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Face shields still mandatory Duterte ends confusion, heeds experts’ advice, cites Delta variant threat

By Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Joel E. Zurbano, and Willie Casas

Du30 won’t go for face-to-face classes just yet

MAKATI’S FRONTLINERS.

Economic frontliners under the A4 category in Makati City get vaccinated with Sinovac at the Makati Stock Exchange Gym on Monday. The Philippines has received 1.5 million doses more of Sinovac and it has clinched a deal with Amerian Pfizer for the delivery of 40m doses starting August, the single biggest deal so far. Norman Cruz

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said wearing face shields both indoors and outdoors is still mandatory with the raging Delta variant of the coronavirus, in a reversal of a Palace announcement earlier in the day and statements by government officials last week.

By Joyce Pangco Pañares

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has rejected a proposal from the Department of Education to allow limited face-to-face classes in 300 public schools nationwide. “As for face-to-face classes, I am not inclined to agree with you. We might differ in our opinions on the matter,” Duterte told Education Sec. Leonor Briones during his public address late Monday evening.

“I will apologize to the Filipino people... Many thought that we were ready to do away with [face shield]. But with this kind of infection that poses a very grave danger to… It’s a small inconvenience, but that is a small price to pay,” the President said in his weekly televised briefing. Duterte also said he never said “with finality” that the government would do away with face shields, and was “just shooting the breeze” with some lawmakers who met with him over the weekend.

Lifting of mask, CQ not this year By Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas

Other COVID stories: --Galvez: 20m Pfizer jabs for kids 12-15 --PH adopts ‘no wrong door’ vaccine policy

“I cannot afford to place the nation, the national interest of the Republic by just sometimes adopting this and being lenient to this. I know it is very tedious, but it will really prevent a disaster,” he added. In the same briefing, infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvaña said the Next page

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JUNE 21)

1,364,239 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

5,249 55,847 NEW

ACTIVE

23,749

128

1,284,643

7,053

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

THE lifting of community quarantines in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic will not happen within the year, unless the Philippines achieves the herd immunity or 70 percent of the population is vaccinated with antiCOVID-19 vaccines, Malacanang said. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday it would take more

Bulk vax quota to NCR Plus 8 blamed for COVID surge in Western Visayas By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE mayor of Iloilo City on Monday blamed the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the Western Visayas to the allocation of most vaccine doses to Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces. At a briefing Monday, Mayor Geronimo Treñas said national government officials must listen to local executives. “We have been informing the Secretary [Carlito] Galvez we need medical personnel, equipment, COVID-19 meds, and vaccines because ultimately what will give protection to our constituents would be the vaccine,” Treñas said. The city has so far administered first doses to some 45,000 residents out of its target 450,000. Some 9,000 have received their second doses, the Next page

FEW TAKERS. Empty chairs are seen inside a mall vaccination site on June 21, 2021. Four Manila vaccination sites had low turnouts of vaccinees after the city government announced that it would no longer allow walk-ins starting this week. Later on Monday evening, the national government said it would now allow “walk-ins” to join the vaccine rollout under its “no wrong door” policy. Norman Cruz

Palace vows to probe cops in teen killing

Rody to Cebu gov: Obey national health protocols or face penalty By Jimbo Gulle

By Vito Barcelo MALACANANG assured the public Monday that it will investigate, prosecute, and punish officers and members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) who break the law. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque offered this assurance in response to the alleged killing of teenagers who were shot dead in anti-drug operations in Laguna recently. “President Duterte was still on top of his drug war because the government will continue to go Next page

WATCHFUL EYE. Police Lt. Jesus Mason of Quezon City Police District in Camp Karingal monitors the closed-circuit television and the body cameras worn by the police officers around the Quezon City area, serving as “an eye in the sky” against crime for quick police action. Manny Palmero

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he would not obey the courts “in the matter of managing the (COVID-19) pandemic” as he ordered Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to fall in line with national quarantine protocols and left her fate with the Department of the Interior and Local Government. This was after Garcia said earlier in the day that her province will continue to carry out its own quarantine protocols for returning overseas Filipinos amid growing coronavirus cases outside Metro Manila. Saying he met the governor earlier in the month, Duterte said: “I assured her we are fair. I see the wisdom in her

Kiwi lifter is first transgender Olympian

Gas goes up P0.75, diesel, kerosene by P0.70 By Alena Mae S. Flores THE country’s oil firms raised gasoline prices by P0.75 per liter and diesel and kerosene by P0.70

VOL. XXXV • NO. 127 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

per liter effective Tuesday to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market. “PTT Philippines to implement Next page

W E L L I N G TO N — N e w Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard was selected as the first transgender Olympic athlete Monday after Kiwi officials made a groundbreaking call on “a highly sensitive and complex issue”. New Zealand Olympic Committee chief Kereyn Next page

view. But the overwhelming notion among us in government... simply do not agree with her.” “I leave the fate of Governor Garcia to the DILG,” the President added, stressing that a provincial ordinance -- which Garcia was leaning on in defying the Palace’s directive – was not higher than national policy “because of this national emergency.” “This is a question of the survival of the nation,” Duterte added. This developed as two lawyers filed a case for declaratory relief against the country’s pandemic task force regarding Cebu’s protocols for arriving Filipinos, seeking to make a particular resolution “inapplicable and ineffective” Next page

Nograles posits ruling party can back Sara in ‘22 By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz THE ruling party PDP-Laban can support Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for the 2022 presidential election even if she is not a member of the party, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Monday. The party earlier adopted a resolution urging

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TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘P18b of Bayanihan 2 funds unused’ T

HE government has yet to utilize some P18 billion in funds for the Philippine COVID-19 response under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) that will expire by the end of the month, Malacañang confirmed on Monday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque also said he had no information on whether or not President Rodrigo Duterte would call a special session of Congress to extend the validity of the Bayanihan 2 COVID-19 response fund. Quoting the budget department, Roque said P123.2 billion or 87.01 percent of the Bayanihan 2 funds have been “obligated.”

“It is correct that we have P18.4 billion or 13 percent that has not yet been obligated,” Roque said, but did not say why. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda had pushed for a special session while Congress is in recess so that the validity of the Bayanihan 2 could be extended. When the legislated funding expires on June 30, so would the budget for COV-

Taking... From A1

Face... From A1

time before the country could stop wearing face masks and it had to be made by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the government’s policy-making body in addressing the pandemic. “I don’t think that is going to happen this year,” he said. Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte expressed willingness to lift the quarantine rules once the situation in the country improved. However, Roque, in an online press conference, said quarantine restrictions would be lifted on conditions that more Filipinos get inoculated against COVID-19, the number of intensive care unit (ICU) beds in the country increased, and the transmission of the coronavirus slowed down. The Department of Health earlier said the lifting of community quarantine across the country was a “long-term goal.” “That’s not going to happen now or next month,” said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire. “We’re discussing it because we want to have safeguards in place so that we can avoid the risk of having further transmission.” So far, the Philippines has vaccinated eight million people against COVID-19, of which two million already completed two doses. The government is eyeing to vaccinate 58 million people or 70 percent of the population of Metro Manila and its nearby provinces, as well as Metro Cebu and Davao, to achieve “herd immunity.” But the DOH said the national government was studying the possibility of doing away with community quarantine classifications to give local officials wider discretion in enforcing anti-coronavirus measures. Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said in a separate media interview that ending the quarantine classification system would only be possible once the country achieved herd immunity, which means vaccinating up to 70 percent of the 110 million population. Densing also said the discussions on the matter came after governors had requested more leeway in enforcing granular lockdowns. Interior Secretary Eduardo Año himself said the government would only consider lifting community quarantine classifications once the country achieved population protection or herd immunity against COVID-19. Duterte approves community quarantine classifications for different areas every two weeks. The country has four levels of classifications: enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), modified ECQ, general community quarantine (GCQ), and modified GCQ, with the latter being the most lenient.

Delta variant, which was first detected in India, is four times more infectious than the regular or Alpha variant. Salvana said the country did not yet have transmission of the Gamma and Delta variants “and we want to keep it that way.” On the use of face shields, the doctor told the President: “It would be nice to have an extra layer of security... especially with the threat of the Delta variant.” “I am left with no recourse but to adopt your recommendation (to require the use of face shields),” Duterte replied. Earlier, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said on Twitter: “Acting on the advice of health experts and in view of the Delta variant, PRRD declared that the wearing of face shields, both indoor and outdoor, is still mandatory.” Meanwhile, overseas Filipino workers who want to come home to the Philippines, despite a travel ban to keep out the more contagious Delta COVID-19 variant, should reach out to their manning agencies or the embassy in their respective areas, Malacañang said. The Philippines has barred the entry of travelers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, and Oman at least until June 30. Filipinos who are part of repatriation efforts are exempted from the travel ban, Roque said. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Monday there should be some adjustments and improvements in the government’s policy on returning Filipinos, OFWs and foreign investors coming to the Philippines who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. “That’s what we have been looking

win2... From A1 the following price adjustments effective 6am Tuesday, June 22, 2021: Gasoline: +P0.75/liter, Diesel: +P0.70/ liter,” the company said in its advisory. Seaoil Philippines, Total Philippines and PetroGazz also issued separate announcements of their price hikes, the fifth consecutive weekly price hike for both diesel and gasoline. Unioil Petroleum Philippines announced over the weekend that pump prices would likely go up this week. “Expect fuel prices to go up next week (June 22 - 28, 2021). Diesel will increase by P0.70 to P0.80 per liter. Gasoline will increase by P0.70 to P0.80 per liter,” Unioil said. On June 15, local oil companies implemented price increases in their domestic products. Gasoline increased by P0.50 per liter, diesel by P0.40 per liter and P0.30 per liter for kerosene. These resulted in the year-to-date adjustments to stand at a total net increase of P10 per liter for gasoline, P8.55 per liter for diesel, and P7 per liter for kerosene.

Bulk... From A1 mayor added. “OCTA had recommended that 90 percent of these vaccines will be allocated to NCR Plus 8 and now, this is the result of their recommendation,” he said, referring to the independent OCTA Research Group that makes recommendations to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF). “It’s about time that we should also listen to the local leaders. It’s the local leader who understands what’s happening to us,” Treñas said. “It’s not OCTA who understands what’s happening to our constituents.” The mayor said several cities outside the NCR Plus 8 (Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Batan-

Kiwi... From A1 Smith said Hubbard, 43 -- who was born male but transitioned to female in her 30s -- met all the qualification criteria for transgender athletes. “We acknowledge that gender identity in sport is a highly sensitive and complex issue requiring a balance between human rights and fairness on the field of play,” Smith said in a statement.

Nograles... From A1 President Rodrigo Duterte to run for vice president in next year’s elections. His daughter, however, said there would be no Duterte-Duterte tandem in 2022. “If that will be the decision of the party to support Mayor Inday Sara even if she’s not a member of PDP-Laban, the party can adopt her or support her. It’s not unusual for parties to support somebody from a different party,” Nograles told ANC’s Headstart. It is up to the President as national chairperson to recommend who the party will field as presidential candi-

ID-19 contact tracers hired under Bayanihan 2, among others, Salceda warned. Roque said he would ask Duterte whether or not he would call for a special session. “We respect po the wisdom of Congress because they issue the policy,” he added. Congress went on recess last June 5 and would resume its session when Duterte delivers his sixth and last State of the Nation Address on July 26. The Philippine government in 2021 worked with 3 major fund appropriations, including this year’s national budget, the

2020 budget whose validity was extended until Dec. 31, and the Bayanihan 2 which was first extended until June 30. The Bayanihan 2 law, which was passed to meet the country’s economic and health requirements amid the COVID-19 pandemic, was given an allocation of P165 billion in 2020. Salceda said the untapped Bayanihan 2 law funds include P6.6 billion for lab testing and human resources for health and P873 million for contact tracing, which are critical amid the country’s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Vito Barcelo

for because some have been fully vaccinated,” said Sotto in a Zoom interview. “We need not subject fully vaccinated Filipinos, even those visiting us, especially investors. We should not be too strict on those who are fully vaccinated already,” he added. In a related development, Chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority reiterated the government’s call on the public to be aware of the more transmissible coronavirus Delta variant that was first detected in India and is now causing a deadly surge in neighboring Indonesia. Abalos noted that four OFWs who recently arrived from South Korea and Saudi Arabia tested positive with the said variant of COVID-19. The new cases bring to 17 the total cases of this virus type in the Philippines as of June 21. “We can’t ignore this Delta variant because even if you have one or two doses [of vaccine], it can hit,” said Abalos in a press briefing at the agency’s main office in Makati City. In a statement Monday, the DOH, the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC), and the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) reported the detection of four additional Delta (B.1.617.2) variant cases. It also reported 14 Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant cases, 21 Beta (B.1.351) variant cases, and one Theta (P.3) variant case based on the latest whole-genome sequencing report. Just a few hours earlier, Roque said in a Palace briefing that the wearing of face shields was no longer required outdoors but must still be used indoors in places such as malls and crowded areas such as public markets, and in public transportation. He said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerg-

ing Infectious Diseases (IATF) had appealed the President’s earlier decision to do away with mandatory face shields except in hospitals, arguing that they provided an extra layer of protection against COVID-19. Roque also said the President would issue a memorandum this week on the wearing of face shields, which was echoed by Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles. Critics of the mandatory face shield policy say the Philippines is the only country in the world that requires the public to wear face shields to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus 2019. “What is clear is this, the wearing of face shields is no longer required outdoors because this was not appealed by the IATF,” Roque said. He also said that people outside their homes should not be apprehended if they are not wearing a face shield. Pending the President’s decision, Roque said the rule on shield-wearing will stay. “While waiting for the President’s decision on the matter, the existing policy on the use of face shields remains in effect,” he said. Meanwhile, Senator Imee Marcos called on the government to get ahead of a global syringe shortage as purchases and donations of COVID-19 vaccines for the country increase by the millions in coming months. “The purchase of 40 million doses from Pfizer is good news but will there be enough low dead space (LDS) syringes which are now in short supply in the United States itself?” Marcos said. “Let’s hope our own supply does not stop our vaccination program in its tracks,” she added. Marcos said more than three-fourths of syringes produced by the largest manufacturer in the Philippines are exported to North America.

gas, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Rizal) are in critical condition because of OCTA’s recommendation. OCTA member Guido David said the decision to give priority to NCR Plus 8 was made by the national government, saying the group is not an official advisor but merely submits recommendations to the IATF, which may or may not decide to follow them. Senator Grace Poe urged the IATF to immediately act on the appeal of Iloilo province and other high-risk local governments to augment their resources for COVID-19 relief to treat the rising influx of patients. Poe called for immediate action in addressing the resource shortage in Iloilo as well as in areas bearing the brunt of the virus surge. At the same time, she said the critical areas should get more vaccines to arrest the virus spread and ease the pressure

on the health systems of local government units. Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) denied allegations that Davao province, President Duterte’s bailiwick, has received most of the Pfizer vaccines delivered to the Philippines. In an online press conference, Health Undersecretary Abdullah Dumama Jr. said both Davao and Cebu received 210,000 doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines. “There is no difference in the number of doses deployed to Cebu and to Davao... There is no favoritism here,” Dumama said in Filipino. “This is not just for Davao City. This is for the entire Davao region and other nearby areas,” he added. Officials said Davao received a large number of doses because the region has the cold storage facilities needed to handle the Pfizer vaccine.

