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(Story on BRANSON, A4) CREW BLAST OFF
IN HISTORIC SPACE TRAVEL
VOL. XXXV • NO. 147 • 4 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
NEW MEXICO—Billionaire Richard Branson blasted off Sunday from a base in New Mexico aboard a Virgin Galactic vessel bound for the edge of space, a voyage he hopes will lift the nascent space tourism industry off the ground. "It's a beautiful day to go to space," the brash Brit wrote in a tweet where he posted a video of himself biking to the base and meeting with his crewmates, all Virgin employees. Branson is also aiming to one up Amazon founder Jeff Bezos by winning the race to be the first tycoon to cross the final frontier in a ship built by their own company. Branson posted a picture of himself standing in a kitchen with SpaceX boss Elon Musk, who'd come to show his support. "Great to start the morning with a friend. Feeling good, feeling excited, feeling ready," he added. Several tourists journeyed to the International Space Station in the 2000s, but on Russian rockets. Branson's official role is to evaluate the SPACE DREAMER. In this file photo taken on October 28, 2019, Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic, poses before ringing the First Trade Bell to private astronaut experience to enhance the commemorate the company's first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City. The British billionaire was set to travel to space on July 11 journey for future clients. Next page aboard a Virgin Galactic spacecraft (above), which took off from New Mexico, his company said in a statement. AFP
PNP warns erring parents 'Sanctions imposed if kids 5 and older go inside malls unsupervised' By Willie Casas and Dave Leprozo
DOH: Used vials a means to stop illegal vax sale
P
ARENTS who let their young children out of their houses unsupervised in areas under stricter quarantine could be sanctioned under the latest government policy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said Sunday.
By Willie Casas THE Department of Health (DOH) said Sunday that vaccination teams in local government units were conducting "reverse logistics" to keep track of its inventory of COVID-19 vaccines, amid reports of unlawful sale of COVID-19 vaccines. Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje made the remark when pressed on the security of the vials in the face of illicit sale of vaccines. "We are having what we call reverse logistics. We are getting back the used vials," Cabotaje, the chief of National Vaccination Operations Center, said over Dobol B TV. "We thought we can just let health workers secure this, but I think we should pay more caution, more care in reverse logistics to know if these Next page
STREET PLAYGROUND. Children roam and play along the street of Gen. Luna in Intramuros, Manila on Sunday, as the government said they can go to parks, playgrounds, outdoor tourist sites, outdoor non-contact sports courts, and al fresco dining with their parents or guardians. Danny Pata
16m more doses arriving ‘Secret bets set off party feud’ this month—Health exec By Macon Ramos-Araneta
By Willie Casas and Rio N. Araja THE Philippines expects to receive 16 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines this month, of which more than 3 million have already arrived in the last few days, an official said Sunday. “On July 14, Sinovac doses will arrive to continue vaccination efforts
in the NCR Plus 8 areas," Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje, chief of the national vaccination operations center, said in an interview on Dobol B TV. She said 90 percent of the vaccines would go to NCR Plus 8 -- the National Capital Region, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Calabarzon, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, and Rizal, where the supply has run out. Next page
SENATOR Aquilino Pimentel III on Sunday blamed his partymates in the PDP-Laban for concealing their choice of candidates for national posts in next year's elections, a move that he said triggered bickering within the ruling party. Pimentel, son of PDP-Laban founder Aquilino Pimentel Jr., dared the camp of expelled party vice chairman and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi to lay their cards on the table and state who they want to run for president, vice president and senator. He noted that the camp of Senator
Manny Pacquiao, PDP-Laban president, has been grooming him for national elections, regardless of the position. "We have given Pacquiao a national profile,” he said. But there were those inside the party that were alarmed when Pacquiao became party president, Pimentel said. "They can't speak out the reason -- do they have their own presidential contender within the party or outside the party?” he said. He said the in-fighting in the PDP-Laban can be resolved if the Cusi camp is open about the candidates they support. Next page
The Hague decision enters 5th year A FILIPINO fisherman, recalling an incident three years ago, said members of the Chinese Coast Guard chose the best catch of his fellow fishers and left liquor and a pack of instant noodles in exchange. Ernie Egana, of Masincloc, Zambales, made the recollection Sunday to ABS-CBN News on the eve of the fifth anniversary of Manila's arbitral victory on the South China Sea against Beijing. Egana said the incident happened in
NEW ARRIVAL. Airport staff signals to the forklift driver as crates containing Sputnik V vaccines are offloaded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on Saturday. A Korean Air flight brought the government-procured 37,800 doses, to add to the 132,200 doses that arrived on Friday. Robert Oswald P. Alfiler
2018, the same year they were prevented from going inside the inner lagoon of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, a feature in the West Philippine Sea located off Zambales. "Every midnight, they would go to our boat and rummage through our catch. They would get all good fish, and then will give us instant noodles and one bottle of alcoholic drink,” he told Vice President Leni Robredo in her weekly radio Next page show.
ROBREDO WEIGHS IN ON DEPED WOES NEWS / A2
He also advised parents to remain extra cautious in going outside with their children, reminding them that kids 5 and older are still prohibited from entering malls and similar establishments. “Let me remind our parents that not all places are accessible to children,” he said. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) earlier allowed children to go to open spaces in areas under a general community quarantine (GCQ) Next page
COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE
(AS OF 4 PM JULY 11)
1,473,025 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES
5,916 49,701 NEW
ACTIVE
25,921
105
1,397,403
6,127
NEW
DEATHS
RECOVERIES
NEW
SC ruling triggers massive info try on police BWCs By Rey E. Requejo PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar ordered Sunday deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Israel Ephraim Dickson to prepare for a massive information campaign on the use of body-worn cameras. Eleazar made the directive after the Supreme Court En Banc on Friday issued Next page
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Budget release process questioned He noted that items marked "FLR" mean they can only be released upon the authority of the President or the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary or any other official acting on the authority of the President.
Conceding that the execution of laws, which includes the release of funds in the budget, is a prerogative of the President under the Constitution, Drilon still stressed that such prerogative is intended to be exercised for the public good, and
not based on partisan politics. "Why are P160 billion in infrastructure and social amelioration programs marked ‘FLR’ are not released, and yet P16.5 billion in anti-insurgency funds were immediately released in the first quarter?" asked Drilon. "Clearly, the priorities in the release of the funds are flawed," the senator said. Sen. Sonny Angara also questioned congressmen for being selective in the release of the budget, as he cited the need for “collaborated efforts to achieve our goals.” "We have been doing everything to help the Executive, especially in the passage of Bayanihan 2, and the Vaccination
PNP...
us show what the true meaning of police is--honest, polite, and with integrity,” he said. Meanwhile, Metro Manila mayors will draft guidelines for allowing children 5 years and above to go to open areas, the chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Sunday. In an interview with GMA News Online, MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos Jr. said the mayors of the 16 cities and one municipality that make up Metro Manila agreed to draft a resolution listing open spaces where children will be allowed to go, even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. He added that there would be limits to the number of people allowed in any given open area to avoid overcrowding. Areas still under GCQ “with heightened restrictions” are Laguna and Cavite, while Metro Manila, Rizal, and Bulacan are under GCQ “with some restrictions” until July 15. Other areas under regular GCQ status until July 31 include Baguio City, City
of Santiago, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Batangas, Quezon, Guimaras, Aklan, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Antique, Capiz, Zamboanga Sibugay, City of Zamboanga, Iligan City, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Cotabato City. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, meanwhile, asked Eleazar to suspend PNP training in his city after another batch of trainees tested positive for COVID-19. The police training center and the National Police Commission head offices are located in Baguio City. Eleazar immediately approved the mayor's request. "It appears that our trainees are not compliant with the minimum public health standards," the mayor said. Last month,105 cases were detected at the Cordillera Administrative Region Training Center (CARTC), he said. The patients were among the 197 regular officers from various regions participating
in leadership training. The outbreak was immediately controlled with the imposition of testing, contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine measures. The Philippines logged 5,916 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of infections to 1,473,025. The Department of Health reported 105 new deaths, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 25,921. The DOH also reported 6,127 persons who recently recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 1,397,403. There were 49,701 active cases, of which 89.3 percent were mild, 5 percent were asymptomatic, 1.5 percent were critical, 2.4 percent were severe, and 1.7 percent were moderate. Nationwide, 56 percent of the ICU beds, 45 percent of the isolation beds, 43 percent of the ward beds, and 37 percent of the ventilators, were in use. In Metro Manila, 40 percent of the ICU beds, 37 percent of the isolation beds, 33 percent of the ward beds, and 32 percent of the ventilators, were in use.
