987,120). These attacks were stopped from further progressing by Kaspersky solutions in the devices of users in the country. So what should be done when you or your company gets hit by a data breach?

Here is a five-step guide for organizations whether big or small, private or public: Assess the situation. Evaluate the risk of the data breach to customers. Risk assessment helps you decide the next steps to take. If it’s a high risk, inform the customers without undue delay, perhaps even before reporting to authorities. Be transparent Be transparent. In 40% of businesses around the world, employees hide an incident when it happens. Hiding an incident may lead to dramatic consequences, increasing the damage caused. It may also result in customers losing trust in the business on top of negative news coverage. Tell customers what happened and give them advice on what to do next. Document everything. Document every data breach, even if you don’t have to report it. Record what happened, the steps you took and why the breach was reported or not reported. Learn lessons. Once the cause has been identified, fix it. Next, make sure all staff receive training in how to prevent future breaches. Human error causes most data breaches. Notify parties. If you’re processing data for other organizations, don’t forget to tell them about the breach. They will have steps they must take too. Small and medium businesses, are also not immune to cyberattacks, can avail up to 40% in savings on the KEDRO security solution by visiting https://go.kaspersky.com/ SEA_SMB_Promo_KERO.html?utm_ campaign=SEA21Q2KERO. Incidentally, Kaspersky is offering free e-gift vouchers (choice of Grab, GCash, or PayMaya) for every purchase of: Kaspersky Total Security (valid for 1 year for 1 device) or Kaspersky Internet Security (valid for 1 or 2 years for 1, 3, or 5 devices) Participating Kaspersky products are available from official partner stores in Metro Manila, official partner e-stores, and via Shopee and Lazada. Promo runs from May 29 to June 30, 2021.

DIGITALIZATION has become a key driver of success in the ﬁelds of commerce, government, education, and healthcare. It is the reason why the Philippine real estate industry ﬂourishes despite the pandemic—and why we expect the shift towards digital spaces to go on, unimpeded. With technology evolving at such a rapid pace and social media as prevalent as ever, more and more of a person’s daily life can be lived out or accessed through the internet. The convenience of gaining access to any piece of information or service with just a few clicks has become an integral part of our everyday life. This is how Bria Homes has distinguished itself in the competitive world of property developers. As the world pushes back against the pandemic, Bria Homes, the Philippines’s leading provider of superior quality, affordable homes, continues to look forward, innovate, and deliver the best possible service to all its residents and prospective homeowners. This is evident in Bria’s sustained commitment to offer stylishly designed and sleekly laid-out affordable house and lot units to all Filipinos who dream of buying their own homes. Along with this core objective, Bria Homes will persist in expanding its digital capabilities to make their services even more accessible.

For instance, full digitalization allows Bria’s residents and prospective buyers to initiate and complete all their transactions while adhering to governmentmandated health and safety protocols. Bria residents may pay for amortization through the online portals of Bria’s banking partners such as Maybank, BDO, Unionbank, PNB, Security Bank, RCBC, and Metrobank. Bria residents may also pay through AllBank for OTC payment. Bills payments made through VISA and Mastercard are also accepted, as are payments made using e-wallets such as AllEasy, GCash, and PayMaya. For OFWs who have invested in Bria Homes, the page for international payments has been updated to help streamline the process. From anywhere in the world, the international payments page can help one ﬁnd the nearest bank to complete their transactions. Digital payments are likewise available through services such as Optimum Remit, PNB OBPS, RCBC Telemoney, and Metrobank International.