“As the New Zealand team, we have a strong culture of manaaki (caring) and inclusion and respect for all.” Hubbard, who also competed as a male, became eligible to lift as a woman after showing testosterone levels below the threshold required by the International Olympic Committee. She will contest the women’s +87kg category in Tokyo, an event in which she is currently ranked 16th in the world. Former New Zealand weightlifter Tracey Lambrechs, who was forced to date, but the decision would go through party procedure, Nograles said. “To simplify everything, the resolution is that the President -- it is for him to decide. We’re giving him the discretion who he wants to run for president. Whatever decision it is, it will pass through the party process,” he said. “It will go through the party’s process so it’s important that members attend, not refuse and say what we’re doing is prohibited,” Nograles said. Sen. Manny Pacquiao, the party’s acting president, did not attend the executive council meeting that Duterte called last May 31. His camp had questioned the council meeting, saying only the party chairman and party president can convene one.

drop a division to make the 2018 Commonwealth Games because Hubbard was selected in her preferred event, said the selection was unfair. Lambrechs, now retired, said the concerns of female-born weightlifters had been ignored by officials. “Everyone’s just shut up and worried about how they’ll be viewed in regards to talking out about transgender athletes,” she told Radio New Zealand. Lambrechs said if Hubbard made the podium in her event then another medal

Palace... From A1 after rogue cops,” Roque said in a press briefing. The families of the victims want justice for 16-year-old Jonhdy Maglinte and drug suspect Antonio Dalit, who they believe were summarily executed in an anti-drug operation in Binan, Laguna. Roque admitted that there are “bad eggs” within the police force but assured the public that the new PNP leadership is doing its job to rid the police of scalawags. “There are 240,000 PNP person-

Du30... From A1 “It is difficult. I cannot gamble on the health of the children. I hope you will understand,” he added. With the policy statement from the chief executive, Briones withdrew the proposal. Earlier in the day, in a virtual press conference to mark the 123rd founding anniversary of the Department of Education, Briones said there were originally 1,900 schools approved by DepEd regional directors for the pilot testing of limited face-to-face classes. The number was reduced further to 300 upon the advice of lawmakers who said it was “too many.” Schools across the country have remained closed since March last year when the pandemic broke out, with learners at the basic education level remaining at their homes. DepEd first proposed the pilot testing in low- or no-risk areas in December last year. Duterte initially approved it but in April withdrew his go-signal amid the surge in cases and the detection of more transmissible variants in the country. The government has yet to include individuals aged 17 years and below in its vaccination rollout program. Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., however, announced Monday that half of the 40 million Pfizer jabs procured by the government will be used for children under the 12 to 15 years old age bracket (see full story on Page 4—Editors).

Cebu... From A1 within the province. In a press conference, Garcia said the national government must respect the autonomy of the provinces because it knows the situation on the ground better. Last week, President Duterte ordered Cebu to follow IATF protocols for returning overseas Filipinos. “The provincial ordinance is the law of the land at this point because no one has questioned it, no one has gone to court, much less has it been declared ultra vires by a proper court,” Garcia said in a press conference. “We are a government of laws, not of men.” Meanwhile, lawyers Clarence Paul Oaminal and Valentino Bacalso petitioned the court that Resolution No. 114 of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) declared as “inapplicable and ineffective” in Cebu. They stressed its conflict with Cebu Provincial Ordinance No. 2021-04 as amended and Executive Order No. 17 validly enacted pursuant to Sections 105 and 16 of Republic Act No. 7160. Under the resolution, the IATF requires returning Filipinos to stay in an accredited quarantine facility for ten days and undergo RT-PCR testing seven days after their return. Governor Garcia’s EO, meanwhile, allows arriving nationals to be swabbed upon their arrival and return to their homes after a negative RTPCR test result. They would be allowed to finish their mandatory quarantine in their homes under the supervision of barangay health workers, then take another RT-PCR test on the seventh day. The EO, which was issued in March, was later adopted into the provincial ordinance. of the same colour should be awarded to the athlete who placed after her. “If Laurel was to win gold then the next biological female should also win gold... then Laurel would be an Olympic champion as a transgender and then we would have our female athlete as an Olympic champion as well,” she said. Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand president Richie Patterson praised Hubbard for coming back from a potentially career-ending elbow injury suffered at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. AFP nel. If there are bad eggs, they constitute the exception rather than the rule,” he said Roque said people who feel they were victims of abuse can file complaints. “If there’s anyone who feels that they are victims, the President has repeatedly said that he will not countenance police action that violates the law but will support them when they’re on the right,” he said. “The reality is the alleged killings arising from the drug war were not killings intended to target civilians as such. They were collateral damage so to speak arising from a valid police operation to deal with the growing threat of drugs,” he added.

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TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Terror groups shy away from ATC delisting offer By Rey Requjo

PPE PRODUCER. San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corp has engaged community-based tailors to help it produce PPEs for various medical facilities in the country,according to Ramon S. Ang, president and CEO of conglomerate San Miguel Corp. This will not only sustain their livelihoods, it will also increase local production, grow employment, keep communities vibrant and help boost the economy, the tycoon said.

AN OFFICIAL of the Department of Justice on Monday said none of the persons or groups designated as “terrorists” by the government’s Anti-Terrorism Council has applied for delisting Justice Undersecretary Adrian Ferdinand Sugay made the disclosure even as he admitted that the DOJ is currently drafting rules governing the request or application for delisting of designated terrorists. “The internal mechanism for designation also contains provisions re: delisting. We are proposing a few additional provisions and these will hopefully be taken up during the next ATC meeting,” he said, in a text message to reporters. However, Sugay declined to divulge details of the proposals. Under Republic Act 11479 or the AntiTerrorism Act of 2020, the assets of those designated as terrorists “shall be subject to the authority of the Anti-Money Laun-

Audit agency gives QC high marks city’s leaders. She thanked COA and the offices under the local government unit for achieving OR the first time in its the highest standard in audit amid the COhistory, the Quezon VID-19 pandemic. “This is the most important recogniCity government has tion that a local government unit like us earned an “unqualified can get. This is a validation of our efforts opinion” from the for good governance in Quezon City, and Commission on Audit in its this is also a welcome surprise since we this in our first term,” she said. annual audit report for 2020. received “Despite the pandemic, QCitizens are Mayor Joy Belmonte said this recogni- assured that the finances of the city are tion is a testament that her vision for good properly used for services, programs, and governance has been internalized by the projects for the benefit of all. This is really

By Rio N. Araja

historic,” she added. The unqualified opinion is the highest audit opinion that COA can render to a government agency, a local government unit. Lawyer Rex Quieta, resident auditor, turned over the annual audit report during Monday’s flag-raising ceremony. He said the city government has complied with all the standards of the government’s auditing firm. “This is important because it signifies that the financial records and financial statements of Quezon City comply with the high standards, rules, and regulations

of COA,” Quieta said. The Belmonte administration has implemented measures towards improving the transparency and efficiency of its services. The mayor’s first executive order after assuming office was to create the Internal Audit Service to ensure that assets and resources are properly and transparently accounted for. “Thank you to everyone involved in this achievement and may this inspire us to sustain the standards of good governance in the city in the next years,” Belmonte said.

P58-m shabu Surigao tribal leaders blast Makabayan lies seized from 5 Imus suspects POLICE and anti-narcotics agents seized a total of 8.533 kilograms of shabu valued at P58,024,000 in a joint buy-bust operation in Imus, Cavite on June 19, 2021. The operation was launched by the Manila Police District Drug Enforcement Unit in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Cavite Provincial Police Office and Imus Municipal Police Station. MPD chief Police Brigadier General Leo Francisco said five suspects were arrested for violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act or Republic Act No. 9165 during the buy-bust operation. They were Tamano Daud, aka Tam, 41 years old, male, jobless, with previous case for Illegal Drugs and Murder; Ismael Daud, aka Intsik, 24 years old, male, married, jobless; Norma Maguid, aka Sandra, 36 years old female, married; Bainor Maguid, aka Bai, 23 years old, single, female; and Omar Redia, aka Omar, 42 years old, single. Francisco said these suspects will also be charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition under Republic Act No. 10591. “It was revealed that the suspects were members of the Tamano Drug Group distributing illegal drugs in Metro Manila, Quezon City and Rizal Province linked to Montessir Sabal,” the MPD chief said. Willie Casas

Surigao province’s tribal chieftains decried the alleged lies being perpetuated by lawmakers belonging to the so-called Makabayan Bloc concerning the recent killing of three of their tribe members who were forced to join the New People’s Army (NPA). At the weekly virtual press conference of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Datu Constancio Duhac, chieftain of Lianga, Surigao del Sur asked to respect the ongoing independent investigation of the tribal council of Lianga, which is covered by the Republic Act No. 8371 or the Indigenous People’s Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA). Duhac also refuted the claims of the Makabayan Bloc that the remains of the slain Manobo tribe members killed in a clash with government troops in Barangay Diatagan in Lianga town last June 15 were desecrated and left behind. He added, while the military admit-

ted that the victims were killed in an encounter, they (soldiers) respected the tribal customary laws by giving back the bodies to their families and provided help. It should be noted that there are calls by the Makabayan Bloc to investigate the incident which the tribal leaders described as “sowing misinformation specially in social media” to gain sympathies and dollar donations from their benefactors abroad. The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and National Democratic Front. (NDF). “Dapat irespeto naman ang tribal council ng Lianga. Hindi kami dapat maipit dito,”’Duhac said referring to the longest problem besetting their community—the recruitment of their tribe members to the CTG which also forcibly abducting their youth to join and used as their combatants.

Datu Alexander Bucales whose eldest brother was also killed by the NPAs for his solid stand in rejecting the CTGs, said their “customary laws” must always be respected. “Mayroon kaming sariling imbestigasyon, ang Surigao Provincial Tribal Council. Respetuhin niyo naman ang aming customary laws. Hindi kami mga Datu na appointed ng CPP-NPA,” Bucales said. “Tinatawagan namin lalo na ang Save Our School Network, si Chad Booc na tigilan na ang misinformation. Kami ang namatayan,” Bucales said, referring to the CPP-NPA-NDF militant fronts as well as Makabayan Bloc members who are now pushing for the military to leave the province. “Persona non grata na si (Bayan Muna Rep.) Eufemia Cullamat . Last month may lima sa aming kasama ang dinukot, hanggang ngayon ay di pa namin nakikita,Bucales said.

DRUG RAID.

Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna and Manila Police District (MPD) chief Police Brigadier General Leo Francisco, with PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva, inspect 23 kilograms of suspected shabu discovered by PDEA and MPD during a drug raid at a condominium tower in Remedios street in Manila, on June 21, 2021. Norman Cruz

dering Council to freeze…” Last April 21, the ATC issued Resolution No. 17 which designated as terrorists 19 members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) including its founder Jose Maria Sison. Apart from Sison, also included in the list were Vicente Portades Ladlad, Rafael De Guzman Baylosis, Jorge Madlos, Julieta De Lima Sison, Rey Claro Cera Casambre, Abdias Guadiana, Alan Valera Jazmines, Benito Enriquez Tiamzon, Wilma Austria-Tiamzon, Adelberto Albayalde Silva, Ma. Concepcion Araneta-Bocala, Dionesio Micabolo, Myrna Sularte, Tirso Lagora Alcantara, Pedro Heyrona Codaste, Tomas Dominodo, Ma. Loida Tuzo Magpatoc and Menandro Villanueva. In an earlier Resolution No. 16, the ATC named 10 persons as terrorists including Esmael Abdulmalik, an alleged Islamic State (IS) fanatic connected with the Dawlah Islamiyah (DI).

DND chief, Go join clamor for pension reform THE current pension system for military and uniformed personnel has to undergo reforms as allowing it to continue will become burdensome for taxpayers, Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Monday. “The current MUP pension system that is being subsidized by the government will become unsustainable in the near future as it will become a huge burden to our taxpayers,” Lorenzana said in a statement. He added that revisiting the pension system should have the objective of generating and maintaining a self-sustaining fund that would totally or partially unburden the government financially. “As of today, the proposed MUP pension reform is still being discussed in Congress. A careful study of our fiscal situation, gathering of suggestions from concerned stakeholders especially in our Armed Forces, and further deliberations will be undertaken and considered to fine-tune the proposed bill,” he added. Lorenzana added that the welfare of MUP retirees is their utmost priority in talking with lawmakers regarding the matter. Last week, the House Ad hoc Committee on the MUP Pension System approved the unnumbered substitute bill after significant issues were resolved among the committee members and with the military and uniformed services branches. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, committee chair, said among the key revisions in the bill include the addition of disability benefits in the authorized insurance system and the creation of a provident fund to be infused with voluntary contributions from MUPs. The disability benefits shall be created under the risk insurance system to enhance the benefits package for MUPs who incur disabilities in the line of duty Salceda also said law enforcement agencies such as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency should be included in the definition of uniformed services. Senator Christopher “Bong” Go also backed the reforms, adding that there is a need to balance the welfare of military and other uniformed personnel, and their dependents, while addressing the possible adverse financial impact of the military pension system based on current projections.