Of the total, more than 10.4 million doses were government-procured, 7 million doses were sourced from the COVAX facility organized by the World Health Organization, more than 2 million doses came from bilateral donations, while the rest were initial deliveries of does procured by local government units and the private sector, the National Task Force against COVID-19 said. “We expect 16 million for the month of July alone,” Nograles said in Filipino. The national government has also included the cities of Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan De Oro, Baguio, Zamboanga, Dumaguete, Tuguegarao, General Santos, Naga, and Legazpi in the list of priority areas. The latest batch to arrive in the country are 37,800 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine, received on Saturday night. On Friday night, 132,200 doses of the same
brand were also delivered. More than 2 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, from the COVAX facility, were received as well on Friday, while 1 million doses donated by Japan arrived late Thursday. Among the supplies expected to arrive this month are those from Johnson & Johnson from the sharing agreement with the United States and COVAX, Moderna, Pfizer, and Sinovac. Nograles said that for August, around 14 million doses are expected to arrive. As of July 7, the Philippines has administered 12.4 million doses, of which nearly 9.4 million are first doses, and the remaining more than 3 million are second doses. “We are predicting that smaller localities in the National Capital Region will already inoculate 70 percent of their population,” Nograles said in Fili-
pino. “Like San Juan City, because of its relatively smaller population, it's easy to reach 70 percent. The vaccine rollout in all NCR cities is quite fast.” He said that the November target of inoculating 70 percent of the country's population is doable. On July 8, the donated 1,124,100 AstraZeneca vaccine doses arrived. Also, of the 2.028 million AstraZeneca doses from COVAX facility, 1.5 million were used for the second dose, while 500,000 doses will be used for the first dose. The Philippines also received more than 2 million AstraZeneca shots on July 9. Meanwhile, the chief of the national Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) said a study on mixing different brands of COVID-19 vaccines has been pushed back by delayed deliveries of the jabs. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
another party, saying the bylaws do not prevent the PDP-Laban from forming alliances with other parties. Senate President Sotto III said a Luzon tour with Senator Panfilo Lacson would be part of the basis for their decision to run next year. Sotto said once his party, the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), decided his vice-presidential run, he would contest the position, regardless of who else is running for the spot. He also admitted that he is still in the process of convincing Lacson to run for president. "We are getting the pulse of the private sector, local officials, and religious officials. We are asking them what they see as the problems of the country and what should be the government's program," Sotto said. Sotto said those in Manila feel differently than those in the provinces, who say help from the government does not reach them. Meanwhile, Lacson said the general election in 2022 may be the most serious and important in recent Philippine history, especially because of the problems the country is facing brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said Filipinos must think wisely and consider the current problems and issues carefully in selecting the next leaders who will address the huge problems facing the nation. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
The... Two Chinese Coast Guard boats were anchored by the inner lagoon, standing guard, recalled Egana. "We wonder what they're hiding inside because they did not allow small and big boats. Inside, the water is shallow, and there would have been many fish to catch,” he said in Tagalog. He added: “Our catch would be fewer if we fish in the outer waters because of the strong current.” Egana said they were scared to go there “because of what China might do to them... They have big ships, while our boats were just made of wood.” Robredo said her office would send a team to Masinloc town to see what they could offer to help Egana, who, according to her, has been fishing at the Scarborough Shoal since 1994. "It's infuriating that this is happening when our fishermen have the right to practice their livelihood there because it is their traditional fishing ground,” she said in her Facebook account, echoing the arbitration court's declaration about the shoal, as it also invalidated China's sweeping claims over almost the entire South China Sea. The Liberal Party, in a statement, commemorated the landmark ruling, just a few weeks after the death of its chairman emeritus and former President Benigno
Aquino III, under whose administration the Philippines challenged China in the arbitral court. "The Party emphasizes: We don't need a leader who's photographed while kissing the Philippine flag; what we need is a leader who, in thought, word and deed, will fight for our rights and against encroachers,” it said in its statement. "In this, all Filipinos should be united — and we urge everyone to cast aside differences and remember the conviction that brings us together in times of crisis, and the common horizon that binds us as a nation." Manila has filed several protests against Beijing due to its illegal presence in the West Philippine Sea, the country's exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea. China continues to ignore the arbitration court's ruling and has ramped up its militarization in the disputed sea. Temporarily shelving the award, President Rodrigo Duterte had pursued friendlier ties with China despite its repeated incursions in the West Philippine Sea in exchange for investments, infrastructure funding and most recently, vaccine supply. But he has since said he would not withdraw Philippine ships from disputed waters after he drew flak over his remark that his campaign promise for fishermen in disputed seas was a joke. He also called the arbitral award as a mere piece of paper that he will throw in the wastebasket. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
of space by US agencies. Once the rocket engine is cut off, passengers can unbuckle and experience a few minutes of weightlessness, while admiring the curvature of Earth from the ship's 17 windows. After peaking at around 55 miles of altitude, the ship will re-enter the thick part of the atmosphere and glide back to the runway. Space base Branson, who founded the Virgin Group that today has interests in everything from commercial aviation to fitness centers, is known for his appetite for adventure and has set world records in hot air ballooning and boating. "As a child, I wanted to go to space," the 70-year-old wrote a few days ahead of his trip. The dream almost came to an end in 2014 when an in-flight accident of a Virgin Galactic vessel caused the death of a pilot, considerably delaying the program.
Since then, VSS Unity has successfully reached space three times, in 2018, 2019— which included the first crew member who wasn't a pilot—and finally May this year. Sunday's spaceflight takes off from Spaceport America, a huge base built in the Jornada del Muerto desert, around 20 miles southeast of the nearest dwelling, Truth or Consequences. Financed largely by the state of New Mexico, Virgin Galactic is the principal tenant. Paying passengers in 2022? After Sunday, Virgin Galactic plans two further flights, then the start of regular commercial operations from early 2022. The ultimate goal is to conduct 400 flights per year. Some 600 tickets have already been sold to people from 60 different countries —including Hollywood celebrities—for prices ranging from $200,000 to $250,000. And though, according to Branson, "space belongs to us all," the opportunity for
now remains the preserve of the privileged. "When we return, I will announce something very exciting to give more people the chance to become an astronaut," he promised. The competition in the space tourism sector, whose imminent rise has been announced for years, has come to a head this month. Bezos, the richest person in the world, is due to fly on July 20 on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket. Blue Origin posted an infographic Friday boasting the ways in which the experience it offers is superior. The principal point: New Shepard climbs up to more than 60 miles in altitude, thus exceeding what is called the Karman line, the frontier of space according to international convention. Bezos himself wished Branson "best of luck" in an Instagram post the following day. AFP
By Macon Ramos-Araneta
S
ENATE Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Sunday said it is “lamentable” that politics is a consideration in the non-release of the P160-billion "FLR" (For Later Release) budget items, especially with the 2022 elections less than 10 months away.
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and a modified GCQ. GCQ areas "with heightened restrictions," such as Laguna and Cavite, are excluded. An IATF spokesman said children 5 and above can go to beaches, parks, playgrounds, outdoor tourism areas and biking and hiking trails if they are accompanied by adults. Eleazar also urged police to be “careful in word and deed” in dealing with parents whose children violate health safety protocols. “I urge our police not only to set an example in following the rules against COVID-19 but also to be careful in word and deed to parents and other persons with children who violate the health safety protocols,” said Eleazar in a statement on Saturday. The police chief said those who violate his instructions will be held accountable to him. “In the young minds of children, let
16m... From A1
The country has so far fully inoculated only 4.5 percent or 3.2 million of its 70 million target population. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, who also co-chairs the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), told ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo in a separate interview that by the end of July, the country would have already received some 32 million or 33 million vaccine doses in total since the first delivery on Feb. 28. As of July 9, Nograles said, 20.6 million doses have already been delivered to the Philippines, with the Russian Sputnik V vaccines being the last to arrive.