Yngen Holdings CEO transforms dumpsite into innovation hub SURVIVING and thriving in today's environment is largely dependent on the leader's ability to make a fundamental transformation to become more agile. Eugenio Ynion Jr., president and CEO of Yngen Holdings has successfully transitioned his mindset and capabilities to be an agile leader by transforming someone else's trash into San Antonio's treasure. Kap Jun,' as friends and constituents call him, has shown that strong leadership is an enormously powerful force to shape a community's long-term and sustained success. As a digital innovator, he leveraged technology to rise amid social injustice by providing opportunities for equal employment and parity in income to the marginalized and disenfranchised members of society by providing novel solutions. As barangay chairman of San Antonio in San Pedro, Laguna, and head of one of the fastest-growing ﬁntech companies in the country, Kap Jun effectively utilized technology to ﬁght back, repair, and uplift his community's spirit and keep their dreams alive. To date, Ynion has never drawn his salary as village chief, donating it all for the services in his locality. "Looking at the blueprint of what will become of this place in the next 10 years, and looking back from 10 years ago when all you see here are mountains of illegally dumped waste, illegal activities, including drugs and abortion, gives us some satisfaction that we were able to transform a 'dump' into a center of hope," said Ynion Jr. during the groundbreaking of the UnionBank Innovation Campus. He was referring to the once quiet corner in Barangay San Antonio in San Pedro, where one man's vision to transform a center, which was once an image of physical and moral decay into a symbol, and the core of rapid development could be a game-

Ynion said his ultimate goal with his 10-hectare property in San Pedro is to transform it into a digital hub that will be the center of innovations in the Philippines and the entire Asian region. The digital hub will widen opportunities for many Filipinos to excel in the digital space.

changer not only for the country but for the entire Asian digital space. The UnionBank Innovation Campus is a partnership between Union Bank and Yngen and will rise in Barangay San Antonio in a 10-hectare property owned by himself.

Get involved

"The stark picture of deterioration was unfolding in our village," he said. "It is heartbreaking, and we had to do something and dream. A similar state of decay was happening on the other side of that property. The area was fast becoming a haven for illegal settlers and drug abortions. If we desperately wanted to see change and achieve a result, we have to be involved." That was when Kap Jun decided to enter public service and ran for the village chief post . Right on Day 1, he wasted no time getting rid of those problems. Encouraged by his modest success, Kap Jun dared to dream of an environment that will benefit the public. "We believe that developing relevant jobs is our key objective. To facilitate this, we have initiated and will continue to initiate programs to achieve high-quality education, all this under the backdrop of a clean and green environment, primed to step with the digital revolution. That's the dream," he said. But why would a businessman with a net worth of $200 million (P9.56 billion) based on his last SALN (statement of assets, liabilities and net worth) filing, and a firm that is one of the top taxpayers in the whole San Pedro, do what he does in the care of his neighbors? "I was once a poor boy. I struggled a lot growing up. I worked as a taxi driver and even a baker. Before I achieved what I have now, I went through a very tough and challenging time," he said. "If I can help at least one person to achieve his dream, then that is one family that we can uplift from poverty. But what if we can do more?"

A melting pot of ideas

Initially, the Innovation Campus is envisioned as the epicenter of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and data science in the region. The campus would be home to institutes on data science and blockchain and an accelerator. Developments done on the campus are expected to benefit banking, fintech, and other industries. But Ynion wants the digital hub to be an incubator for all start-ups in the country. "If I have the money, I want to support all startups [in the country]. A true angel investor that provides opportunities for everybody and allows a start-up to finish their concept from start to finish." "We should help each other. If a struggling businessman has no capital, we should be able to provide a financial extension. Our goals as Filipinos are to uplift our fellowmen and complement each other. We should always ask ourselves what we can contribute to the success of one another," he added.

Top of the game

Eugenio Ynion Jr., president and CEO of Yngen Holdings

Effective solutions to ease the business climate in the country and catapult it in the center of ﬁnancial revolution are not cheap, which is why people who have the vision and the means must give what they can afford for public investment. Leaders must be at the very top of their game. They should emulate the selﬂess examples set by Ynion to get the best out of their constituents. "Yes, we can," Ynion said, insisting there is only one way for the country, and that is "up."

Ramon L. Tomeldan Editor

SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2021

Motoring

Nissan LEAF arrives in Davao City

FTER its launching last May, the Nissan LEAF is now available in Nissan dealerships in Tagum City and Matina, Davao City.