Leonor vs Leni: Old-hat module errors resolved By Christine Cortez INCIDENT reports of errors found in learning modules have already been resolved , Education Secretary Leonor Briones said on Monday, in response to Vice President Leni Robredo’s charges that the department is lacking a ‘proper system’. Robredo, in her weekly program on DZXL said that “Ito iyong problema ng sistema na kapag hindi masusi iyong pagasikaso ng lahat. May mga makakalusot talagang ganito, may mga makakalusot na hindi dapat (This is the problem in a system if not all things are properly taken care of. There will really be errors like these that will slip past them. It should have not happened).”

Briones refuted the comments stated by the Vice President during a virtual conference that happened this Monday, June 21, alongside the department’s celebration of it’s 123rd Founding Anniversary. “We thank Vice President Robredo for her comments but we assure her that this happened several months ago, this has been already attended, and action has already been undertaken,” said Briones. She also said that the department has maintained a working system of mechanism that deals with reports of errors found in the learning modules and that several actions are already in place. After going through verification, at least 155 errors for the School Year 2020-2021 were reported last Monday,

June 14, by DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio. In response to these errors validated earlier, Briones said “now, in light of all the noise on an event which happened several months ago and that has already been resolved, I reopened the case again.” “I am reviewing it now just to make sure that we did the right thing and that there are, perhaps, other considerations to look at,” Briones said. To ensure that prompt actions are to be made, the Secretary department is putting into consideration if it is already “high time” to instigate necessary sanctions against individuals who were behind these errors in the learning modules.

VICTIMS TOO. Blind massage therapists hold on to each other, asking for donations from customers in the parking area of Mahogany Market in Tagaytay City, Cavite on June 20, 2021. They have been among those displaced by the closure of their massage parlors due to COVID-19 pandemic. JR Josue

News

TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021

PH adopts ‘no wrong door’ vaccine policy

ART IN THE ACCIDENTAL. A flash of lightning and a burst of fireworks mark the winning snapshots in the recently-concluded CCLEX social media photo contest in Cebu City. Nestor Nardo’s photo of a flash of lightning framing a tower of the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway bested 109 others in the general entry category. Nardo said he just “got lucky” in capturing the image. For the switch-on category, Francis Gonzaga bagged top prize for his photograph of fireworks filling up the night sky just as the crosses of CCLEX were lit up. The 8.5-kilometer CCLEX, which will serve as the third link of Mactan island to mainland Cebu, is a project of the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC), in partnership with the local government units of Cebu City and the Municipality of Cordova. CCLEC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), a publicly listed infrastructure holding company and a member of the MVP Group of Companies.

Rody approves death, burial benefits for IP barangay execs By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has authorized the payment of death and burial benefits to indigenous peoples barangay representatives who die during their term of office. Duterte signed Executive Order No. 139 on June 18, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said. Duterte “There is a need to recognize the invaluable contribution of the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs) in the barangays through, among others, the grant of benefits enjoyed similarly situated officials, pursuant to the concerted and overall efforts of the government to provide assistance to local officials,” Duterte said in the order. The EO said the national budget includes a provision that IPMRs in barangays who die during their work are entitled to death and burial benefits granted to barangay officials. Under EO No. 139, the Department of Interior and Local Government, in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, was tasked to determine the amount necessary for the death benefits of IP representatives. Funding for the benefits will be included in DILG’s annual budget proposal.

Galvez: 20m Pfizer jabs for 12 to 15-year-old kids By Willie Casas and Maricel Cruz

T LEAST 20 million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines the government procured will be used for children under the 12 to 15 years old age bracket, vaccine czar and National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. said. Galvez made the announcement following the signing of the supply agreement for 40 million Pfizer doses to be delivered by the third and fourth quarter of the year. The country will also receive its first 20 million doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines on June 27, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Romualdez said. “We will really have more than enough [doses] in the next couple of months – that is true. This time, the supply will

continue unhampered,” Romualdez aid. Of the 20 million Moderna doses, some 13 million will go to the government for distribution in places with high COVID-19 cases while the remaining 7 million will go to the private sector. Galvez, for his part, said the original plan was to allocate as much as 25 million of the Pfizer jabs for 12 to 15 year olds. “But considering that we are only opening up the vaccination for children

like in Europe and also in the United States and Israel, we are anticipating that we have to program or we have to prepare for that,” Galvez said. Once the government’s expert panel gives a go signal and guidelines have been issued, Galvez said the government would start vaccinating those in 12 to 15 year old age bracket. As of June 19, the country has received a total of 14,205,870 doses of COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Sinovac, Sputnik, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca both through procurement and donations. A total of 8,407,342 jabs have been administered nationwide as of Sunday, of which 6,253,400 were administered as first doses while 2,153,942 were given as second doses. Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the government is working on a common digital ID with QR code to serve as proof of vaccination against COVID-19

US embassy cancels visa interview for tourists, business until July 30 THE United States embassy in Manila has cancelled all non-immigrant B1/B2 (Business/Tourist) visa interview appointments scheduled through July 30, 2021 amid the continued global challenges posed by the novel coronavirus pandemic. “The resumption of routine visa services is on a post-by-post basis, in coordination with the [US State] Department’s framework for safely returning our workforce to Department facilities,” the embassy said in a statement posted on its website. In March last year, the US State Department also suspended routine visa services worldwide following the outbreak of the pandemic. Four months later, US embassies and consulates began a phased resumption of routine visa services in July 2020. US Embassies and Consulates have continued to provide emergency and mission-critical visa services since March

and will continue to do so as they are able, the embassy said. “As post-specific conditions improve, our missions have begun providing additional services, culminating eventually in a complete resumption of routine visa services,” it said. Once routine visa services resume, applicants are advised to reschedule their visa interviews by calling through the Embassy call center at (+632) 7792-8988 and (+632) 8548-8223, or through the online appointment system at ustraveldocs. com/ph. The US Embassy said no fee will be exacted to change an appointment, and the validity of the visa fee payment (known as the MRV fee) is extended until September 30, 2022 to allow applicants who are unable to schedule a visa appointment because of the suspension of routine consular operations an opportunity to schedule and/or attend a visa interview appointment with the already paid fee.

MORE VAX SITES. The barangay vaccination rollout program in Bacolod City

goes full steam ahead for three priority groups: frontline healthcare workers, senior citizens and adults with comorbidities. The Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF) and the COVID-19 Vaccination Council (CoVaC), both chaired by Mayor Bing Leonardia, is targeting to open 26 vaccination centers in selected barangays and clustered barangays until June 23.

Scientists urge climate crisis action

OFWs warned vs. illegal 3rd-country hiring scheme THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) on Monday advised overseas Filipino workers, particularly those in Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates, to be wary of unscrupulous recruiters offering jobs in Poland. In an advisory, the agency warned Filipino workers in these areas against a “third-country hiring scheme.” “It has come to the attention of this administration that many Filipino workers working abroad (reportedly especially those in Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates) are falling victim to a third-country hiring scheme,” the advisory read. Under this scheme, the POEA said Filipino workers are being recruited to work in Poland by illegal recruiters outside the Philippines. “They are often [charged] exorbitant fees only to find later they were promised false employment. Those deployed often encounter problems in their employment or

THE Philippines is adopting a “no wrong door policy” in its COVID-19 vaccination program, which means Filipinos may be inoculated anywhere in the country. “This means if you go to Davao, you can get vaccinated even if you are not from Davao),” Health Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire said. “We are not closing our doors even if you are not from that area,” she added. Earlier this month, former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, a Tarlac resident, received his first COVID-19 vaccine shot in Davao City after visiting Davao City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio. Te o d o r o was accompanied by former Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., who also got inoculated in Davao City. However, Vergeire said the DepartVergeire ment of Health is discouraging local government units from entertaining individuals who come to vaccination sites without appointments. She said walk-in vaccinations tend to result in crowding, which makes the probability of virus transmission higher. But in Manila, the local government reallowed walk-ins after initially disallowing it Monday following a low vaccination turnout. Earlier in the day, the city said people must first register online and wait for a scheduled confirmation through a text message before going to vaccination sites. But at around 4:30 p.m. the City Public Information Office said Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso allowed walk-ins anew. On Sunday, Manila recorded an alltime high in daily vaccinations with 27,642 individuals inoculated. Willie Casas

immigration status once they reach Poland,” the agency added. At the same time, POEA encouraged OFWs to transact only with licensed recruitment agencies in the Philippines that have valid and POEA-approved job orders for Filipino workers in Poland. “To avoid third-country hiring and its dangers, this administration encourages all Filipino workers desiring to work in Poland to deal only with licensed Philippine recruitment agencies in the Philippines that have valid and POEAapproved job orders for Filipino workers in Poland. This is to ensure that Filipino workers are properly documented when going to Poland thereby also ensuring the legitimacy of their employment and the protection of their welfare,” it added. The POEA also reminded OFWs to visit its website, www.poea.gov. ph, for the list of licensed Philippine recruitment agencies with job orders or vacancies for Poland.

HELPING HAND. Philippine General Hospital director Dr. Gerardo

Legaspi (second from left) and Health Usec. Leopoldo Vega (second from right) receive a P1 million check from Indian Business Forum President Dileep Tiwari (left) and Embassy of India First Secretary Nishikant Singh (right) on June 21, 2021. Aside from the cash assistance, IBF also donated medicines amounting to P12 million. Danny Pata

ENVIRONMENTAL scientists and advocates called for more aggressive climate resiliency interventions from government and the private sector to mitigate economic shocks from worsening extreme weather and natural disasters. “Climate crisis is still, unfortunately, not a top-of-mind issue for many economies, including ours,” said Dr. Carlos Primo David, ADRi program and Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) convenor in a recent online forum organized by Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute. “Our window to address climate change is 30 years or roughly one generation. Not acting on climate change during this period may prove to be devastating for the planet. It is our generation that is starting to occupy the leadership roles of society. It is up to us then to recognize this threat and seriously address the climate crisis,” he added. Dr. Mahar Lagmay, executive director, Project NOAH, said early warning systems should be data driven and “people-centered” to save more lives and livelihoods. “We must specify what kind of hazard will hit a community, and we must be able also to specify when that will happen. It must be time bound, using sensors, there’s a technology already available,” he said. “Take for example the area that was hit during (typhoon) ‘Ompong.’ We have this landslide map that accurately predicted where the landslide would happen. If the people moved just 200 meters away, or maybe 300 meters away – that’s the safest place in that area – then they could have increased their chances of survival,” Lagmay added.

Opinion Praising God for our suffering upon it, in order to wean it from the pleasures of the world; but afterwards, when he sees it more settled in spiritual ways, he draws back his hand, in order to make proof of its love, and to see whether it serves and loves him unrecompensed, while in this world, with spiritual joys. Rabbi Harold Kushner has written that faith gives us “eyes with which to see the world.” Fr. Matt Malone echoes this, proposing in an article entitled “The Father of Mercies” that: “Our Christian vocation is to see the world in exactly that way. Through the eyes of faith, we can faintly see our fellow human beings, even and especially those who have sinned against us, as God sees them. . . No matter how hurt, afraid or angry we are, no human being is ever a monster. We may find it difficult to love, but through the eyes of faith we can begin to see that every man and woman is always and everywhere loved as much by God as are our greatest saints. That love alone is worthy of our greatest efforts to understand and to forgive.” Kushner, author of the bestseller book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People,” concludes in that book that God is not the cause of our suffering and misfortunes: “Some are caused by bad luck, some are caused by bad people, and some are simply an inevitable consequence of our being human and being mortal, living in a world of inflexible natural laws.” According to Kushner, the painful, sad things that happen to us – the suffering for example during this pandemic - are not punishments for our sins nor are they intended by God as part of some grand design: “Because the tragedy is not God’s will, we need not feel hurt or betrayed by God when tragedy strikes. We can turn to Him for help in overcoming it, precisely because we can tell ourselves that God is as outraged by it as we are.” This is why Saint Francis of Assisi ends his Canticle of Creatures, a song of praise if ever there was one, with praising God for the suffering we experience, including our own deaths: “Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love, and bear infirmity and tribulation. Blessed are those who endure in peace for by You, Most High, shall they be crowned. “Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no one living can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin. Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will, for the second death shall do them no harm. “Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks and serve Him with great humility.” Website: tonylavina.com Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

THIS is the last of my series of columns on the will of God, my attempt to try to make sense of the sickness and death around us. I wrote these reflections during a difficult time for my hometown, Cagayan de Oro, Davao City, and several other Mindanao and provincial towns and cities. The coronavirus surge that has hit us has been unforgiving, cruel, and vicious. The catechesis of the world teaches us to be ahead in everything: To strive in everything to secure our future and that of our family, to attain fulfilment by means of recognition of our greatness, and to acquire material wealth as the ultimate symbol of success. The problem lies when the pursuit of material security and recognition becomes the end-all and be-all of our lives, it now becomes the raison d’etre of our very existence, and we forget that there is a more sublime and eternal reason for being on earth.