‘Secret... From A1
Cusi, deputy secretary general Melvin Matibag, and membership committee head Astra Naik were recently expelled by Pacquiao and the party's National Executive Committee for violating party rules by pushing for the presidential run of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who is not a member of the party. The camp of Cusi has also been convincing President Rodrigo Duterte, the party's national chairman, to run for vice president next year. Pimentel played down a National Council Assembly in Cebu last May that was convened by Cusi. "You see there were just around 100 members when we are over 100,000 members," Pimentel said. Matibag said Sunday he did not recognize his expulsion, saying his removal violated party bylaws. He said the National Executive Council had no authority to discipline members. Under the bylaws, he said, members can only be disciplined by the chapter or national council. Matibag said that since he, Cusi and Naik are officers of the party, only the National Council, by a vote of two-thirds, can remove them. He also denied that he and the other expelled members pledged allegiance to
Branson,... From A1
The spaceflight took place at 8:30 am Mountain Time (1430 GMT, 10:30 p.m. Manila time), after overnight weather conditions forced a 90-minute delay. Virgin Galactic is providing a livestream on its website. A massive carrier plane took off from a runway, flown by two pilots, gaining altitude for about an hour. Below this plane hung the spaceship VSS Unity—a SpaceShipTwo-class suborbital rocket-powered spaceplane—with two more pilots and the four passengers. After climbing to 50,000 feet (15 kilometers), VSS Unity, which is about the size of a private jet, was dropped and then ignited its rocket-powered engine to ascend at Mach 3 beyond the 50 miles (80 kilometers) of altitude considered the edge
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Act of 2021," said Angara, chair of the Senate Finance Committee. "We hastily passed them (a budget) so the complaints here (are odd) -- why were others choosing on which budget should be released or not?" he said. Angara cited the urgency of passing the budget for programs that would have stimulus effects. "What we were talking about (is) Bayanihan 1 and 2, and the intention was for the government to spend," he said, adding that the private sector that was supposed to help our economy suffered a major blow due to the pandemic. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
Robredo seeks ways to resolve Education woes By Rio N. Araja VICE President Leni Robredo on Sunday called on the Duterte administration to address the alarming state of Philippine education that has worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During her weekly radio show, Robredo reacted to a World Bank report citing 80 percent of the Filipino schoolchildren fell below minimum proficiency levels. “For me, if there is data such as these, I am expecting a reaction that we should be eager to fix things. We must use this challenge to fix the system to avoid a repeat of such data,” she said. The country must declare an education crisis, she noted. “The slower our reaction is, the worse the problem will be. Rather than be defensive, let us find ways,” she said. "In fairness, the Department of Education has been saying they have done a lot, but these were not reflected in the World Bank study so I hope there could be an update of the data,” she added. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
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vaccines were used,” said Cabotaje. Earlier, three people—including a nurse—were arrested for reportedly selling Sinovac vaccines, which is prohibited because the jabs are still not for commercial use. Food and Drug Administration officials had earlier said these illegally sold vaccines were unfit for use since the drugs were not properly handled. Earlier, the Philippine National Police urged the public to report any information on incidents of illegal sale of COVID-19 vaccines following the recent arrest of a health worker for allegedly selling Sinovac. “We will act on bits of information as they come in,” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ronnie Olay said in an interview over Teleradyo when asked of efforts to crackdown persons selling jabs. Olay warned the public that the vaccines being sold might be doses smuggled into the country with risks of being fake. He assured that the PNP was in coordination with local government units, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health in looking into the illegal sale of COVID-19 vaccines. No COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines has so far been cleared for commercial use. President Rodrigo Duterte warned vaccine vendors “not press their luck too far” as he ordered authorities to investigate and file charges against persons behind the sale of jabs.
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a resolution that includes the rules on the use of BWCS in the execution of warrants. “I ordered our PNP Deputy Chief for Operations Police Lt. Gen. Bong Dickson to coordinate with our legal service and human rights affairs office together with our technical working group that we have created for our massive information drive in our ranks about the rules on the use of bodyworn cameras released by the Supreme Court,” he said in a video message in a mixture of English and Tagalog. He said the use of BWCs would soon be part of the police operational procedures throughout the country. “Although it will not be fully implemented yet in the coming days due to our ongoing processes, our PNP should prepare for its implementation since it is a product of the cooperation between the Supreme Court and the PNP,” he said. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has been asked to review earlier issued search and arrest warrants that led to the killings of and arrest of activists. Kapatid, a support group for political prisoners and their families, made the call after the high court promulgated the rules on the mandatory use of body-worn cameras or other recording devices in the service of warrants by law enforcers. The SC said the rules would be enforced after publication. On Saturday, Eleazar ordered the creation of the technical working group that would study and incorporate the rules crafted by the SC into the police guidelines on the use of BWCs. Eleazar thanked Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo for supporting the PNP’s efforts to further professionalize the organization and to strengthen a human rights-based approach in the conduct of police operations. See full story online at manilastandard.net)
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Defense clarifies use of 20 military bank accounts AT LEAST 20 bank accounts under the Armed Forces of the Philippines have been flagged by the Commission on Audit for being unauthorized but the Department of National Defense said it could not readily shutter these accounts since some of them involve current projects. THE DND in a statement released Sunday said it has already released guidelines to the AFP regarding the unclosed bank accounts with a total balance of P1.813 billion, following the COA report. “The DND-AFP has been processing the closure of these accounts in adherence to the COA guidelines,” the statement read. “However, some accounts cannot be closed outright as these are the depository accounts for our current projects, most of which are multi-year obligations,” DND said. The COA, in its 2020 annual audit report on the AFP, found that the agency failed to close 20 unauthorized bank accounts with a cumulative balance of P1.813 billion. The report found that there were three unauthorized bank accounts under the AFP Modernization Act Trust Fund - Central office (AFPMATF) with balances worth P1.346 billion; eight accounts under the AFP Educational Benefit System Office worth P347.483 million; two accounts under the AFP Real Estate Office worth P84.362 million; and seven accounts under the GHQ Central Officer worth P37.744 million. State auditors in the report noted that under the 2020 General Appropriations Act (GAA), all agencies are mandated to shut accounts and forward the balances back to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) when there is no legal basis for their creation. “We have since informed both the DOF and the COA on the situation. Further, future DND-AFP projects will be henceforth placed in the remaining authorized accounts,” the DND said.
REQUEST GRANTED. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong (left) has requested Philippine National Police Chief Guillermo Eleazar to suspend PNP trainings in Baguio City after another batch of trainees tested positive for COVID-19. Eleazar immediately approved the mayor’s request, according to Magalong.
Isko approves P364m to purchase 60k tablets By Macon Ramos-Araneta
M
ANILA City Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso has approved the purchase of 60,820 additional tablets worth P364,920,000 for newly enrolled public school students this coming school year.
The approval followed the city’s effort to adapt to the blended distance learning program amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “Despite the challenges we face due to the pandemic, the city government
will continuously support our students, Domagoso said during the local school board meeting. “As much as possible, we want all students to be able to continue learning,” he added.
In addition to the tablets, the purchase of monthly internet data for K-12 students and hygiene kits for teaching and non-teaching personnel has also been approved. Domagoso noted that for this purpose, a standby fund of P60,532,256.37 would be tapped in case of an increase in enrolment. The Manila City government bought last year about 110,000 tablet devices equipped with SIM cards and 11,000 laptops with pocket WiFi devices worth P994 million for students and teachers.
‘Payment for Gem-Ver : No deal so far’ By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Justice on Sunday said there is no agreement yet on the compensation for the 2019 sinking of Filipino fishing vessel F/B Gem-Ver 1. Justice Undersecretary Adrian Ferdinand Sugay made the clarification following reports that the owner and crew members of the illfated vessel have agreed to a settlement of P6 million out of the P12 million that they originally claimed. The same reports also claimed that the Chinese company which owned the trawler which hit the fishing vessel made a a counter offer of P3.6 million.
“The discussions are still on-going. Until these are completed, it might not be advisable to make any statements on the amounts involved,” Sugay said in a text message to reporters. Sugay declined to make further statements since the negotiation is still ongoing. Talks on the compensation started last June 7 and was hosted by the Philippine Embassy in Beijing. The discussion was held after two years since the June 9, 2019 sinking of Gem-Ver 1 which was allegedly rammed by a Chinese fishing vessel in Reed Bank, also known as the Recto Bank, in the West Philippine Sea. The Chinese fishing vessel fled, leaving the crew of Gem-Ver 1 stranded until they got rescued and returned to Philippine shores.