Staking its claim as the world’s first mass market EV, LEAF is now offered in Nissan Mantrade Makati, Nissan Otis, and Nissan Cebu South-V. Rama through the partnership with Gateway Motors Group as the sole distributor of the Nissan LEAF in the country. Equipped with specialized facilities and staffed by certified and trained experts to serve Nissan LEAF customers, each Nissan EV dealership has charging stations capable of fully charging a Nissan LEAF in as fast as 40 to 60 minutes free and exclusive for Nissan LEAF owners. With Nissan EV dealerships in Davao, the brand expands its nationwide EV charging station network in all three major island groups in the Philippines. Nissan announced during the launch of the LEAF that the flagship EV will be available in up to seven dealerships Nissan Philippines President and Managing Director Atsushi Najima (right) and Gateway Motors Group President Markane Goho with the Nissan LEAF and a dedicated quick charger found in Nissan EV dealerships. within the year.

“We are committed in making our EV technology more accessible to more areas in the Philippines, from Luzon, to Visayas and Mindanao. With the reach of our EV dealerships and the support of our dedicated and passionate personnel, we are off to an optimistic start for this new chapter in the company’s electrification strategy,” says President and Managing Director for Nissan in the Philippines Atsushi Najima. “We are excited to be part of this EV journey with Nissan. We share their vision of a smarter, sustainable, and exciting future of mobility, and honored to be a pioneer EV dealership group in the country,” says Gateway Motors Group Chairman Markane Goho. Nissan’s Tagum EV dealership is located along National Highway in Brgy. Canocotan in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, while its Matina EV dealership is located in McArthur Highway, Brgy. Ma-a, Davao City. Priced at P 2,798,000, the Nissan LEAF comes with a 3 year vehicle warranty or for the first 100,000 kilometers, whichever comes first. It also comes with an 8-year battery warranty or for the first 160,000 kilometers, whichever comes first.

Most dependable cars – US survey QUALITY FOR LESS. Fast-expanding Cleanfuel opens its newest branch along Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City.

Cleanfuel expands in Tiger City

LEADING independent oil player Cleanfuel has inaugurated its third station in Mandaluyong City— Cleanfuel Boni Avenue. Cleanfuel’s newest branch in Boni, which serves as the brand’s third station in the National Capital Region’s one and only “Tiger City,” complements existing stations at Shaw Boulevard and Pioneer in providing affordable and quality fuel along the East-West thoroughfares of Mandaluyong. Situated at the corner of Boni Avenue and P. Cruz Street in San Jose, Mandaluyong City, Cleanfuel Boni Avenue is expected to cater to the needs of private and commercial vehicles traversing westbound to EDSA in Barangka, and EDSA-Boni tunnel, going to the main road of Mandaluyong and Pasig area. The opening of the Boni Avenue station assures that the area’s residents and commercial business owners can experience Cleanfuel’s mantra of providing affordable and quality premium fuel for less to the motoring public. As such, customers can expect topnotch fuel products including Clean91, Premium 95, and high-grade diesel. With its “Quality fuel for Less” battle

cry, the company also takes pride in showcasing first-class amenities, from its clean and spacious air-conditioned restrooms, to air-and-water services, digital tire inflator with pressure gauge, commercial space for leasing, cashless payment options, and loyalty rewards program. The opening of the Boni Avenue station immediately follows the inauguration of Cleanfuel J.P. Rizal in Marikina—which is the company’s premier station in the shoe capital of the Philippines. Cleanfuel President Jesus “Bong” Suntay expressed his gratitude for the continued support of the motoring public which has enabled Cleanfuel to open more new stations to further spur the economy in various areas around the country. “As the country slowly welcomes efforts to boost the economy, we at Cleanfuel will continue to make ourselves more accessible to Filipino motorists, who would also help our customer base grow more,” Suntay said. Motorists can take advantage and are urged to sign up for Cleanfuel VIP reward cards. Given to motorists for FREE, the membership-based program dishes out numerous giveaways and discounts at partner establishments.