To those who love God, all things work unto good. St. Alphonsus’ treatise Conformity to the Will of God, which has been my main source for my reflections, redirects our focus from the distractions of the world. While often at odds with our baser instincts and the more mundane and temporal teachings, to St. Alphonsus true happiness can be attained through total surrender to the will of God. She who acts in this way does not only become a saint, but she enjoys, even in this world, a perpetual peace. To those who love God, all things work unto good. Those who love God are ever content, because their whole pleasure lies in the accomplishment, even in things that run counter to themselves, of the divine will; and hence even afflictions themselves are converted into their contentment, by the thought that in the acceptance of them they are giving pleasure to their Lord whom they love. “While we are living here,” as Saint Teresa used to say, “our gain does not consist in any increase of our enjoyment of God, but in the performance of his We ought to be resigned in times of spiritual desolation. The Lord is accustomed, when a soul gives itself up to the spiritual life, to heap consolations

A mask-free Christmas

BEFORE she retired, International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said all the evidence related to the bloody war on illegal drugs of President Duterte between July 1, 2016 to March 16, 2019 had been preserved. What evidence, we can only guess. We don’t know if there is reasonable basis to indict those who committed crimes against humanity. So what’s next? How will the ICC proceed with an investigation without the cooperation of the Philippine government? Duterte claims his government will not cooperate since the so-called evidence is all hearsay. There are those, however, who claim that indeed there were instances of extrajudicial killing. We saw how a teenager was taken into a small alley and killed. The question is, are those killer cops under the command of higher-ups? There are many unanswered questions in connection with this ICC probe. But, first we all know that a President cannot be sued during his incumbency. That’s in the 1987 Constitution. These are interesting days indeed, but we can only speculate. ••• Will this ICC investigation on extrajudicial killings be an issue in the 2022 polls? The answer is yes and no. President Duterte’s critics will certainly bring up this issue. But will it decide the polls? I don’t think so. I have covered so many presidential elections since the time of Apo Pidiong Quirino. Elections have always been about gut issues, like poverty, joblessness and

hunger. The “masa,” which constitutes the bulk of the electorate, have always laid the blame on the administration for their poverty, hunger and joblessness. This time, the Duterte administration can always claim that while poverty exists, people are out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, as a result of COVID-19, there have been some 4.5 million unemployed Filipinos. This number will climb further unless the economy rebounds this year. EJKs could be an issue against President Duterte, but amid the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of the people couldn’t care less since their main concern is lack of work and how to have food on the table. Issues like EJKs and the problem

Is this a realistic goal? brought about by China’s frequent incursion on the West Philippine Sea and the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are beyond the understanding of the “masa.” Perhaps only the A and B category of voters will take the issue against President Duterte. After all, about six out of 10 Filipinos have a strong bias against the mainland Chinese. ••• The private sector is helping the government with the vaccine rollout program. San Miguel Corp, for instance, has started vaccinating its workers and employees, courtesy of Ramon S. Ang, president and chief executive officer. Alphaland has also ordered 10,000 doses of Moderna for the use of Alphaland staff, families, and the barangay in Balesin, the signature upper-end development of

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EDITORIAL

Actions speak louder

HINESE President Xi Jinping says China needs to improve the way it tells the world stories about itself and convince people that the ruling Communist Party is striving for the happiness of all Chinese people. Xi’s comments to a Communist Party meeting earlier this month comes against the backdrop off Beijing’s growing isolation in the global community, fueled in this part of the world by its aggressive actions in the South China Sea, its clampdown on democracy and dissent in Hong Kong, its threats against Taiwan and its attempts last year to cover up the early spread of the coronavirus. Xi said it was crucial that China develop a stronger “international voice” which matches its national strength and global status, to present a “true, three-dimensional and comprehensive China” to the world, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. “We should strengthen the propaganda and interpretation of the Communist party of China, and help foreign people realize that the Communist party of China [CCP] really strives for the happiness of the Chinese people,” the report cited Xi as saying. The official English translation by Xinhua, the UK’s Guardian newspaper notes, changes “propaganda” to “publicity.” Worsening relations with the West, the Guardian adds, have resulted in titfor-tat trade sanctions, the expulsion or intimidation of foreign journalists, and increasingly belligerent commentary

No amount of propaganda—or publicity if you will—can remove the stench of an authoritarian regime that brooks no dissent and disregards individual human rights. from China’s “wolf warrior” diplomats, diplomats who use their platform to aggressively defend China’s policies and disparage opponents. We have experienced these attacks from Chinese officials here in Manila, who had the temerity to denounce Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana as “unprofessional” for calling out China’s intrusion into Philippine waters in April. This week, the Chinese authorities again showed us that no amount of propaganda—or publicity if you will— can remove the stench of an authoritarian regime that brooks no dissent and disregards individual human rights. Just weeks after Xi spoke of telling the world better stories, China hailed

Hong Kong police for arresting the top editors of a pro-democracy newspaper and warned journalists not to write articles that challenge Beijing. In the special administrative region, some 500 police officers descended on the headquarters of the popular Apple Daily newspaper and arrested three top editors and two senior executives for violating a national security law imposed last year that bans criticism of China. During the raid, police barred journalists from accessing their desks and declared the right to seize computers and other devices at the newspaper owned by pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, a fierce critic of Beijing who is currently serving more than a year in prison for attending unauthorized protests. “Freedom of the press is not a ‘shield’ for illegal activities,” the Chinese government’s Liaison Office said in a statement. “No matter what kind of professional status and background they have, no matter what kind of support they have behind them, anyone who violates the Hong Kong National Security Law and relevant laws will be severely punished by the law.” This is telling a better story? To put things in perspective, we are dealing with a ruling party that banned a Winnie the Pooh film in 2018 because of memes that spread online comparing Xi’s figure with that of AA Milne’s delightfully rotund fictional bear. Actions, indeed, speak louder than words.

Rizal at 160 our lack of civic spirit (see above) and our willingness to settle (ditto). ••• Various ways have been proposed for us to uplift ourselves. But one of them, for sure, would be rejected by Rizal, who disdained violence as an easy way out for small minds. He would have foresworn today’s Filipino communists, latter-day propagators of the Marxist virus that infected the democratic spirit of the European enlightenment and led to millions of deaths under the political pandemics of Stalinist Russia and Maoist China.

LAST Saturday, unnoticed by too many people, marked the 160th birth anniversary of our national hero Jose Rizal. I celebrated it by pondering what Rizal, a man who to me was the very “soul of the revolution,” would make of his country today were he to be transported forward in a time machine (Philippine-made, of course). Rizal wasn’t just an anti-colonial hero. He was, first of all, a child of the Age of Enlightenment in Europe, where he spent most of his active years. It was the continent’s bold philosophy of individual freedom and open-mindedness that animated his love of the idea of a country, his mistrust of institutional religion when misused for colonial or obscurantist purposes, his abiding faith in the capacity of ideas to change the world. Looking around him today, what would Rizal think? ••• As a man who gave his life for his people, he would be dismayed by today’s pervasive lack of civic spirit--something that can still be called forth by extreme necessity like a pandemic lockdown, but otherwise slinks away in shame when we revert to our pathological disregard for the law, tolerating its violators so long as their corruption and violence affect others and not ourselves personally. A man of protean achievements, Rizal would be distressed by the extent to which we have given up on making something better of ourselves. Our educational system has long been in the dumps, each generation turning out dumber than the one before. The Manny Pacquiaos have to fight abroad, the Wesley Sos and Yuka Satos prefer to give up their citizenship in order to rise above our “puwede pasar” tolerance for mediocrity. A man who walked with heroes, Rizal would be dispirited by the midgets for whom we have settled today as our leaders, just a couple of generations away from the Rectos and Tanadas, the Quezons and Bocobos who took Rizal’s place. Only with difficulty can we exceed the very low bar set by our leaders. And every electoral exercise sinks us even deeper, confirming again and again Chairman Roberto V. Ongpin. “We can increase this order to accommodate our workers and their families,” Ongpin said in his usual update to members of the island paradise. Just a short email to Dr. Ben Valdecanas of Aegle Wellness will do. According to Dr. Valdecanas, two doses of Moderna will cost P5,000. Congratulations to Ramon S. Ang and Bobby Ongpin in helping achieve herd immunity. ••• Can we imagine having a bit of a merry Christmas, mask free, if the government achieved herd immunity? We are told that the government is aiming

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

What would he think of us today? Our local communists think that they’re already State actors entitled to negotiate on the same level as the duly constituted Republic. Thus, in the bombing and shooting of innocent civilians Kieth and Nolven Absalon in Masbate, they want their complicit comrades to be handled by government under a so-called “comprehensive agreement” worked out earlier by the two peace panels, rather than the perfectly good laws that apply to everybody else and his mother—in this case, R.A. 9851 covering “crimes against humanity.” As the affable DILG Undersecretary Jon Malaya has pointed out: First, the monitoring committee jointly created under that “comprehensive agreement” no longer exists, after the communists walked out of the peace talks. Second, the use of those landmines against the Absalons was already, on its face, a violation of that “agreement.” And third, the Makabayan bloc of legislators, instead of rallying behind the laws they took oaths of office to defend, have been defending the armed communists for raising—according to Teddy Casiño-“legitimate issues and grievances of our people.” How legitimacy of issues, even if true, somehow justifies violence, is a leap of logic that befuddles me. Unfortunately, I can’t ask them too many questions about that, or I’d for population protection to allow the further reopening of the economy at the soonest possible time. A molecular biologist-priest and OCTA research fellow, Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, supports the administration’s move to prioritize vaccination in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus and eight other areas. The OCTA Research fellow said that “when we build herd immunity in the NCR Plus 8, we protect the rest of the country because surges always begin in the NCR.” This could be attained in November, he said. He added that this is a realistic and attainable goal for all of us. With enough prayers and hope, we look forward to a mask-free Christmas.

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be accused of red-tagging. ••• More and more, we’re having to look for our role models within the business community, where people who screw up aren’t allowed to hang on to power forever, but end up going bankrupt or getting fired. This system of reward and punishment works painfully well, forcing businessmen to do well where politicians won’t even tread. In the next two months, San Miguel is expected to break ground for its ambitious P735-billion aerotropolis project in the middle of Bulacan’s ricefields and historic towns. Ramon Ang wants this stillunnamed project to become the country’s premier international gateway, with not a single centavo coming from the public coffers. The best of the crop go beyond doing well into doing good. San Miguel has also partnered with DENR, other national agencies, and Metro Manila mayors in the country’s largest-ever river rehab project: Cleaning up the Pasig, the world’s most polluting river. Mr. Ang has in fact doubled his contribution from one to two billion pesos. With none of that money coming from taxpayers, that’s a huge vote of confidence in the country. Readers can write me at gbolivar1952@ yahoo.com.

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Market slips; Puregold, JG Summit lead losers

ETHIOPIAN POLLS. A

woman waits in line in order to vote at a polling station in the city of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, on June 21. Voters in Ethiopia cast ballots in a delayed national election taking place against the backdrop of war and famine in the northern Tigray region and questions over the poll’s credibility. AFP

HE stock market dropped Monday, pulled down by the retreat of other Asian markets on growing expectations the US Federal Reserve will begin lifting interest rates as early as next year as it looks to prevent the economic recovery from overheating.

US readies new Russia sanctions over Navalny W ASHINGTON—The United States is preparing fresh sanctions against Russia over the near-fatal poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, a top White House advisor warned Sunday.

Jailed opposition leader Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent opponent, was arrested in January upon returning to Russia after recovering from a poisoning he says was orchestrated by Moscow. Diplomatic relations between Moscow and Washington have soured since President Joe Biden took office in January. Biden’s national security advisor Jake Sullivan noted Sunday that the US has already sanctioned Russia for “the poisoning of Alexei Navalny.” “We rallied European allies in a joint effort to impose costs on Russia for the use of a chemical agent against one of their citizens on Russian soil,” he told CNN’s “State of the Union.” But he said “We are preparing another package of sanctions to apply in this case ... We’ve shown along the

way we’re not going to pull our punches.” ‘Illegal actions’ Moscow pushed back against the possibility of new sanctions and warned of a Russian response. “The illegal actions of the United States have always been followed by a legitimate response from us,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram. And Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to the US, said that “this was not the signal that everyone received after the summit” in Geneva last week between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Among other things, the two leaders agreed to return their respective ambassadors—the Russian Antonov and the American John Sullivan, withdrawn in tit-for-tat fashion after Biden in March likened Putin to a “killer.” Speaking Sunday upon his arrival back in New York, Antonov said he had just learned of the sanctions threat. “I think that it is not possible to stabilize relations, improve mutual relations between two countries, through sanctions,” he said, calling instead for a restoration of dialogue. Biden and Putin sought in Geneva to cool tensions in the combustible US-Russian relationship. AFP

US envoy offers to meet Nokor man ‘anywhere’ SEOUL—The US special representative for North Korea on Monday offered to meet with Pyongyang “anywhere, anytime, without preconditions”, with no public contact so far between the Biden administration and the nuclear-armed nation. Sung Kim’s remarks came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week gave his first reaction to Washington’s recent review of its approach to his isolated country, saying Pyongyang must prepare for both “dialogue and confrontation”. Kim was a former US Ambassador to the Philippines. The Biden administration has previously promised a “practical, calibrated approach”, including diplomatic efforts, to persuade the impoverished North to give up its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. “We continue to hope that the DPRK will respond positively to our outreach, and our offer to meet anywhere anytime without preconditions,” US envoy Kim said during a five-day visit to Washington’s ally South Korea, referring to the North by its official name. Last week, Kim Jong Un said the country’s food situation was “tense”, sounding the alarm in a country with a moribund agricultural sector that has long struggled to feed itself and is now under self-imposed isolation to try to protect itself against the coronavirus pandemic. Pyongyang’s state-run KCTV on Sunday reported leader Kim and top officials had discussed “emergency measures” to tackle the country’s “current food crisis”. AFP

TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

MASS GRAVE. This aerial picture shows a funeral taking place at a cemetery for Covid-19 coronavirus victims in Jakarta on June 21. AFP

Aide: Asset freeze slowly choking Hong Kong pro-democracy paper HONG KONG—Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper warned Monday it is unable to pay staff and is at imminent risk of closure after the government froze the company’s assets using a sweeping new national security law. Apple Daily has long been a thorn in Beijing’s side, with unapologetic support for the city’s pro-democracy movement and caustic criticism of China’s authoritarian leaders. Its owner Jimmy Lai is in jail and was among the first to be charged under the security law after its imposition last year. Its chief editor and CEO have been detained and its finances frozen. Mark Simon, an aide to Lai, said the freeze order by the city’s security chief last week had crippled the newspaper’s ability to do business. “Our problem at Apple Daily is not that we don’t have funds, we have $50 million in the bank,” he told CNN. “Our problem is the Secretary of Security and the police will not let us pay our reporters, they will not let us pay our staff, and they will not let us pay our vendors. They have locked up our accounts.” Lam Man-chung, executive chief editor of Apple Daily, told AFP that the media group’s board was meeting on Monday. Lai, 73, is in prison for attending democracy protests in 2019. He faces a life sentence if convicted of national security crimes. AFP