Brawner leads tribute to crash victims VICTIMS of the C-130 crash in Patikul, Sulu received various tributes in Northern Mindanao in honor of the 49 lives cut short by the tragedy. Three civilians on the ground also died in the July 4 disaster, the worst in the military’s modern-day air history. Army 4th Infantry Division, led by its new commanding officer, Maj. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., joined activities to honor the fallen soldiers. At the 4ID headquarters here, a simultaneous interfaith memorial service, dubbed “Buklurang Panalangin bilang Parangal sa mga Kasundaluhang Nasugatan at mga Nagbuwis ng Buhay sa Trahedya sa Pagbagsak ng C-130” (Joint prayer to honor soldiers who got injured or lost their lives in the C-130 crash), was held for the fatalities who once served Caraga and Northern Mindanao regions. “We are gathered here this afternoon to offer our prayers and give our highest salute to our
CONTROL POINT. Police
checkpoints like this one along Aguinaldo Highway in Tagaytay City abound in Metro Manila and nearby provinces as border controls are tightened to limit the entry of local tourists in Cavite which remains under GCQ with heightened restriction because of the COVID-19. JR Josue
brothers, not only those who perished from the said accident but also those who survived and still recuperating,” Brawner said in his speech. Brawner and his family took the C-130 flight from Villamor Air Base in Pasay to the Lumbia Airfield here on that fateful day, his first day as the new 4ID chief. The intercession prayers were led by Lt. Col. Adzaramien Sahisah, an imam; Lt. Col. Dionisio Acaso, a Catholic priest; and evangelical pastor Michael Onahon. The prayers were followed by a wreath-laying ceremony and the traditional 21-gun salute, the highest symbol of respect and thanksgiving to the soldiers. Six soldiers were initially honored at the Philippine Air Force’s Technical Operations Group-10 headquarters here and brought to the 4ID gymnasium for a Mass and overnight vigil on July 7.
MAYNILAD DONATION. As part of its social amelioration projects, Maynilad Water Services, Inc. through its President Ramoncito S. Fernandez donated bicycles to the Quezon City government led by Mayor Joy Belmonte in support of Gretchen Ho’s ′′Donate a Bike, Save a Job ′′ and the ′′ Bike for Livelihood” Program of Councilor Mikey Belmonte. Maynila will also give recipients smart phone retailer kits and pocket Wi-Fi apart from hydration facilities in selected areas in the city for cyclists, Fernandez said. Supporting Maynilad in this noble project is the MVP Group of Companies namely Metro Pacific Investments Foundation, One Meralco Foundation, First Pacific Company Ltd, and PLDT-Smart Foundation.
Japan bullish on Plaridel Road Project Phase 3 By Rey E. Requejo THE Japanese government has lauded the opening of the Arterial Road Bypass Project or Plaridel Bypass Project Phase III in Bulacan, which is intended to ease traffic congestion and spur economic growth in Central Luzon. Japan Embassy Minister for Economic Affairs Nakata Masahiro and Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Emil Sadain inaugurated the the 2.2-kilometer widened portion of the Plaridel Bypass Road on Friday. Funded by the Overseas Development Assistance under the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Y9.399 billion project is the third phase of a road project bypassing the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway that also covered the construction of two additional lanes of the Angat Bridge and widening of underpass, drainage, and other related works. Plaridel Bypass is a new alternative route traversing the municipalities of Balagtas, Guiguinto, Plaridel, Bustos and San Rafael in Bulacan. “Completion of this widening project is expected to bring further development to Bulacan and neighboring provinces by promoting industrialization and increased inflow of tourists,” the Japanese Embassy said, in the statement. JICA Philippines Chief Representative Azukizawa Eigo stressed that “transportation infrastructure plays an important role in the economic recovery of the Philippines from the pandemic encouraging much-needed investments and jobs.” Eigo added that JICA is pleased to have shared Japanese skills and know-how in the construction of the road projects. With the previous completion of the first two lanes of Plaridel Bypass, it shortened the travel time to and from North Luzon Expressway via a new interchange in Barangay Burol, Balagtas to the Philippines-Japan Friendship Highway in Barangay Maasim, San Rafael, Bulacan to just 30 minutes. According to JICA, ARBP III will help divert some 15,000 vehicles from Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway and help ensure that agricultural products and other commodities from Central Luzon reach other areas.
Baguio tourist arrivals resurging TOURIST arrivals in the city considerably improved last June but remained below the city’s target of 3,000 a day. Records of the City Tourism Office showed a total arrival of 12,030 visitors for June which according to City Tourism Operations Officer Aloysius Mapalo is a “big jump” from the previous months of April with a measly 515 and May with 2,189. Mayor Benjamin Magalong said that the daily tourist data was below the city’s target of 3,000 tourists daily even during weekends. “We were looking at reducing our target number of visitors as a contingency measure against the possible surge in cases due to increased mobility and
the threat of the Delta variant but our the numbers are still low and are still manageable so we will just continue to monitor but we will be more strict in our border protocols,” the mayor said. Data from the Baguio VIS.I.T.A. (Visitor Information and Travel Assistant), the city’s online registration system for Baguio tourists and travellers, showed a big disparity between the number of travel requests and actual arrivals. For June, the city received more than 40,000 requests but the actual arrival was only 12,030. “But this is a big jump from the previous month. Obviously, Manila tourists brought in the number for June,” Mapalo observed. Dave Leprozo
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MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 Email: mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Belgian woman, 90, infected with ‘2 virus variants at once’
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ARIS—A 90-yearold woman who died after falling ill with Covid-19 was infected with both the Alpha and Beta variants of the coronavirus at the same time, researchers in Belgium said Sunday, adding that the rare phenomenon may be underestimated.