Geely showroom pops up in Alabang A RECENTLY opened Geely pop-up showroom was erected at the Alabang Town Center in a bid to cater to customers in one of the major commercial hubs in the country. The 80-sqm booth will be open until September 30, 2021 for customers who are interested in purchasing a Geely vehicle or test driving the Coolray, Azkarra, and Okavango. “While Geely is expected to rise in Alabang this year, we would like to build our presence there as early as now. We have been hearing requests for a dealership in that area and we just don’t want our customers in Alabang and generally in the South to wait any further,” SGAP President & CEO Yo-

suke Nishi said. As a new brand in the country, Geely has a lot more to do in achieving its goal to be one of the key players in the automotive market, dealer expansion is one of them. “Our successful car launches which were met with positive reception from our customers are indicators that we have a competitive advantage in the car market. Our aim is to maintain it and keep building our momentum,” Nishi added. Currently, Geely has 11 operational dealerships and 13 more are rising this year. With SGAP’s ongoing rapid expansion, Geely is expected to be more accessible to much more people by the end of the year.

TWO car models from Japanese luxury automaker Lexus recently topped the survey as the most dependable according to the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Vehicle Depend-ability Study. Now on its 32nd year, the study measures the number of problems original owners experienced from their three-year old vehicles during the past year. It covers 177 specific vehicular problems grouped into eight categories: audio/communication/entertainment/navigation (ACEN), engine/transmission, exterior, interior, features/controls/ displays (FCD), driving experience, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and seats. The lower the score, the higher the vehicle is dependable. Lexus scored 81 compared to the average of 121 which shows reliability and dependability of the brand. Specifically, the Lexus ES won in the best Compact Premium Car category while the Lexus GX won in the Midsize Premium SUV category. This is the ninth time in 10 years Lexus has ranked the TALISAY CITY, CEBU – Ford Talisay, the 50th dealership facility of Ford Philippines in the country, is now officially open to serve customers. Ford Talisay is operated by Fairlane Automotive Ventures, Inc. (FAVI) and is expected to expand the Ford brand further in the Queen City of the South, reaching more customers and giving them access to Ford’s segment-leading vehicles and the Ford ownership experience. Ford Talisay has total floor area of 1,397 square meters that can accommodate a 7-car showroom display and 11 service bays with provision for future expansion. The showroom brings to life the dealership branding guidelines of Ford, showcasing a more globally-aligned exterior and interior look and feel called Ford Signature to offer customers a better dealership environment and experience. “Opening our 50th dealership facility in the country is a special milestone for Ford Philippines and for our growing customer base in Cebu,” shared Michael Breen, managing director, Ford Philippines. “This is a testament to the growing preference towards the Ford brand and our growing vehicle portfolio and after-sales offerings. We are grateful to the partnership we have with FAVI and look forward to serving the automotive

highest among all car bands on dependability in this US Survey. Lexus ES continues the expression of the brand’s design direction and com-

mitment towards crafting vehicles with heightened excitement, emotion, and passion expanding that vision of the brand’s future to a broader audience. Traditional buyers will find the new ES more spacious, quieter, and safer than ever before

Lexus GX and Lexus ES rated high in the J.D. Power 2021 study.

while a new generation of customers will be introduced to a sedan with sharpened performance, classleading safety technology, and a level of craftsmanship rarely found in this segment. The Lexus GX is a versatile SUV which boasts comfort and luxury perfect for the city and the great outdoors. It features Adaptive Variable Suspension which adjusts whatever road it’s on, customized climate settings with built-in smog sensor, and seating for seven passengers with a third row which can lay flat to make room for more cargo.

Ford Talisay dealership opens

needs of more Cebuanos with our Ford Talisay dealership.” “We thank our partners from Ford Philippines for their support and collaboration in seeing the construction of Ford Talisay into fruition so that we can serve our customers from Talisay City to Southern town of Cebu,” said Andre Borromeo, General Manager, FAVI.

To celebrate its opening, Ford Talisay is giving away special Ford merchandise to the first 50 customers. Customers purchasing a Ford Territory, Ranger, or Everest within the month of June will also receive free scheduled service plan package. Special offers are also up for grabs for select Ford vehicles on top of existing promos and deals.