Australia deputy PM loses job in government climate split SYDNEY—A climate change revolt in Australia’s governing coalition on Monday brought in a new deputy prime minister likely to challenge the country’s already hesitant moves to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Barnaby Joyce, best known internationally for threatening to euthanize Johnny Depp’s dogs, defeated incumbent Michael McCormack in a snap internal party vote, elevating him to the role of deputy PM. The vote for the leadership of junior coalition partner the Nationals came as apparent cracks emerged in the ruling coalition over climate change policy. Prime Minister Scott Morrison told G7 leaders last week that Australia wants to achieve net-zero carbon emissions “as soon as possible”, and preferably by 2050. McCormack had reportedly been accused by party col-

leagues of failing to push back against such accelerated climate action, a charged topic among the Nationals’ rural conservative voters. On Monday, Joyce dodged questions on whether he would support Australia taking a net-zero by 2050 target to November’s UN Climate Change Summit in Glasgow. But he echoed conservative talking points that strong climate change action posed a threat to Australia’s commodity-dependent economy. “If the National Party room believes that the best deal for regional Australia is to make sure that we secure their jobs, is to make sure that we secure their industries... that’s the view that I’ll support,” he told reporters in Canberra. AFP

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index shed 24.21 points, or 0.4 percent, to 6,827.17 on a value turnover of P5.9 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 138 to 64, with 50 issues unchanged. JG Summit Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei Group fell 3.9 percent to P60.55, while Puregold Price Club Inc. of retail tycoon Lucio Co declined 2.2 percent to P40. Speculative Ever-Gotesco Resources & Holdings Inc. slumped 27.9 percent to P0.49

but SM Prime Holdings Inc. of the Sy Group rose 1.5 percent to P36.55. The rest Asian markets, meanwhile, tumbled Monday. In a bid to soothe traders fretting over surging inflation, central bank officials have for months pledged to maintain their ultraloose monetary policy until the rebound was well on track. But last week it brought forward its forecasts for tightening. The news was initially broadly taken in stride by investors as the Fed’s so-called “dot plot” outlook for rates suggested it would not begin hiking until 2023, and would discuss winding down its bond-buying program later this year. But investors were spooked by comments from St Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard that liftoff could come as soon as late 2022, adding that it made sense for officials to become “a little more hawkish” as inflation surges. That sparked hefty losses on Wall Street, with the Dow and S&P 500 dropping more than one percent and the Nasdaq almost one percent. With AFP

POKEMON-INSPIRED. Pikachu mascots are seen beside a Skymark Airlines Boeing 737-

800 aircraft with new Pokemon-themed livery during its unveiling at Tokyo’s Haneda international airport on June 21, 2021. AFP

Bitcoin falls as China broadens clampdown BEIJING, China—Bitcoin tumbled more than 10 percent Monday after China broadened a crackdown on its massive cryptocurrency mining industry with a ban on mines in a key southwestern province. Chinese mines power nearly 80 percent of the global trade in cryptocurrencies despite a domestic trading ban since 2017, but in recent months several provinces have ordered mines to close as Beijing turns a sharp eye to the industry. Authorities in the province of Sichuan ordered the closure of 26 mines last week, according to a notice widely circulated on Chinese social media and confirmed by a former bitcoin miner. The price of bitcoin sank to as low as $32,309. The unit has taken a severe hit in recent weeks, having hit a record near $65,000 in April, partly because of Beijing’s crackdown. The notice reportedly instructed power companies to stop supplying electricity to all cryptocurrency mines by Sunday. It vowed a “complete clean-up” and ordered local governments to carry out a “dragnet-style investigation” to find and shut down suspected crypto mines. The province represents one of the largest bases for mining in the country. AFP

S. African mystery stones are quartz and not diamonds JOHANNESBURG, South Africa— Gemstones that sparked a diamond rush to eastern South Africa last week have turned out to be just quartz, according to preliminary findings presented Sunday. Thousands of people flocked to a hillside in South Africa’s KwaZuluNatal province to dig for mysterious stones first unearthed by a cattle herder and believed to be diamonds. The rush prompted the government to send geoscientists and mining experts to collect samples for testing. The results quashed the dreams of diggers hoping to come up with a fortune. “The tests conducted conclusively revealed that the stones discovered in the area are not diamonds,” a local government statement said in reference to the report. “In fact, what has been discovered are quartz crystals,” it said, noting that the yet-to-determined value of the stones would be “very low” compared to diamonds. AFP

Manila

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TODAY

CONCEPCION INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION (formerly Concepcion Airconditioning Corporation) NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING TO:

ALL STOCKHOLDERS

Notice is hereby given that CONCEPCION INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION (formerly Concepcion Airconditioning Corporation) (the “Corporation”) will conduct its Annual Stockholders’ Meeting virtually via Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tZUrdOirpj8qHNEAGLCr9J4neml3ojd_uQ50) on 14 July 2021 at 10:30 a.m., at which meeting the following matters shall be taken up: 1.

Call to Order;

2. Certification of Existence of Quorum; 3.

Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Stockholders held on July 15, 2020;

Report of the Chairman;

Approval of the Audited Financial Statements as of 31 December 2020;

Election of Directors;

7. Appointment of External Auditors 8. Ratification of All Actions taken by the Board and Management; 9.

Other Matters; and

10. Adjournment. The record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the said meeting is fixed at the close of business hours on 14 June 2021. To ensure the health and well-being of our stockholders during this COVID-19 pandemic, stockholders may only attend the meeting by remote communication and/or vote in absentia or through the Chairman of the meeting as proxy. Stockholders who wish to participate by remote communication or vote in absentia or by proxy should notify the Corporate Secretary by email to cic.secretary@romulo.com from 29 June 2021 to 4 July 2021. Successful registrants will receive an electronic invitation via email with a complete guide on how to join the meeting. For any registration concerns, please get in touch with the Corporation through cic.secretary@romulo.com. All stockholders who wish to vote through a proxy or in absentia shall submit the duly signed proxies or ballots, as the case may be, to the Office of the Corporate Secretary at the 21st Floor, Philamlife Tower, 8767 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City and/or by email to cic. secretary@romulo.com not later than 4 July 2021. The proxies and ballots submitted shall be validated on 9 July 2021 at 2:00 p.m. We are not soliciting proxies. The Information Statement which contains a brief explanation of each item on the agenda and procedures for attending the meeting via remote communication and for casting votes in absentia, Management Report, and Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2020 in SEC Form 17-A are posted on the Corporation’s website at https://cicasm2021.cic.ph and PSE EDGE. The meeting shall be recorded in audio and video format and copies thereof shall be retained by the Corporation. JAYSON L. FERNANDEZ Corporate Secretary (MS-JUNE 22/23, 2021)

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

TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021

Mindanao Railway seen to start partial operations by 2022 By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Department of Transportation said Monday it expects the TagumCarmen segment of the P82-billion Mindanao Railway Project to start partial operations by March 2022. “Our target partial operability is by 2022. We are fast tracking the acquisition of the right of way,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said. He said the government would soon procure a project management consultant for the project. The 102-km Mindanao Railway Project: Tagum-Davao-Digos segment is expected to reduce travel time from Tagum City, Davao del Norte to Digos City, Davao del Sur from 3.5 hours to 1.3 hours. The MRP-TDD segment is the first of the three segments of the project. It is expected to not only make travel faster, but also safer, more convenient and comfortable for passengers in the said corridor, according to the government. It will have eight stations at Tagum, Carmen, Panabo, Mudiang, Davao, Toril, Sta. Cruz and Digos. A 10-hectare depot will also be built in Tagum. The rail line will be built with a single track, with provisions for future tracks and electrification. It will have six 5-car passenger trains (diesel multiple units) with three spare cars, four locomotives and 15 freight cars. Upon project completion, the DOTr expects the daily ridership of the Tagum-Davao-Digos segment to reach 134,060 by 2022. Daily ridership is seen to further increase to 237,023 by 2032 and 375,134 by 2042. The railway is funded by official development assistance from China.

Business Tariff Commission denies surge in vehicle shipments By Othel V. Campos

HE provisional safeguard duties on imported vehicles may be recalled after the Tariff Commission issued a staff report denying the Philippine Metals Association’s claim of a surge in imports since 2014.

The body, however, said the staff report might still change as the agency would hold more public hearings before issuing the final report. Industry stakeholders submitted their comments to the staff report on June 15. A source said the TC was given 200 days to decide on the issue from Feb. 1, 2021 when the provisional safeguard duties were imposed. Automotive dealers in February started imposing provisional safeguard duties of P70,000 per unit of imported passenger cars and P110,000 per unit of light commercial vehicles, on top of the

regular tariffs, following an order from the Trade Department based on the petition of PMA. Car companies said with the latest report from the Tariff Commission, the safeguard duties deposited in escrow would be reimbursed to buyers once the provisional duties were lifted. The TC concluded in its report that during the period of investigation, completely built-up passenger cars and CBU light commercial vehicles “were not imported into the Philippines in increased quantities, both in absolute and relative to domestic production.”

It said the increase in the volume of imports of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles from 2014 to 2020 “cannot be considered recent, sudden, sharp and of such magnitude that can be deemed significant.” The TC is the principal and independent authority on tariff and trade remedies, and a key adviser on non-tariff measures and international trade issues. Responding to the TC decision, the PMA said the import surge analysis of TC was flawed and should have excluded data of imports from year 2020, as sales in that year were abnormally very low because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data submitted by PMA to the TC showed that total imports of CBU motor vehicles were on an increasing trend from 2014 until 2017, but began to decline from 2018 to 2020. Total imports of CBU motor vehicles peaked in 2017 with 306,819,units, of which 78 percent was imported by domestic industry and 22 percent by traders.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Monday, June 21, 2021

-24.21 PTS. 6,827.17

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

2,434,912,875 95,795 5,858,419,333.07 64 138 50

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

MALABON-HSI TIE-UP. Malabon City taps Highly Succeed Inc., one of the

fastest-growing IT servicing and production companies in the country, to provide advanced technology solutions for the city. This follows the digital transformation of the City of Malabon University. Shown are (from left) Paolo Balinas, Microsoft channel manager; Melissa Oreta, vice president for academic affairs and dean of College of Business and Accountancy at CMU; Maritoni Esperida, business development officer of HSI; Dhastin Antonio, sales executive of HIS; Malabon Mayor Oreta III; Michael Darwin Domingo, vice president for admin and finance at CMU; and Sheila Villanueva, vice president for institutional development and external affairs at CMU.

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.3870

Japan

Yen

0.009072

0.4390

Pound

1.380000

66.7741

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128808

6.2326

Switzerland

Franc

1.084952

52.4976

Canada

Dollar

0.802311

38.8214

Singapore

Dollar

0.743716

35.9862

Australia

Dollar

0.748300

36.2080

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655760

128.5043

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

12.9029

Brunei

Dollar

0.740960

35.8528

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.031807

1.5390

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.1752

Euro

1.186800

57.4257

Korea

Won

0.000882

0.0427

China

Yuan

0.154950

7.4976

India

Rupee

0.013495

0.6530

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.241721

11.6962

New Zealand

Dollar

0.693800

33.5709

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035983

1.7411 Source: BSP

Wilcon eyes P600m in quarterly profits, undaunted by IKEA By Jenniffer B. Austria HOME improvement retailer Wilcon Depot Inc. disclosed Monday is looking at quarterly profits of P600 million as it sees sales returning to pre-pandemic level this year despite the opening of IKEA’s first store in the country. Wilcon chief finance officer and senior vice president Rosemarie Bosch-Ong said in a news briefing the savings from reduced corporate income tax and the further easing of mobility restrictions would enable the company to maintain quarterly profits at P600 million. She said the company would also continue its aggressive expansion as it remains on track to have 100 stores by 2025. The company recently launched its online platform to reach more customers and boost revenues. Meanwhile, the company’s top executive said they were “not too worried” about the upcoming opening of the first store of Swedish home furnishing company IKEA in the Philippines. Wilcon president and chief executive Lorraine Belo-Cincochan said the company would not be competing directly against IKEA because of their different product offerings. IKEA, which is set to open its world’s largest store in Pasay City before the end of the year, sells space-saving furniture and Scandinavian-inspired home furnishings. Belo-Cincochan said Wilcon’s core products are primarily home and construction supplies, including tiles and sanitary wares and appliances. “We are also pushing our hard lines and in-house brands. We have different products to offer. We are not that worried by IKEA,” Belo-Cincochan said. More than 50 percent of Wilcon’s sales are from hardware lines such as tiles and sanitary wares while sales from home furnishings account for 8 percent of total sales, she said. She said WIlcon’s another advantage is its wider geographic reach. Wilcon is set to open nine stores to end the year with a network of 72 stores.

BSP is likely to keep rate at record low —Moody’s unit By Julito G. Rada THE Monetary Board, the policymaking body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, will likely keep the benchmark interest rate at a record low of 2 percent this week as the country continues to grapple with the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Moody’s Analytics, which operates independently of the Moody’s Investors Service, said Monday. “The Philippines’ central bank is expected to keep the benchmark policy rate steady at 2 percent in its June announcement. The near-term prospects remain worrisome for the Philippines as the country copes with an intense domestic outbreak of COVID-19, which has necessitated the extension of restrictions in the capital city and nearby provinces until the end of June,” it said in a report. Moody’s Analytics said that while Bangko Sentral responded to the crisis with rate cuts and substantial liquidity easing measures, “it is expected to retain ammunition for now and delay further action until restrictions are eased and sectors can respond to new stimulus.” The board is scheduled to meet on June 24 for policy setting decision. On May 12, the Monetary Board kept the policy rate at 2 percent, on expectation that inflation rate would remain manageable. BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said last week the possibility of an interest rates hike by the US Federal Reserve would not have any significant impact on the Philippines because of the country’s solid and strong macroeconomic fundamentals. Diokno assured that local monetary authorities would be ready if the Fed decided to increase its interest rates sooner, saying “we could do a lot of measures [on this].”