care, was admitted to the OLV Hospital in the Belgian city of Aalst after a spate of falls in March and tested positive for Covid-19 the same day. While her oxygen levels were initially good, her condition deteriorated rapidly and she died five days later. When medical staff tested for the presence of any variants of concern they found that she was carrying both the Alpha strain, which originated in Britain, and the Beta variant first detected in South Africa. “Both these variants were circulating in Belgium at the time, so it is likely that The unvaccinated woman, who lived the lady was co-infected with different alone and received at-home nursing viruses from two different people,” said
molecular biologist Anne Vankeerberghen from the OLV Hospital who led the research. “Unfortunately, we don’t know how she became infected.” Vankeerberghen said it was difficult to say whether the co-infection played a role in the fast deterioration of the patient. The research, which has not yet been submitted to a medical journal for publication, is being presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases. While Vankeerberghen said in a press release that there had been “no other published cases” of similar co-infec-
tions, she added that the “phenomenon is probably underestimated”. This is because of limited testing for variants of concern, she said, calling for an increase in the use of fast PCR testing to detect known variant mutations. In January, scientists in Brazil reported that two people had been simultaneously infected with two different strains of the coronavirus, but the study has yet to be published in a scientific journal. In comments reacting to the research, Lawrence Young, a virologist and Professor of Molecular Oncology at the University of Warwick, said it was not a surprise to find an individual infected with more than one strain. AFP
Cops say bandits kill 35 villagers in northwest Nigeria KANO—Armed raiders killed at least 35 people and torched homes in five villages in northwest Nigeria’s Zamfara state, police said on Saturday, in the latest deadly attack to hit the violence-torn region. Residents said up to 43 villagers were killed in the raid late on Thursday. “Thirty-five people were killed by the bandits in the five villages,” state police spokesman Mohammed Shehu told AFP. Motorcycle-riding gunmen launched coordinated attacks on the remote villages of Gidan Adamu, Tsauni, Gidan Baushi, Gidan Maidawa and Wari in Maradun district, shooting residents and burning homes. “The attackers left before security teams arrived because the area is hard to reach due to bad roads,” Shehu said. But residents said 43 people were killed and seven injured in the attack. “We found a total of 43 bodies from the villages along with seven people with injuries,” resident Danladi Sabo told AFP. He said those killed were buried on Friday while the injured were taken to hospital in Gusau, the state capital. President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the killings and urged the security forces “to respond to the worrying situation in a language that the bandits understand,” his office said. Buhari ordered “the security agencies to do everything possible to prevent the recurrence of attacks with impunity.” AFP
Australia lists first death in Sydney virus outbreak
NAKED BIKE RIDE. Cyclists take part in the World Naked Bike Ride to protest against cars, gas emissions and aggressive drivers in Guadalajara, Mexico on July 10. The Naked Bike Ride is a world event in which cyclists protest car culture and oil dependence. AFP
SYDNEY—Australia announced its first coronavirus-related death in the current Sydney virus outbreak on Sunday, as the country’s biggest city struggles to bring the Delta variant under control. The woman in her 90s died Saturday, hours after testing positive for Covid-19, and was also the first death from a locally-acquired infection in Australia this year. It came as authorities announced a record 77 new cases, and warned that numbers were expected to spike above 100 on Monday. “Tomorrow and the few days afterwards will be worse, much worse than we’ve seen today,” New South Wales state premier Gladys Berejiklian said. Sydney is now in its third week of lockdown, but the number of new cases continues to grow among a population that is overwhelmingly unvaccinated. Lockdown rules were tightened Friday and Berejiklian warned that stay-at-home orders were expected to remain in place unless there was a dramatic turnaround. “Given where we’re at and given the lockdown was supposed to be lifted on Friday, everybody can tell it’s highly unlikely at this stage, given where the numbers are,” she said. Sydney has recorded 566 new infections since the beginning of the outbreak mid-June. While that is low compared to most global cities, Australia has taken a zero-tolerance approach to widespread community transmission throughout the pandemic. Authorities have been quick to impose restrictions in an attempt to stamp out clusters early, and the country’s borders remain largely shut with only about 10 percent of Australians fully vaccinated. The government launched a new advertising campaign Sunday encouraging people to “arm yourself” against Covid-19 by getting jabbed, though vaccines are yet to be offered to most under-40s. AFP
Widow of Haiti’s slain leader Moise speaks; political intrigue swirls PORT-AU-PRINCE—The widow of slain Haitian leader Jovenel Moise, who was critically wounded in the attack that claimed his life, on Saturday issued her first public remarks since the assault, calling on the nation not to “lose its way.” Martine Moise’s comments came three days after she was airlifted to a Miami hospital for treatment of grave wounds suffered early Wednesday when gunmen stormed the family home in the Haitian capital Portau-Prince. They also come as the impoverished Caribbean nation reels from the slaying of its leader, with no clear
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succession plan on the horizon. “I am alive, thanks to God,” Martine Moise said in an audio message in Creole that was posted on her official Twitter account, and verified as authentic to AFP by Haiti’s minister of culture and communications, Pradel Henriquez. “In the blink of an eye, the mercenaries entered my home and riddled my husband with bullets ... without even giving him a chance to say a word,” she said. According to Haitian authorities, a hit squad of 28 men -- 26 Colombians, many of them retired soldiers, and two Haitian-Americans -- burst in and opened fire
on the couple in their home. So far, 17 have been arrested, and at least three were killed. A handful remain at large, police say. But no motive has been made public, and questions are swirling about who might have masterminded the audacious assassination. Martine Moise pointed at a variety of possible reasons: saying the killers could have been sent by people who might have been displeased with her husband’s plans to provide “roads, water and electricity, a (constitutional) referendum and elections set for the end of the year.” AFPMAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN
5-year jail term for Morocco journalist spurs condemnation CASABLANCA—The sentencing of a Moroccan journalist to five years in prison for indecent assault sparked condemnation Saturday, with media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) deploring a trial “tainted by irregularities”. A Casablanca court on Friday sentenced Soulaimane Raissouni -- on hunger strike for more than 90 days -- after convicting him of indecent assault against another man. The latest in a string of journalists critical of Morocco’s government to have been jailed for alleged sex crimes, he maintains his innocence. Raissouni, editor-in-chief of now-defunct Akhbar Al Yaoum, was not present in court to hear the verdict, despite being summoned by the judge. The last time he came to court, on June 10, he appeared skeletally thin, and he requested an ambulance and wheelchair to enable him to attend the later stages of court proceedings. His supporters insist the case is politically motivated and part of an official defamation campaign against critical journalists and activists. Morocco insists its judiciary is independent. RSF said Saturday the sentence “follows a trial that was tainted by obvious irregularities” and called for Raissouni to be freed, pending an appeal. AFP
CHARRED REMAINS. A general view of a burnt beverage and food factory is
pictured after a fire was put out in Rupganj, Bangladesh on July 11. Police arrested the factory owner for murder after 52 people died in the fire, including children. AFP
US city removes Confederate generals’ statues
PASIG CITY, PHILIPPINES NOTICE
MARIKO C. TAMURA Corporate Secretary
Notice is hereby given- that METRO VERSATILE BUILD-TECH CORP., is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as a New Producer of Housing Component [Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks], under R.A. 1134 (CREATE ACT) and the Preferred List - Modular Housing Component of the 2020 IPP with office and project site located at Lot 3279-B-1 Barangay San Antonio, Bacolor, Pampanga. Any person with valid objections on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication. (SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastucture and Services Industries Service
(MS-JULY 12/19/26, 2021) (MS-JULY 12, 2021)
CHARLOTTESVILLE—The southern US city of Charlottesville on Saturday took down controversial statues including two honoring Civil War pro-slavery generals which had become the focus of protests. The statues of generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson are among hundreds of Confederate monuments in the United States now widely considered symbols of racism, even if their supporters argue they are a historical legacy. Workers in the Virginia city used a crane to remove the statues—which depicted Lee and Jackson in uniform mounted on horses —as a crowd watched and cheered. No violence was immediately reported.
“Taking down this statue is one small step closer to the goal of helping Charlottesville, Virginia, and America, grapple with the sin of being willing to destroy Black people for economic gain,” Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker, who is African American, told reporters before the monuments’ removal. Tensions over the fate of the Lee statue led to violence in August 2017, when a white nationalist drove his car into a crowd of demonstrators in Charlottesville, killing a woman. The protesters had gathered in opposition to white supremacists who staged a “Unite the Right” rally against plans to remove the statue of Lee. AFP
Opinion The disruptor
WAY back January of 2015, after getting then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s agreement to do a “listening tour” and preach the virtues of federalism, a handful of initial supporters wondered which political party Duterte should run under. The mayor waxed sentimental about the Nacionalista Party. It was the party of his late father Vicente Duterte, who was once governor of the then undivided Davao. (Through several gerrymandering moves, Davao is now officially divided into Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, and Davao Occidental, but all roads lead to the financial and commercial capital, Davao City, which the Dutertes have ruled since 1988.)
Substitution shall be the weapon of choice in the forthcoming jousts. Since some in our group were friends of the Villar family who “own” the Nacionalista Party, queries were made. The first reaction was whether our candidate was serious about running, as his pronouncements always disdained candidacy for the top post. There was a second hurdle: the NP had its own stable of moist-eyed presidentiables —Alan Cayetano, Bongbong Marcos, even Antonio Trillanes. So the movements to draft Duterte had to plod on without mention of any political flag. The person, the candidate himself was after all, a stand-out amongst the competition. Although a politician of three decades sired by another political family, Duterte’s style of leadership was non-traditional vis-à-vis Mar Roxas or Jojo Binay, in early 2015 the major presidential contenders. But then came Grace Poe, a three-year senator whose political strength derived from the legendary FPJ, the man who was to be president had not GMA prevailed in 2004, with not-so-little help from Hello Garci. She was a more formidable enemy as far as we were concerned. She had the political capital of FPJ and his strong emotional tug with the “masa,” and the only issues against her would be her relative inexperience and her citizenship qualifications. Through it all, the matter of political standard was never an issue for Duterte, just as people do not remember what Grace Poe’s political party really was. Only because of the last-minute “hesitation” to run was Duterte accidentally drafted by the PDP-Laban, through the Martin Diño subterfuge, followed by substitution in late November 2015. The Duterte campaign was hardly run by the PDP, even if it was the party flag for the official candidacy. In fact, the PDP had no say in who eventually became Duterte’s running-mate, Alan Cayetano of the Nacionalista Party, even as some other supporters put up a splinter group called Al-Dub, an acronym for Alyansa DuterteBongbong. Throughout the past five years, Pres. Duterte was inactive on party matters, although he accepted to be the party chairman, which is more traditional and ceremonial than anything else. Party matters were left to then Speaker Bebot Alvarez as secretary-general, and his friend Al Cusi, the vice-chairman.
Like many others, Sen. Manny Pacquiao turned coat upon the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) led by VP Binay, under whose standards he ran, and won, a senatorial seat in 2016. Legions of trapos lined up to fill the formerly rag-tag PDP. It has been the bane of all transfers of presidential power since the 1987 Constitution. Parties have become mere flags of convenience for political personalities and their ambitions. But in 2018, with the support of Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio, Speaker Alvarez was dethroned, and in his stead, the former president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo stepped up to the dais. She too converted from Lakas and swore in to the supposed party-in-power, PDP. Now, as 2022 nears, and despite the ongoing viral pandemic, knives have to be sharpened and unsheathed for the prize political plum which is the presidency beyond Duterte pere. The wealthy Pacman in 2019 became the vaca lechera of the PDP, as President Duterte disdained being involved in the financial burdens of the midterm elections. Of course, as has been the wont, senatorial and even local candidates had to fend for themselves when it comes to humongous financial requirements of a political candidacy. But Pacman’s money provided the stage, the events management, the rally coordination. That must have cost quite a sum. Seeing the Pacman as an interested presidentiable with money to spend, the old guard of PDP, which meant Koko Pimentel and his sub-alterns, virtually gave him the run of the party, proclaiming him “acting” president in lieu of Pimentel himself. But they did this without a by-your-leave from the party chairman, the President, nor his loyal senators who ran and won under the PDP banner, namely Bong Go, Bato de la Rosa, and Francis Tolentino. Early this year, the president made an attempt to dissuade the Pacman from gunning for the presidency, and run instead for senatorial re-election, but the determined pugilist would not accede. That was when the knives were sharpened and finally unsheathed by Vice-Chair Al Cusi, in Cebu last May 31. And to wave the sharpened knife against all possible enemies, the assembly adopted a resolution asking the president, mismo! to run for vicepresident in 2022, with the right to name his presidential candidate. That the resolution was a queer first in our political history mattered little. It simply rested on the popularity of the incumbent president, whose numbers Pulse Asia in November of 2020 measured as 91% public approbation. Even if those numbers have undoubtedly dipped, the trust and approval ratings remain high for the 76 year old president in his last year in office. But the constitutional curtains are about to close the stage, and the show must go on, whether for the PDP or the legion of present supporters. By positing a Rodrigo Duterte vice-presidency, his sub-alterns preserve political clout and presidential relevance in the 2022 elections. In effect, Duterte is once again the “disruptor,” a role he played successfully in 2015 leading to his victory in 2016. But who will the disruptor choose? The daughter disdains the PDP as a flag, and would rather cobble a coalition with GMA and her Lakas, plus virtually hollowedout parties as the late Miriam Santiago’s People’s Reform Party. The loyal assistant meanwhile is likewise being egged upon to run for president, even if he seems truly reluctant, and may accept a secondary role, as vice-president. It looks like a replay of 2015. Substitution shall be the weapon of choice in the forthcoming jousts. Who, how, when, what—all of these are in the fertile mind of only one man, the disruptor.
and wind, which accounts for about 20 percent of installed capacity are not always available. Although DOE and NGCP data show that there was new power capacity, availability has been 4,000 to 6,700 MW lower than the installed capacity since 2019. This means the actual power generated is far below the optimal capacity of these power plants. NGCP tracking of the daily power situation from Jan 2019 to May 2021 shows that though the scheduling maintenance of power plants under the Grid Operating and Maintenance Program considers that there should be enough generation capacity, forced outages cannot be anticipated even as we regularly experience this around the summer months. During the Red Alerts from May 31 to June 2, 2021, Luzon unavailable capacity reached 4,452 MW, much worse compared to 3,064 MW from April to June 2019 (NGCP). Tight supply situations expectedly pushed the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) prices higher which struck not just in the NCR but also Distribution Utilities (DUs) in other regions. The DOE is expecting new generation capacity from power projects in Luzon to generate 6,347 MW of new capacity from 2021 to 2025, but this is still not enough to meet the growth in demand, the diminished capacity of old power plants, and the outages
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A vital resource of modern reality
BEFORE the pandemic, the Department of Energy and the power industry already warned of tight power supply which according to National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) data was already alarming in 2019 with 51 yellow alerts and 15 red alerts. As industries started re-opening, power demand recovered and by May 2021, already surpassed pre-lockdown levels peaking seasonally in the 2nd quarter when power output from hydro-electric plants was at its lowest. Another aggravating factor is that 70 percent of the power plants in Luzon are at least 16 years old, requiring more frequent maintenance down time. According to the Energy Regulatory Commission’s report during a Senate Committee on Energy meeting, the recent Red Alerts were caused by power plants that were more than 18 years old which were supposed to supply 3,600 Mega Watts (MW) of electricity. Renewable sources on the other hand like hydro, solar
MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021
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Berating the messenger
T THE behest of Education Secretary Leonor Briones, the World Bank apologized to the Philippines for publishing a report on education earlier than scheduled and before the Education Department had a chance to give its input.
The report said there was a crisis in education in the Philippines even before the start of the pandemic. It listed gaps in the Philippine education system, among which are that the majority of 15-yearolds did not understand fractions, that just a tenth of fifth graders were at par with global standards in English proficiency, that bullying was prevalent across all levels, and that administrators were unaware of the gravity of violence in schools. Briones slammed the World Bank and said the figures used in the report were not updated. “The country was insulted and shamed,” said Briones. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III chastised the agency for “lack of professionalism.” In its apology, the World Bank said the incident was an oversight on its part and that it has temporarily removed the report from its website. “We agree with the Department that the issue of quality has a long historical context, and support its demonstrated commitment to resolve it decisively. We have reached out to Secretary Briones on this matter and look forward to continuing our dialogue
The World Bank has told us nothing we do not already know. with the Department of Education on the opportunities and challenges in the education sector,” it said. But the things that the World Bank pointed out in that report, even if they were prematurely published, are already familiar to us. Late last year, the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics, conducted by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), pointed out that the percentage of Grade 5 Filipino students who achieved minimum proficiency in reading, writing and mathematics was significantly lower than the percentage in Vietnam and Malaysia. The same batch of students were either
at par with or sometimes worse than those in Cambodia. They performed better than only their counterparts only in Laos and Myanmar. Yet another study, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2019, shows the Philippines scored “significantly lower” than any other country that participated in grade 4 math and science assessments, and that Filipino students scored the lowest among all 58 participating countries for both tests. COVID-19 has exacerbated the alreadypresent challenges to the way we educate our children. Secretary Briones is on point: All these findings are insulting and shameful. But the shame and insult point to our weaknesses -and our aversion to criticism -- rather than any bias or inadequacy by the reporting body. There is no sense protesting statements that our students are not learning their lessons the way they are supposed to. Many systemic reasons are responsible for this, and our education officials must not take this observation personally. It is a fact that must first be acknowledged even before something meaningful and significant can be done to improve matters. The World Bank has told us nothing we do not already know. This is an urgent call on the government to step up and ensure we do not raise younger generations of mediocre Filipinos.
Life lessons from politics the delay has not been very encouraging, we remain hopefully that each Filipino child will have the fullest protection that they deserve. This is one example of how politics can be a powerful platform for effecting positive change. But positive change is not something that only politicians are meant to achieve. It is a mission that many of us Filipino young leaders are called to embrace - to discover the opportunity to create positive change – through our careers and our crafts, by way of our positions and professions, and in our own homes and communities.