IN BRIEF Rains help avert Luzon blackouts

COOLER temperature brought by rains helped ease the tight power reserves in the Luzon grid, a government official said Monday. Grid operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines had predicted a yellow alert status from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, but lifted the announcement at 10:15 a.m. because of sufficient generating capacity. According to NGCP, the Luzon grid’s operating requirement reached 11,344 megawatts compared with the available capacity of 11,760 MW, or net operating margin at 416 MW. Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said in an interview over PTV4 the yellow alert meant very thin reserves in the grid but no rotating brownouts. “When we have yellow alert, there is thin reserves but does not mean we lack supply. Yellow alert means we should not expect any rotational brownout o power interruption,” Fuentebella said. Fuentebella said the cloudy weather on Monday helped ease demand while power plants also followed the preventive maintenance schedule. “We anticipate better scenario for our country and power system,” he said. Alena Mae S. Flores

DTI sees recovery of construction sector

TRADE Secretary Ramon Lopez said Monday his expects the revival of the construction sector in 2021 after spending dropped 45.4 percent to P2.2 trillion in 2020 from P3.2 trillion in 2019. “This industry was severely affected by the pandemic last year as there were fewer workers allowed on project sites due to the need for physical distancing, but we see all these rebounding in 2021,” Lopez said at the opening of the week-long 44th Philippine Construction Philippine Overseas Construction Board. Lopez said that before COVID-19 struck, the Philippine construction industry was posting double-digit growth on the back of the government’s massive “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program and the complementing private sector development plans. Construction accounted for 17 percent of the gross domestic product in 2019 but mobility constraints cut the sector’s contribution to 13 percent of the GDP in 2020. About 96 percent over 15,000 licensed contractors of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) are micro, small and medium enterprises. Othel V. Campos

Vista Land bullish on Lessandra brand

PROPERTY developer Vista Land & Lifescsapes Inc. said Monday revenues of its affordable residential brand Lessandra will likely grow by 28 percent this year despite the health crisis. Vista Land said Lessandra ended May with an 8-percent increase in sales month-on-month and a 43-percent growth over the same period last year. The company said Lessandra sustained its growth momentum despite the pandemic amid strengthened digital efforts and continued project expansions. “The positive growth we have is due to our unceasing efforts to provide quality and affordable homes to homebuyers, excellent service and by keeping up with the trends and technology, particularly in the digital arena,” said Lessandra division head Eduardo Aguilar. “We continue to embrace change and of service to our clients 24/7. From the virtual home tours to the reservation and payment, all can be done through our website, making it much easier to purchase your dream home. Homebuyers can also contact us anytime on our website and get a real-time response,” Aguilar said. Jenniffer B. Austria

Sports

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

TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021

Hawks stun no. 1 Sixers; Booker fuels Suns in Game 1

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Matisse Thybulle of the Philadelphia 76ers play defense against Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks during Round 2, Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs on at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AFP

Filipino-led T1 victorious in ESL One Summer ‘21 By John Christopher Aquino T1 avenged its upper bracket loss to Russia’s Virtus.pro (VP) in their grand final rematch of the ESL One Summer 2021 Monday (Philippine time). Filipino Carlo “Kuku” Palad, who captains T1, led the South-east Asian team in a 3-2, best-of-five victory against VP. T1 won the first game in 31 minutes after Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon’s Phantom Assassin posed problems to VP’s disabler team comp. VP then won the next two games, but T1 bounced back in Game 4 with Kuku’s Axe disabling the rhythm of VP while 23savage’s Lifestealer cleans house. Game 5 saw an early game advantage for VP as the Russians won almost every encounter in the early minutes of the game. However, T1 came back through a successful Roshan teamfight, picking off VP’s threats one-by-one. The game went to T1 after it pushed to the Radiant Ancient at the 40-minute mark, giving VP immense pressure. “We are the champions of the ESL One Summer 2021! GGWP to Virtus pro! Big thanks to ESL for a great event and to all our SEA fans who stayed up all those nights to support us. See you soon at #TI10!,” announced T1’s official twitter page after winning the $175,000 prize.

Grind continues for Gilas; tuneup game vs China set By Peter Atencio

HERE’S an opportunity to have a tuneup game with China, the 16-time champion of the FIBA Asia Cup.

And coach Tab Baldwin won’t let this opportunity slip away. The Philippines and a young Chinese quintet will have a friendly match before both national squads leave the country within the week. Gilas will be in Belgrade, Serbia, while China will head to Victoria, Canada, for two separate Olympic Qualifying Tournaments to be held from June 29 to July 4. “Hopefully, we might be able to get a practice game with China, which is also staying here before going to Canada. A lot of work to do,” said Baldwin. The Gilas mentor talked about his plans for Gilas after they turned back Korea, 82-77, Sunday to complete a 6-game sweep of Group A of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers at the Angeles University Foundation Gym in Angeles City. Their unbeaten record allowed the Filipinos to gain entry to the tournament proper of the Asia Cup in Indo-

Tab Baldwin

nesia this August. A 13-man squad will most likely go to Belgrade where the Philippines will meet Serbia and the Dominican Republic in the group stage. The top two teams in the groups will move over to the crossover playoffs with the other Group B, which will

Romero to Valdez: Show your big fighting heart DEPUTY Speaker Mikee Romero lauded the inclusion of shooter Jayson Valdez to next month’s Tokyo Olympics, saying his time has finally come to make a difference. “I have known him since teenage days because he was part of my youth team when I was still the president of the shooting association. So happy Jayson finally fulfilled his dream as an athlete,” said the 1-Pacman representative. “I wish him and the rest of Team PH the best of luck.” Having seen some of Valdez’s would-be rivals being part of the PH delegation to the 2012 London Games, Romero advised the 25-year-old Valdez to stay focused and determined on his goals. “Since he’ll be playing for flag and country, he has to give everything he’s got and should not be intimidated by his rivals,” added Romero. “But I know this young man, he’s gutsy.” “Pinoy tayo, dapat nating ipakita sa buong mundo na we have one big fighting heart.” added Romero, who played twice for the PH shotgun team in the World Cup apart from bankrolling the Philippine men’s basketball team that won the gold medal in the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand. Romero said Valdez will be up Rep. Mikee Romero against a bevy of top European shooters in the men’s air rifle 10-meter contest, including three-time champion Niccolo Camprian of Italy. Believing this year is the country’s best chance to end the long search for the elusive Olympic gold, Romero called on the country’s sports leaders to give Valdez all the support he needs given his limited time to prepare and chase his Olympic dream. Valdez became the 12th Filipino athlete to qualify to the Tokyo games—hanks to the quota system implemented by the Munich-based International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF). The last Filipino shooter to compete in the Olympics was Brian Rosario during the 2012 London Games. The 11 other Filipino qualifiers are boxers Nesthy Petecio, Irish Magno, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Felix Marcial, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnast Carlos Yulo, skateboarder Margielyn Didal, taekwondo jin Kurt Bryan Barbosa, rower Cris Nievarez and weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz and Erleen Ann Ando. Jayson Valdez

have Puerto Rico, Italy, and Senegal. There are four remaining places in the 12-team Tokyo 2020 Olympic field, reserved for the winners of each of the four FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, which will be held in Lithuania. In their last game against Korea, Baldwin took note of the performances of NBA prospect Kai Sotto, RJ Abarrientos and their youngest teammate Jordan Heading. All three held their own against the monster game of Ra Gun A, a naturalized player, also known as Ricardo Ratliffe. “He was just a monster our there. I thought they all gave a really good effort, and certainly helped our team be successful through major patches of the game. And we were able to compete with Ra,” said Baldwin. China, playing with fresh faces this time around, swept its four-team Group B assignment, finishing with a 91-73 win over Chinese Taipei. Yi Jian Lian, the MVP, is no longer around, after seeing action in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where China placed fifth in the group stages. The Chinese squad is now led by Qi Zhou, who averages 18 points and 12 rebounds.

LOS ANGELES—Kevin Huerter scored a playoff career-high 27 points as the upstart Atlanta Hawks punched their ticket to their first Eastern Conference finals in six years on Sunday, with a 103-96 game seven win over the Philadelphia 76ers. All-star Trae Young finished with 21 points and 10 assists, John Collins had 14 points and 16 rebounds and Danilo Gallinari came off the bench to score 17 points for the Hawks, who won three games in Philadelphia to take the series 4-3. “Winning game seven is a treat for us,” said Huerter. “We are a little naive. We always believe we can win.” The Hawks will now face the Milwaukee Bucks in game one of their series on Wednesday as both NBA semi-finals are now set. The Phoenix Suns have a 1-0 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference final. The Hawks had surprised by dispatching the New York Knicks in five games in the opening round. They needed a balanced offense in Sunday’s winner-take-all contest, and 22-year-old Huerter needed to shoot well because of all the injuries in their lineup -- they were without De’Andre Hunter, who had a right knee injury. After the game Young slipped off his jersey and went up into the stands at Wells Fargo Arena to hand it to his father for Father’s Day. “A winning jersey. I wanted to win it for my dad,” he said. Joel Embiid scored a game-high 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Sixers. But he also committed eight turnovers, including a key wobble with 41 seconds left in the fourth. Tobias Harris added 24 points and 14 rebounds, Seth Curry had 16 points and Ben Simmons contributed 13 assists in the loss. Game seven was a see-saw contest with 20 lead changes and 19 ties but the turning point came in the final minute of the fourth. Embiid’s turnover was preceded by a costly foul by reserve guard Matisse Thybulle which sent Huerter to the foul line for three shots. Huerter made all three to boost the lead to 96-92 and the Hawks held on from there. “We felt like this was going to be our year. It sucks. There is a lot to regret,” Embiid said. Suns outshine Clippers Elsewhere, Devin Booker delivered a 40-point triple-double as the Suns shook off some playoff rust to beat the fourthseeded Clippers 120-114 in the opening game of the West finals earlier Sunday. Booker also had 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his first career triple-double as the Suns won despite the absence of all-star guard Chris Paul, who has been quarantining due to the NBA’s Covid-19 health and safety protocols. AFP

Army-bound Valdez to focus on Olympics first JAYSON Valdez will be putting aside his plans to join the Philippine Army. For now, preparing for the Tokyo Olympics will be his priority. The 25-year-old Valdez said his plans are now quickly changing after he learned that he has earned an Olympic qualification slot in the men’s air rifle 10-meter event. “I was planning to join the Army. Now, this will set it back. It will just have to wait,” said Valdez in a message to the Manila Standard. It took Jayson Valdez many hours to find out before he has already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. Since January, Valdez had already given up hope on his Olympic dream, since there was no confirmation at all on his status. Valdez spent his Friday afternoon at the Ft. Magsaysay Military Reservation in Nueva Ecija, where he was following up on his application as a recruit for the Philippine Army, saying he was too busy to check his messages. An email came in that same moment, with Philippine National Shooting Association secretary general Iryne Garcia finding out about Valdez’s qualification status. Garcia’s message finally came through that evening when Valdez was having dinner with his cousins in Cabanatuan. His qualification has hardly sunk in and his father Julius, and the commanding officerin charge of his recruitment, are still both in disbelief. “Kinakabahan ako. Hindi pa kasi nagsi-sink in. Kasi pangarap pa lang ang pagiging Olympian ko. Ngayon title na,” added Valdez, who became the 12th Filipino athlete to qualify for the Tokyo games. Valdez joined early qualifiers, namely box-

ers Nesthy Petecio, Irish Magno, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Felix Marcial, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnast Carlos Yulo, skateboarder Margielyn Didal, taekwondo jin Kurt Bryan Barbosa, rower Cris Nievarez and weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz and Erleen Ann Ando. With this development, Valdez would most likely focus his training for the Olympics either in Ft. Magsaysay, with the help of the Philippine Army, or he will continue it with members of the national team that’s getting ready for the Southeast Asian Games. All will depend on how officials the PNSA and the commanding officers involved with him in the Philippine Army will come to an agreement. Valdez said he has been planning to join the military since 2015, when the Philippine Army began actively recruiting him. “Hindi ko naman totally iiwanan (national team). Kailangan ko lang ng consistent job. Tumatanda na ako, 25 na ako. Gusto ko naman makatulong in a small way sa family and parents. So why not join? Nu’ng 2015 pa ako kinukuha ng Philippine Army,” added Valdez. Jayson is the son of Julius Valdez, a threetime Southeast Asian Games champion, who won three gold medals and one silver at the 1987 SEA Games. Now retired, Julius is now coaching his son. Valdez made the minimum qualifying scores or MQS for his participation in the World Cup and Asian qualifying tournaments. His eligibility put an end to the eight-year wait for a Filipino qualifier in the sport. The last time a Filipino shooter made it was when Paul Brian Rosario competed in men’s skeet as a wild card entry in London 2012. Peter Atencio

Sports

TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021

Religon, ethics, sports to be tackled at Sports Summit RELIGION, ethics and sports take centerstage at the 19th session of the National Sports Summit 2021 on Wednesday, with redemptorist brother and renowned author Br. Carlito “Karl” Gaspar. Gaspar, a Doctor of Humanities at Xavier University, will spotlight the relationship of sports and religion, and its most pronounced impact on the philosophy of modern sport through the various beliefs across nations. The Davao City-native also gives a glimpse on new developments that helped create a shift which brought sports and religious practices together, and the development of the ethical value in promoting sports especially in terms of promoting fair play, sportsmanship while building the moral character and leadership of youth. “This is a good topic for the Summit, as it will give us a better understanding of how sports and religion can peacefully coexist with each other and be tools for development and unity,” said Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez. Br. Gaspar has written more than 20 books on ethnographic studies of Indigenous People, peacebuilding in Mindanao, and Mindanao history and theological discourses. His book ‘Manobo Dreams in Arakan’ won the National Book Award for Social Sciences in 2013. He was also awarded the Lifetime Achievement award as author by the Cardinal Sin Catholic Mass Media Awards, and was given the Parangal ng Sambayanan award by Ateneo de Manila University, and the Datu Bago Award by Davao City in 2017.

Japan support for Olympics rising T

OKYO—Around a third of Japanese now back holding the Olympics, up from just 14 percent last month, a new poll showed Monday, though a majority still prefer cancellation or postponement because of the pandemic. The poll reinforces other recent surveys that suggest opposition to Tokyo 2020 is softening slightly, just over a month before the July 23 opening ceremony. Support for holding the viruspostponed Games rose to 34 percent, according to the poll by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper published on Monday. However, 32 percent still want the Games to be cancelled altogether and 30 percent want the games to be delayed again, down from 43 percent and 40 percent in last month’s survey, respectively. Organizers have ruled out postponing the Games again, and the first Olympic athletes have already arrived in Japan.

The Asahi survey was conducted on June 19 and 20, with 1,469 responses from people contacted on home and mobile phones. It comes after several recent surveys that offered respondents the choice between cancelling the Games or holding it—with no postponement option— found that more back holding the event than scrapping it. The shift in sentiment will be welcome news for organisers, who are expected to announce later Monday how many local fans, if any, will be in the stands for the Games. After a coronavirus state of emergency ended in Tokyo on Sunday, new restrictions limit audiences at large events to 5,000 people or 50 percent capacity, whichever is smallest.

That rule is scheduled to be in place until July 11, after which the cap will expand to 10,000 people or 50 percent capacity. Local media reports suggest Olympic organizers will set a 10,000 spectator cap, but that the audience for the opening ceremony could swell to 20,000 including dignitaries and sponsors. Japan has seen a comparatively small virus outbreak, with around 14,500 deaths despite avoiding harsh lockdowns. But its vaccine rollout started slowly, only picking up pace in recent weeks. Around 6.5 percent of the population is currently fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, organizers and Japanese officials meet Monday to decide whether fans will be allowed at the pandemic-postponed Games, just weeks before they open. With the opening ceremony looming on July 23, organisers are scrambling to finalise preparations, but the decision on spectators has been left as late as possible.

A view of the main dining hall of the Olympic Village during a media tour of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village in Tokyo. AFP

Spain’s Jon Rahm captures US Open for first major title LA JOLLA—Spain’s Jon Rahm made spectacular birdie putts on the final two holes to capture the US Open on Sunday, defeating South African Louis Oosthuizen by one stroke to claim his first major title. Rahm sank a birdie putt from just inside 25 feet at the 17th and rolled in an 18-footer at 18 to finish a four-under par 67 final round and stand on sixunder 278. “I have a hard time explaining what just happened because I can’t even believe I made the last two putts,” Rahm said. Rahm had to watch Oosthuizen play the last four holes. The 2010 British Manila Open winner took a bogey at 17 to fall Standard two backTODAY and his birdie at 18 was only good enough to make him a major runner-up for the sixth time. Rahm became the first Spaniard to

Overseas spectators have already been banned, in an Olympic first that reflects the difficulties of staging the Games during the pandemic. A coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo was only lifted on Sunday, and restrictions in place until July 11 cap crowd capacity at 5,000 people or 50 percent capacity, whichever is smaller. After July 11, that will rise to 10,000 people or 50 percent capacity, whichever is smaller. Senior medical experts, including top advisors to the government, have said holding the Games behind closed doors would be “ideal” from a health perspective. They fear crowds of fans could fuel a new surge in infections in a country still racing to vaccinate its residents. But reports suggest organizers are leaning towards allowing in up to 10,000 fans, a figure that could swell to 20,000 at the opening ceremony, with foreign dignitaries and sponsors allowed to attend. AFP

win a US Open and the fourth to capture a major title after Sergio Garcia, Jose Maria Olazabal and the late Seve Ballesteros. “This was definitely for Seve,” Rahm said. “I know he wanted to win this one most of all.” Third-ranked Rahm also became the new world number one after topranked Dustin Johnson shared 19th on 286. Rahm had been atop the rankings briefly last year after winning the Memorial tournament. Two weeks ago at the Memorial, Rahm tested positive for Covid-19 and spent last week in quarantine. Rahm won on his first Father’s Day as a dad at the same course where he took his first US PGA title in 2017 and where he proposed to wife Kelley, who gave birth to their first child, Kepa, in April. AFP

SUPPLEMENT TO THE DEED OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late WELMA T. SICANGCO, who died intestate on December 16, 2019 at the Manila Doctors Hospital, Metro Manila was settled by way of Deed of Extra-judicial Settlement of Estate executed by the legal heirs before Notary Public Atty. Jan Rurik D. Padiernos of Makati City, dated 14th day of December 2020 and recorded into his notarial registry under Doc. No. 271; Page No. 55; Book No. 8; Series of 2020.

(MStandard-June 22, 29 July 6, 2021)

AFFIDAVIT OF SELF-ADJUDICATION OF THE ESTATE OF TOMAS C. CABUEÑOS NOTICE is hereby given that the estate of the late TOMAS C. CABUEÑOS who died intestate on September 1, 1998 at Manila Doctors Hospital, 667 United Nations Avenue, Ermita, Manila was settled via Affidavit of Self-Adjudication executed by his son and sole compulsary heir Tomas A. Cabueños, Jr. on May 28, 2021 before Notary Public ATTY. JAN RURIK D. PADIERNOS as per Doc. No. 352; Page No. 74; Book No. 7; Series of 2021

(MStandard-June 22, 29 & July 6, 2021)

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT of ESTATE with WAIVER of RIGHTS Notice is hereby given that the estate of the spouses CHING TAN LEE and MARIA BERINO has been extra-judicially settled among their heirs WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS consisting of: • TCT No. 21411 – Mun. of Pasig; • TCT No. PT-91098 – Mun. of Pasig; • TCT No. PT-91083 – Mun. of Pasig; • TCT No. PT-108406 – Mun. of Pasig. As per Doc. No. 100; Page No. 21; Book No. XII; Series of 2021 before Notary Public ATTY. EARLENE LIRIO R. TURANO. (MS-June 22/29, July 6, 2021)

PSA Forum discusses Olympics, SEA Games

Jon Rahm of Spain celebrates with the trophy after winning during the final round of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) in San Diego, California. AFP

The language of passing starts from him or her, WE always wonder why a FREE THROW who is usually the focal championship has eluded point of the offense. It great players. My theory SHOOTER follows that the quality (and this is in no way an the team’s passing authoritative claim) is that NATHANIEL of game reflects not just while many basketball DELA CRUZ the leadership of the players have achieved superstar player, but elite-level status as ofalso his or her esteem fensive players—coldblooded long-range bombers, gifted perimeter towards his or her teammates and their compeoperators, monster rim finishers, and skilled tencies. When the ball is moving around with open-court assassins - very few superstars pace and purpose, you can see the comfort level tasked with the duty of leadership evolved to of superstar players with their teammates, who can also sense and read mistrust based on how become mature passers. Without an awareness and understanding the ball is moving. The passing game of a team and how the of the language of passing the ball and how it affects the way everyone plays basketball, a superstar facilitates it influences the level of component of playing championship-caliber participation and engagement of each player. If you ask them to just stand in a corner and wait basketball remains missing. But what is the language of passing the ball? for a pass that comes once every 10 possessions, Passing the ball is perhaps one of the most pow- do not be surprised if their energy is low, their erful non-verbal forms of communication on rhythm off, their instinct deadened by the lack the court. A message is sent when you pass the of touches. The basketball is a touchstone to a ball, or when you refuse to. How a player passes sense of belonging, and it is important to always the ball—crisp, precise, careless, lackadaisical, feel that sense of belonging to become deliberhesitant, or purposeful and intentional - is not a ate in fulfilling a task and be accountable to it. Every player wants to be a part of the promere motion; it is a coded signal. It is not just the superstar’s passing that cess of winning, and even if scoring is not for impacts his or her pursuit of a championship, all, just knowing that you help the offense move but the passing culture of the team which the according to design by becoming a good resuperstar strongly influences, because passing ceiver and passer is enough for role players to

THE latest Filipino athlete to officially qualify in the Tokyo Olympics joins Team Philippines Chef De Mission to the Southeast Asian Games Ramon Fernandez in an interesting discussion Tuesday in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum online edition. Air rifle shooter Jayson Valdez discusses the details that led to him earning a berth in next month’s Olympics, and the last-minute preparations he will undergo prior to the quadrennial meet. Fernandez, who is also commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission, meanwhile will make an update about the training and vaccinations of Filipino athletes, coaches, and officials to the SEA Games in Vietnam despite the cloud of uncertainty whether the meet will push through as scheduled later this year. Presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, the Forum starts at 10 a.m. CYAN MAGENTApublic YELLOW The Smart-powered sports BLACK program which also has Upstream Media as the official webcast partner, is livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page and also shared by Radyo Pilipinas 2 Facebook page. PSA President Rey Lachica of Tempor enjoins members to join the discussion through f b.com/ PhilippineSportswritersAssociation

be invested, to believe in the power of the hierarchy – system, superstar, support crew. But resentment from when passes do not come and bad passing becomes the norm is the death of it. Passing is not about equity in shooting opportunities. The truth is you want your best shooters to shoot the ball and that is where your superstars come in. The role of passing is optimizing teamwork. The most dangerous offensive set is when everyone is passing the ball because no defender is fast enough to outpace a pass. And the gains of passing is not just creating scoring opportunities, but also improving the disposition of teammates. The lack of passing tells the other players their role is inconsequential, that their help is not needed. The result: they are not ready or focused on receiving the pass, so they lose it and turn it over; if they catch it, the pass they will make is with heavy arms and with minimal attention to detail, making it vulnerable to defenders reading the passing lanes; and if they shoot the ball, they shoot with resentment or disinterest. You can say that professional basketball players should not sink to this level of unprofessionalism but they are, after all, human beings swayed by their emotional state. To elevate to that level of awareness as a basketball player is something not everyone achieves. Very few can see the big picture, the exact correlation of passing and success. I can't blame them. The very nature of basketball makes everyone focus on offense; after all, the winning team is decided by who scored the most, not who made the most

number of passes. Basketball was invented in 1891 and it wasn't until the 1946-47 season of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the predecessor of the NBA, that the league started recording assists, making it official that passing is just as important. This is not new wisdom. Watch the Chicago Bulls and their Triangle Offense. Watch how the champion San Antonio Spurs swung the ball like a hot potato. Watch the Golden State Warriors when they made small ball effective by offsetting height with speed in motion and passing. Do you know why we hate the ball hog? It’s not because he is taking too many shots. It’s because the ball hog bastardized basketball, cutting off the part where teammates pass the ball to each other. Passing is the true beauty of the sport. Forced shots that went in are impressive because they are difficult. But it is merely showcasing an individual skill. A shot made from a great pass, on the other hand, is just magnificent to behold even if it was just a simple dribble hand-off, an extra pass on the shooter at the wings, an alley-hoop pass, or a drop pass to a cutting teammate. Here, we see the dynamics of team play is in full display. We often find ourselves exclaiming “Ang ganda ng pasa!” (That was a nice pass!) every time we see one. That is the power of the language of passing: impactful, instantaneous. So think about this; if a good pass speaks to the audience, imagine how a good or bad pass speaks to the players on the court, and how it can quickly turn offense into something good or something terrible.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021

Ben&Ben, Moira, SB19 lead this year’s MYX Awards nominations

SB19 is nominated in three major categories, namely Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Music Video of the Year for its chart-topping release ‘Alab.’

LOCAL pop’s biggest and rising stars Ben&Ben, Moira dela Torre, and SB19 nabbed multiple nominations in the upcoming MYX Awards 2021 which will honor the country’s hottest hitmakers of the past year. Nine-piece band Ben&Ben has secured five nominations, including the coveted Music Video of the Year for “Sa Susunod Na Habang Buhay” featuring Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla. Meanwhile, Moira is nominated in four categories including Song of the Year for her hit single “Paubaya”. Last year’s big winner, SB19, is nominated in three major categories, namely Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Music Video of the Year for

P-pop group’s chart-topping release “Alab.” The big announcement happened last Saturday (June 19) through MYX Philippines’ digital accounts on kumu, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook. Also named during the event are other Artist of the Year nominees, Filipino idol girl group MNL48 and actress-singer Nadine Lustre. Multi-awarded artists and crowd favorites Darren Espanto, Gloc-9, Juan Karlos, IV of Spades, and Shanti Dope have earned two nominations each, while viral acts Maine Mendoza, Michael Pacquiao, Matthaios, and COLN are also among this year’s contenders. Two-time winner BTS is nominated anew, competing with Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga,

GMA Network reaffirms commitment on 71st anniversary

HE country’s leading network reaffirms its vow of being “Buong Puso para sa Pilipino” as it celebrates its 71st anniversary bearing a message of love, light, and hope through a special video campaign.

‘Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’ NORTH American moviegoers again showed their love of action comedies this weekend as new release The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard shot to the top of the box office, taking in an estimated $11.7 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported. Total takes remain pale compared to their pre-pandemic levels, but Hollywood watchers have taken heart in the progressive reopening of theaters and the lifting of capacity limits in many cities. As a sequel to Lionsgate’s popular The Hitman’s Bodyguard from 2017 -- and with Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek reprising their leading roles -the new Bodyguard was expected to do well. But it will have to keep doing

GMA personalities (clockwise) Alden Richards, Marian Rivera, Jessica Soho, Vicky Morales, Willie Revillame and Mike Enriquez

well to make up for its $70 million production cost, Variety said. Last week’s box office leader A Quiet Place: Part II -- hovering at or near the top since its release four weeks ago -- slipped slightly to second spot, taking in $9.4 million for the threeday weekend. The Paramount horror flick about ferocious unseen monsters stars Emily Blunt. Her husband John Krasinski directs. In third was Sony’s family-friendly Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, at $6.1 million. Fourth spot went to another horror movie, Warner Bros.’ The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, at $5.2 million. And in fifth was Disney’s family-friendly Cruella, at $5.1 million. AFP

South Korean girl group TWICE collects its first top 10 on the Billboard 200 with the latest EP ‘Taste of Love.’

Benjamin Alves replaces Rocco Nacino in ‘Artikulo 247’ Collins. Due to this, Benjamin, whose last regular program was the recently-concluded Owe My Love (with Lovi Poe) was picked to take Rocco’s place. Incidentally, the latter had a special participation in the said primetime offering. For the record, this is not the first incident that Benjamin replaced Rocco in a project. This happened a few years back in the hit afternoon soap Dahil sa Pag-ibig, which also starred Sanya Lopez. During that time, Rocco had to be pulled out from the said show because the management opted to place him in the popular Pinoy adaptation of Descendants of the Sun, which was top-billed by Dingdong Dantes and Jennylyn Mercado.

Interestingly, Artikulo 247 serves as a reunion project for some of the lead performers. In the case of Rhian and Jackie, it can be remembered that they highlighted the hit 2010 fantasy series Ilumina, while Rhian and Mark starred in the 2007 boob tube adaptation of the Sharon CunetaGabby Concepcion potboiler My Only Love. Read full story on manilastandard.net Benjamin Alves is now part of the upcoming drama ‘Artikulo 247.’