Three lessons that my own leadership experience in politics has taught me: Conviction, courage, and compassion. First, conviction. No person can be a credible leader without the clarity of his or her convictions. Our aspirations about what and how our society ought to be must be first rooted firmly in your heart. The clarity of one’s conviction allows a leader to communicate more passionately his or her vision, so that others may be inspired to take up the same vision for themselves. The strength of one’s conviction will build constancy and consistency as well as patience and perseverance, especially in the face of towering challenges. Second, courage. A leader must have the courage to challenge the status quo for the better. Fueled by one’s convictions, it is important for a leader to be brave enough to charter a course beyond the familiar and the foreseeable. Courage demands honesty to accept one’s limitations. But more importantly, it requires an undying faith to believe in better possibilities. This way, a leader inspires others to take action even in times of doubt and uncertainty. Third, compassion. A true leader is motivated by sincere compassion, by one’s willingness to put oneself in the shoes of others. One cannot build leadership by way of theoretical conjecture, but only by immersing oneself in the stark realities of everyday life. While a good leader must already have a more empathetic understanding of the world
around him or her, an even better leader must still be willing to learn. While a good leader communicates himself well, an even better leader is always ready to listen. Why a good leader effectively motivates others, an even better leader walks with others in bearing the demands of leadership. This pandemic may be one of the worst crises that our generation has to go through, but I have reason to believe that this is one of the best times to be a leader. Away from our familiar comforts, we have learned to ascertain the why’s more than the how’s of leadership. Living in a time of uncertainty has taught us to be courageous in taking risks and going beyond the familiar. In these days, when life has become even more difficult for the least and last in our society, the more that we should be moved by our sincere compassion for others. When times are unsure and schedules uncertain, we find the courage to believe that while these trying times will soon come to pass, we must come out of it stronger and better. Lest we forget, however, that leadership does not always mean doing the gigantic and monumental. To be more is not to be measured in the magnitude of what we do, but rather in the meaning of why we do things. Passing the landmark bill increasing the age of sexual consent happened not without the huge amount of attention and study done by Tingog Party-List’s legislative team. But equally important are the small but significant actions that helped build confidence that not only was this a task worth doing, but despite all the past setbacks, this was something that we can accomplish together. All of these mattered: The effort we took listening to our child welfare stakeholders, the reassuring gestures that made them understand that this was an issue important to us and even the friendship that made our work together even more enriching. This way, our small acts of kindness empowered us towards achieving a long overdue dream for all Filipino children. My own experience in working for the passage of House Bill 7836 taught me never to lose sight of the simple things that matter most in life and leadership. Dare to make a difference even when not everyone will understand. Learn to understand your convictions with greater clarity. Lead with unrelenting courage in your heart. Live always with compassion and charity every day.
Global Business Power Corporation (GBP) of the Meralco Group of companies now being built in Baras, Rizal and to be implemented by subsidiary PH Renewables Inc. Its operations will be integrated with Meralco PowerGen as a result of the merger and acquisition deal last March. According to Meralco President Ray C. Espinosa, they will continue to increase the group’s RE capacity to 1,500 MW in the next five years. GBP’s power plants’ total gross capacity is 1,091 MW. The 120 MW GigaSol Alaminos solar farm of Ayala-led, AC Energy (ACEN) now operating in Zambales is the company’s second solar facility and country’s second largest. The new solar plant will support the power demand of the Luzon grid and supply green electricity to 80,000 homes. AC Energy President and CEO Eric Francia said in a statement that the plant has already added 183MW of solar capacity to the grid earlier this year and expects to start the operations of the 150 MW Ingrid Power very soon. However, in the recent Senate Committee on Energy hearing, DOE data showed that 27
power projects have been bogged down by delays and should have been producing 2,045 MW five years ago. Upon the urging of Senate Committee on Energy Chairman Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, the DOE is convening a task force to address the looming brownouts. More than short term measures, there should be policy reforms that would ensure adequate and dependable power reserves that will assure continuous power even when there are unplanned outages. More bids under the Competitive Supply Process should be conducted to cover increasing demand. The DOE and ERC should further streamline the approval process of pending supply contracts of DUs and the NGCP. Also, investments in Energy Storage Systems (batteries) for RE plants should be encouraged. Now that we are transitioning into a more digital economy, having reliable and affordable electricity is a vital resource that literally powers every device or machine needed to support our modern reality. If our current power problems are not solved soon, then the prospect of recovery and the road to a new prosperity looks dim.
I STARTED working in politics when I was 23 years old. Since then, politics has become an important part of who I am and how I look at society. From politics, I have learned not only the might and magnitude, but the meaning and magnanimity of leadership. I have seen how good politics has empowered leaders who helped their communities thrive, and I also saw how bad politics has allowed the corrupt to cause the breakdown of their very own communities. But notwithstanding the many failings and frustrations that come with it, I have never lost hope that politics can be a powerful platform for effecting positive change. In fact, I cannot think of a more meaningful way to change society than politics. December of last year, the House of Representatives passed on third reading House Bill 7836, which hopefully would increase the age of sexual consent from the current 12 to 16 years old. Many of us are probably unaware that in a country where you need to be at least 18 years old to vote and 17 years to legally drive a car, the law presumes a 12- year-old to be entirely capable of consenting to having sex. The age of sexual consent is important because it also sets the age for determining statutory rape. For statutory rape, the child only needs to prove two things: his or her age, and that the sexual act happened. As a result, under our existing laws, sexual intercourse with a child as young as 12 years is not automatically considered as child rape. I could still remember that afternoon when the proposed measure authored by Tingog Party-List Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, House Bill 7836 was passed on third reading. I saw some of our child welfare advocates congratulating each other for this milestone. Everyone was emotional and teary-eyed. Then they reminded me, it took more than 20 years for this bill to be passed, even at the lower House. Their smiles made me realize that the hard work was indeed worth it. The Senate has yet to pass their version of House Bill 7836 so that this bill would finally become part of the law of the land. While
If our current power problems are not solved soon, then the prospect of recovery and the road to a new prosperity looks dim. due to scheduled maintenance or breakdowns. DOE and NGCP data comparing committed capacity against increasing demand and outage anticipates a 1,753 to 3,141 deficit in 2021. This will further worsen by 2025 to 3,006 to 4,394 MW supply deficit which simply means more power outages. This scenario is seen by renewable energy (RE) proponents as an opportunity to increase the share of RE technologies in the country’s power and energy balance. Big capital is being poured into new RE projects such as the 115 MW solar power facility of
Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida
Conviction, courage, and compassion
Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher
Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager Head—Ad Solutions Circulation Manager
Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Jimbo Owen Gulle
Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor
Emil P. Jurado
Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer Elmer T. Alitagtag Art Director
Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board
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PPA marks another milestone as PPA GM elected as IAPH Veep
ESPITE the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) continues to bring in positive developments one after the other. This, after PPA General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago was recently elected Vice President for Asia, South East and Oceania of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH). In a letter dated 13 May 2021 signed by IAPH Secretary-General Masahiko Furuichi, the PPA was informed about the result of the Voting of Confidence by the IAPH members which was undertaken from 12 April to 03 May 2021. “I am pleased to inform you that Mr. Jay Daniel R. Santiago, General Manager of the Philippine Ports Authority, Philippines was elected as Vice President of IAPH from 2021-
Crackdown against fake travel docs, S-PASS at Batangas Port intensifies AUTHORITIES at the Port Management Office of Batangas nabbed two (2) individuals at Batangas Port for allegedly providing fake travel documents to passengers in exchange for some cash. This after six (6) individuals were apprehended for presenting fake RT-PCR results and S-PaSS prior to their travel onboard 2GO vessel bound for Caticlan recently. The cases were already turned over to Batangas City Police Station. PPA Port Management Office of Batangas, one of the busiest ports nationwide amid the pandemic, remains committed in its war against fixers, fake travel docs, and other illegal activities to ensure that only those who properly complied with the travel protocols shall be allowed to proceed with their booked trips. Extending a helping hand The Port Police force of the Port Management Office of NCR-South, in partnership with the Fraternal Order of Eagles-Grand Seaport Club, recently distributed relief items to the victims of a fire that gutted 500 structures and affected about a thousand families at a residential area in Barangay 650 located within the South Harbor Expanded Port Zone (SHEPZ). With the threat of COVID-19 continues to hound the entire country, proper physical distancing was enforced to reduce the risk of possible infection during the distribution. This initiative upholds PPA standards of corporate governance by simply allowing its personnel to become responsible citizens for the port community or whenever the call of duty requires.