Digital pride concert celebrates all kinds of love IN CELEBRATION of the annual Pride Month by the LGBTQ+ community across the world, leading mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has launched its #SimplyLove campaign to pay tribute to all kinds of love and promote a culture of diversity and inclusivity for a better world. Smart’s #SimplyLove campaign kicked off with an online video defining a better world as one where “everyone is accepted, equal, loved, and proud.” The digital concert #SimplyLove Digital Pride streamed on the telco’s official Facebook page on June 20, featuring special performances by Ben&Ben, She’s Only Sixteen, and Words Anonymous. The online event also featured an interview with Mobile

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is a sequel to the 2017 action-comedy ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard,’ opened in theaters on Jun. 16 and has collected $17 million to date.

tops box office

Launched last June 13 on All-Out Sundays, the 71st anniversary plug brings the spotlight on GMA employees and staff taking to heart the brand of Serbisyong Totoo and quality entertainment that the Kapuso Network is best known for. For the past 71 years, viewers here and abroad have had GMA Network as their constant companion and has helped shape the Filipino culture. In spite of the drastic changes and the continuing challenges from the past year due to the pandemic, the men and women of GMA wholeheartedly soldiered on in living up to the Kapuso Network’s promise to its beloved viewers. “Habang tumitibok ang aming puso, patuloy naming ipadarama ang aming pagmamahal sa inyo, Kapuso,” goes beyond the commemoration of the colorful decades of being on air. It is GMA Network’s renewed commitment and deeper ties with viewers who continue to trust the Philippines’ number one network. As part of GMA’s anniversary celebration and as a way to thank the Kapuso viewers, “Buong Puso Groufie Giveaway” will draw lucky winners of GMA Affordabox and GMA Now. For the mechanics, visit www.gmanetwork.com/buongpusogroufie. Find out the latest news about your favorite Kapuso shows and artists by logging on to www.GMANetwork.com.

IN A recent social media post, television actor Benjamin Alves confirmed that he is playing the role initially offered to Rocco Nacino in the upcoming GMA afternoon soap titled, Artikulo 247. “Excited to be working with this team for the first time,” he said in his caption. The series, which will be under the helm of director Jorron Monroy, is a crime drama about a woman who is fighting for justice. It also features Rhian Ramos, Jackie Rice, and Mark Herras. Rocco, who was part of the initial cast members had to be pulled out to serve as replacement for Derek Ramsay in another upcoming Kapuso show called To Have and To Hold opposite Carla Abellana and Max

Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift for the International Video of the Year category. #MYXAwards2021 is also presenting a special award for Kumu Streamer of the Year with Jex De Castro, Sofronio Vasquez III, Dani Ozaraga, Christian Bayaha, and Mark Michael Garcia as nominees. Winners will be determined by fan votes (60 percent) and artist poll (40 percent). Fans can already vote for their favorite artists and videos on myx. global/myxawards until July 18 (Sunday), 11:59 p.m. Follow @myxphilippines on Twitter and download the Kumu app to find out how you can cast your votes on these platforms. MYX Awards 2021 virtual celebration is happening on Aug. 7 (Saturday).

Legends star athlete OhmyV33nus and nongovernmental organization LoveYourself Inc. “The pandemic made us realize what truly matters like our need for love and connection. This collective realization is a great way to spark conversations on the importance of accepting and respecting the various expressions of love - because love is #SimplyLove regardless of your sexual orientation and gender identity,” said Jane J. Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart. “As a mobile services provider, inclusivity and diversity are simply vital to our mission of bringing people together, bridging their gaps, and fostering connections. This is very much reflected in our work culture, to the way we embrace our customers from different walks

of life and align ourselves with personalities who inspire and unite us,” she adds. Smart encourages subscribers to use their online platforms for constructive conversations on diversity and inclusivity, as well as to share their inspiring stories using the official hashtag #SimplyLove. The #SimplyLove campaign is part of Smart’s bigger advocacy for a Better World, which aims to inspire people to commit to sustainable actions with lasting, positive impact on society. As a brand, Smart encourages everyone to ignite their passions to help change the world for the better. Know more about the #SimplyLove campaign by following Smart’s official accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

TWICE sets record with new album By Amira Danica Pasion SOUTH Korean girl group TWICE collects its first top 10 on the Billboard 200 with its latest EP Taste of Love, which features seven tracks including the recent hit, “Alcohol-Free.” In the record shown by Billboard, the female K-pop group has sold 46,000 album units with 43,000 units collected from both physical and digital album sales and the remaining 3,000 are from the total consumption of the group’s music on different streaming sites that drew an equivalent to a purchase of one album copy. As reflected on Billboard’s top 200 albums chart, Taste of Love ranked at no. 6. The performance also put the Korean group as the first K-pop group led by female members to be on the top

10 of Billboard’s top 200 albums. “It’s all thanks to our ONCE. Thank you so much for being together with us,” a translated tweet posted by TWICE in its official Twitter account alluding to the support the group gets from the fans. Since the group’s debut five years ago, TWICE has added numerous awards and accolades to its resume. Last year, TWICE achieved outstanding recognition in its music career. For the record, its ninth mini album has surpassed 200,000 album sales in just one day. Also, the group was able to sell more than 10 million albums that made them be the first female Korean group to achieve such feat. TWICE is a female group under JYP Entertainment, which is known to be one of the biggest Korean entertainment agencies. Ben&Ben led the digital concert that celebrated Pride Month on Smart’s Facebook page.

Life

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

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021

Maternity clinic owner named

COVID-19 response champion By Thea Andrea C. Magueriano

OMINADOR Vergara, Jr., owner of Maternal and Child Care Clinic in Malabon, not only managed to keep his facility open amid the COVID-19 pandemic but also provided shuttle service to their patients to reduce their exposure to the virus.

“Hinahatid-sundo ko lahat ng pasyente dahil unang una po walang masakyan, pangalawa po, na-e-expose sila sa labas dahil nga diyan sa COVID,” related Vergara. Along with his wife, Alma, a registered midwife, they extended their services by offering their patients seminars on the virus and providing them protective equipment including face shields and face masks. All these add-ons, according to Vergara, come at no additional costs, as he didn’t want to place extra burden on the patients. Vergara and his wife’s contributions to their community were recognized at the 18th Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards (CMA) where they were named one of the COVID-19 response champions. The CMA awarding ceremony, held online on June 15, was led by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor Benjamin Diokno and Citi Philippines chief executive officer Aftab Ahmed. It recognized 10 businesses able to push through amid the economy-crippling pandemic.

“Growing a business in our times is an achievement, sustaining and growing one’s business in a crisis is nothing less than remarkable,” Ahmed said. Vergara talked about the challenge of putting up a maternity clinic business. It took the Vergaras a year to secure the necessary permits and accreditation to open Maternal and Child Care Clinic in 2014. UPLiFT Philippines Microfinance, Inc. helped fund their capital. Other COVID-19 response champions are food-related businesses. Josephine De Lara’s hobby of producing native snacks allowed her business, Lucille’s Cakes and Pastries, to flourish The pandemic enabled her to help her fellow Cebuanos earn a living by sustaining the income of her 10 regular staff, 20 delivery riders, and 200 resellers. Her partnership with RAFI Micro-Finance, Inc. has helped her grow her brand through the years. “Josephine grew her business with the community prospering with her,” noted Ahmed.

The winners of the 18th Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards were recognized during a virtual ceremony led by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor Benjamin Diokno and Citi Philippines chief executive officer Aftab Ahmed.

With a thriving business amid the pandemic, De Lara said, “Mahirap talaga ngayon ang negosyo lalo na sa mga hindi pagkain, so kailangan maghanap ka ng negosyo na kaakibat sa panahon.” Ivy Millare, owner of Beb’s-AJ Haus of Pies attests to De Lara’s observation, suggesting, “maghanap ng negosyo na para

From left: Dominador Vergara, Jr. (COVID-19 response champion), Luzviminda Sunit (CMA National Winner), Ivy Millare (COVID-19 response champion), and Florence Ao-Wat (COVID-19 response champion).

LIFE INSURED Life insurer offers cash for income loss MOBILE-FIRST life insurer Singlife Philippines rolled out a product that replaces a customer’s income for 36 months in case of disability or death. Cash for Income Loss, available on GCash, can replace up to 100 percent of the income of the covered breadwinner and comes with a two-month cash bonus given on the 36th policy month. For example, if a 30-year-old officer worker earns P30,000 monthly, they can get P1,140,000 in monthly benefits for P289 per month. “Majority of GCash users belong to the workforce, with families solely dependent on their monthly income for daily needs,” said Jerome Lim, head of savings and insurance at GCash. “We are happy to offer them 100 percent balik-sweldo insurance that is big on coverage and easy on the wallet.” Kame Amado-Gomez, head of digital networks at Singlife Philippines, added, “With Cash for Income Loss, they have a guaranteed source of money to replace lost income at a time when it matters most. Any financial stress will simply be taken care of, so they can just focus on getting back on their feet.” Cash for Income Loss comes in Bronze, Silver, and Gold coverage levels to better fit different budgets. There is also an accidents-only plan suitable for those with tighter budgets or those whose age or medical status is ineligible for the full version. Go to GInsure on the GCash app to get a personalized quote and buy a policy.

Singlife’s Cash for Income Loss replaces covered breadwinners’ income for 36 months in case of disability or death.

One-stop insurance app launched

Axa Philippines’ mobile app lets customers buy insurance policies, access their policy details, pay for the premiums, file for hospital claims, and more.

AS IT continues to push for digital innovation, insurance provider Axa Philippines launched a one-stop app for new and existing policyholders. The Emma by AXA PH app lets users purchase insurance products, read relevant content on Health Hub, and get 24/7 access to emergency services like ambulance, fire, and policy assistance. “With the ongoing pandemic, we were presented with a new challenge to provide Filipinos with the accessible means to get insured in the safest and most convenient way,” says president and chief executive Rahul Hora. Meanwhile, Axa policyholders can enroll for life and general insurance policies (Health Max, Health Start, Retire Smart, Smart Traveler, Home Security, Comprehensive Car Insurance), access their policy details anytime, pay their premiums, monitor their investments, file for hospital income claims and car insurance claims, and earn rewards points through the app. “Through this app, we are able to make our products and services easily accessible to all, anytime, anywhere,” enthuses Hora. The app can be downloaded on Google Play and App Store.

sa pandemic – siguro, pagkain”. Millare is also a COVID-19 response champion awardee from Koronadal City, South Cotobato who shared her pies with frontliners and volunteers. She was previously recognized as the 15th CMA Regional Winner for Mindanao. “Yung ibang frontliners, nagbigay kami ng buko pie. Noong nakilala nila na Beb’sAJ Haus of Pies, doon sila nag-reseller kasi nasarapan sila.” related Millare, whose decision to give away unsold pies helped promote her products to more people. Fellow COVID-19 response champion Florence Ao-Wat carried with her KINWA Etnika Handicrafts, an organization of Lubuagan weavers from Tabuk, Kalinga. The weaving business may have faced several hurdles since it started in 2006, but like each strand of thread, it eventually became a large fabric that is more

durable and can withstand adversities, including the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of Lubuagan loom weavers, Ao-Wat managed to keep the business afloat by adding items such as face masks and scrub caps necessary amid a health crisis. This year’s CMA National Winner is Luzviminda Sunit from Visayas, whose flourishing dried fish business allowed her to extend help to her employees and relatives by giving them a small capital. Regional Awardee for Luzon is Renalyn Brondial of Willy’s Cashew Nuts and Butter. Medelina Cansancio, a dried and smoked fish producer and exporter, is the Regional Awardee for Visayas. Luz Bangos of CCLM Hardware and fish and vegetable vendor Rosalyn Espenorio both bagged the Regional Award for Mindanao. Joymar Olarte of J&J Tasty Fried Chicken was named the Youth Microentrepreneur of the Year.

Used beverage cartons turned into furniture IN PURSUIT of a stronger circular economy, a packaging solutions company teams up with social enterprises to repurpose used cartons and plastic waste. Tetra Pak has tapped Junk Not to produce durable materials from used beverage cartons, which is part of the former’s initiative to work with social enterprises, waste collection partners, and recyclers started in 2020. Junk Not’s first collection from the partnership, “Araling Mesa at Upuan”, features a table and chair set made with reclaimed wood pallets, five kilos of used beverage cartons, and half a kilo of plastic waste. The set is available at Junk Not’s concept store at P20,000. “I am inspired to incorporate used beverage carton boards in my design. Instead of incinerating our waste or it ending up in the ocean or in a landfill, with this upcycling solution, we can keep waste at home in a functional way,” shared Junk Not founder Willie Garcia. According to Garcia, the pieces are reflective of the growing interior design trend to use recycled materials in furniture production. She is looking forward to creating more pieces from used beverage cartons. Meanwhile, Rural Industrial Corporation based in Bulacan recycles used beverage cartons to create PolyAl Pro boards that can be used to construct wall partitions in homes and offices, cabinets, ceilings, counters for food stalls, signages, artwork, and even heavy-duty truck beds. The PolyAl Pro boards are versatile, durable, and smooth-faced, composed of 70 percent polyethylene, 25 percent aluminum foil, and 5 percent mixed plastic waste. Tetra Pak has also rolled out initiatives to engage consumers directly. Project ReBins, which encourages consumers to drop off their used beverage cartons (UBCs), has drop-off booths in key retail areas in Metro Manila. Last year, Tetra Pak partnered with Nestlé Philippines and DMCI Homes to bring Project ReBins to the doorstep of its customers. The effort helped repurpose a total of 100,000 packs (1 ton) of UBCs col-

Tetra Pak’s Project ReBins encourages consumers to drop off their used beverage cartons for recycling.

lected from 20 DMCI condominium properties or over 13,500 households across Metro Manila. Through the efforts of the residents and the support of Nestle Philippines, Tetra Pak was able to provide beneficiaries of CRIBS Foundation with a noche buena dinner. CRIBS is a non-profit organization that provides a loving and safe environment for abandoned, neglected, and surrendered babies as well as female minor survivors of sexual abuse. The packaging company bared its plans to create sustainable packaging made solely from plant-based materials that are fully renewable, fully recyclable, and carbon-neutral.

Junk Not’s ‘Araling Mesa at Upuan’ table and chair set made with reclaimed wood pallets, used beverage cartons, and plastic waste.