2023,” the letter stated. “Voting result was duly approved by the Legal Counsellors,” the letter further stated. Santiago, on the other hand, after reading the content of the letter, said the development is both an opportunity and a challenge for the entire PPA organization. “This is a great milestone for the agency since all the positive changes being implemented by the agency are likewise being recognized internationally,” Santiago said. “PPA, with the support of its entire workforce and led by the strong-willed DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, is fully committed to working even harder and better for the Philippines to continue
to be globally recognized as a maritime power,” Santiago stressed. IAPH is a global alliance of ports, representing some 180 ports and some 140 port-related businesses in 90 countries. The member ports together handle well over 60% of the world’s sea-borne trade and nearly 80% of the world’s container traffic. It is a non-profit-making and nongovernmental organization (NGO) with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Recognized as the only international organization representing the voice of the world port industry, IAPH is granted Consultative Status as a Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) from five United Nations (UN) specialized agencies and one intergovernmental body. The consultative status has enabled IAPH to represent at various international fora the views of port managers/directors as well as promote, enhance, and protect the interests of the global port industry.
Cargo volume soars in the first 5 months of 2021 THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) posted positive performance in the first 5 months of the year as total cargo volume registered a 15.5% hike from 86.377 million metric tons (mmt) in 2020 to 99.776 mmt this year. The export sector posted a huge 70% increase in volume while Import cargoes soared by 23% for the period Containerized cargo traffic went up 18% to 2.984 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) compared to the 2.533 million TEUs handled in the same timeframe last year. Shipcalls handled 418 more calls for the first five months of the year to 149,366 against
the 148,948 shipcalls listed last year. Foreign shipcalls registered a 23.65% growth rate. Yard utilization at the country’s top international gateways remain under optimal condition with
Manila International Container Terminal posting the highest utilization rate of 62.13% followed by Manila South Harbor with a utilization rate of 56.03% and Manila North Harbor’s 45.20%.
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PPA: Delivering sustainable port services for well-being of nautical facilities By Rommel Bong R. Fuertes Jr.
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INCE its conception back in July 11, 1974, the Philippine Ports Authority has been doing its part in overseeing port operations for the country and more.
The agency, which is celebrating its 47th year anniversary, aims to deliver sustainable and resilient port infrastructures for the well being of the country’s nautical facilities. However, with the ravaging pandemic, the PPA devoted to do more than just its business mission. Spearheaded by general manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago, alongside assistant general managers Hector E. Miole, Constante T. Fariñas, Jr. and Elmer Nonnatus A. Cadano, the authority participated in
TURNING PORTS INTO TURNING POINTS These are trying times, but we are resilient, responsive. Despite the many challenges in this unprecedented time, we continue to quickly and safely deliver basic goods, food, medicine and supplies. With tireless, selfless men and women at the forefront, we are able to deliver essentials needed by societies and economies to heal and recover.
WE ARE STRONGER THAN EVER
CORPORATE OFFICE ICTSI Administration Bldg., Manila International Container Terminal MICT South Access Road, Port of Manila 1012 Manila, Philippines +632 8 245 4101 info@ictsi.com www.ictsi.com
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Philippine Ports Authority General Manager Jay Daniel R.Santiago
several activities for the country’s fight against COVID-19.
Responding to the country’s growing problem With the country seeking to gain herd immunity as early as possible, government agencies are called to help citizens of the Philippines. The PPA made sure it answered the call. In its 46th anniversary last year, the agency de developed a movement called “BAYANihan sa Pantalan”—a mandate pushing the Philippine Port Authority and all their workers to help the Filipinos in the pandemic that has devastated numerous families and breadbread winners who lost bud their jobs due to budget cuts. re In a press release, GM Santiago lauded the efforts of the agency and all its constituents in their quest to help the Filipino people. overwhelm “It is really overwhelming that the PPA, across all its offices, has moved forward as one unit, contributing to the efforts of the government as it copes with the challenges that the country is facing due to the pandemic, not to mention the other challenges and emergencies that the country has faced since the start of the year (2020),” Santiago said. Caring for their laborers The agency, however, did not forget its workers as it was a difficult time for them as well. Cash assistance was given to porters, dockworkers and outsourced personnel for the PPA. The assistance was estimated to have reached over P2 billion. Accompanied by private sectors and civic organizations, the PPA upheld its Bayanihan mandate in easing up the movement of cargoes in and out of the ports in consideration of the IATF’s health protocols. The PPA also contributed to government efforts, such as the Balik Probinsya program back in 2020, a repatriation project made by the Office of the President to bring home workers amid the global pandemic. They helped handle more than 20,000 workers in their nationwide ports. PPA is also implementing added measures to keep Philippine ports safe from COVID-19. Sanitary misting of cargoes from every port is now a must, while they have also partnered with the Department of Health in disseminating information to port platforms for the public. To further ensure that the agency is doing its part in COVID prevention, face-to-face transactions are halted as they move to an online approach with the unified passenger ticketing system, automated payment scheme and automated cargo payment. Behind the PPA’s rich history and its pursuit of a bright future The Philippine Ports Authority works independently to aid in nautical affairs and ports innovations. However, that wasn’t always the case as before its establishment, the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Public Works worked closely for port and harbor maintenance. Back in the 1970s, there were roughly 600 national and municipal ports for rationalizing and development. According to the PPA’s website, the agency was made due to the “need to integrate and coordinate port planning, development, operations and regulation at the national level”. Forty-seven years later, the organization still follows its pursuit for port planning with over 25 port management offices around the country. During the pandemic, the PPA still managed to complete 14 ports in 2020. These projects were done in Palawan, Marinduque, IloIlo, Lanao del Norte, Bohol, Oriental Mindoro, Misamis Occidental, Davao Del Sur, Ilocos Sur and Agusan del Norte to name a few. Recently, the PPA has worked hand in hand with the Department of Transportation to revive Luzon tourism, particularly in Ilocos Sur. PPA GM Santiago, along with DOTR Sec. Tugade inaugurated the Salomague Port in Ilocos, a projected cruise port under the care of the agency. The port was constructed in two years, from November of 2019 to April of this year. Read here: https://manilastandard.net/business/biz-plus/359112/ ilocos-sur-infrastructure-projectshelp-revive-luzon-tourism.html The agency will continue to work expanding its ports as it strives to give the country a respectable and reputable name for harbor and onsea services.
Business
IN BRIEF Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021
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PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, July 9, 2021
-90.07 PTS. 6,834.92
TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED
1,771,801,031 100,126 8,419,400,459.07 59 153 43
F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021
Currency
Unit
US Dollar
Peso
United States
Dollar
1.000000
49.8700
Japan
Yen
0.009112
0.4544
UK
Pound
1.378700
68.7558
Hong Kong
Dollar
0.128737
6.4201
Switzerland
Franc
1.093135
54.5146
Canada
Dollar
0.797957
39.7941
Singapore
Dollar
0.739590
36.8834
Australia
Dollar
0.742900
37.0484
Bahrain
Dinar
2.655619
132.4357
Saudi Arabia
Rial
0.266631
13.2969
Brunei
Dollar
0.736865
36.7475
Indonesia
Rupiah
0.000069
0.0034
Thailand
Baht
0.030807
1.5363
UAE
Dirham
0.272272
13.5782
Euro
Euro
1.184700
59.0810
Korea
Won
0.000873
0.0435
China
Yuan
0.154059
7.6829
India
Rupee
0.013376
0.6671
Malaysia
Ringgit
0.239234
11.9306
New Zealand
Dollar
0.694300
34.6247
Taiwan
Dollar
0.035709
1.7808 Source: BSP
Office space demand up 38% in 2nd quarter to 169,000 sqm By Jenniffer B. Austria DEMAND for office space jumped 38 percent in the second quarter to 169,000 square meters from 122,000 sq. m. in the first quarter, Leechiu Property Consultants said in a report over the weekend. LPC chief executive David Leechiu said the office demand in the second quarter was the highest since the start of the pandemic, which signaled the office sector was ready to take off and resume its prepandemic growth trajectory. Data showed office space demand reached 291,000 sq. m. in the first half, representing 75 percent of demand for the entire 2020. “There is no doubt that the Philippines is back on the radar of global occupiers,” Leechiu said. The business process outsourcing industry accounted for 92,000 sq. m. or 54 percent of office demand in the second quarter, up by 160 percent from 35,000 sq. m. the sector took up in the first quarter. “Even if they were relatively quiet in 2020, BPOs are back. The same fundamentals that attracted BPOs to the Philippines during the financial crisis of 2008 are once again working for us,” Leechiu said. LPC said investor sentiment improved with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and the passage of Senate Bill 2232 which clarified tax concerns of Philippine Online Gaming Operators. Several POGOs left the country in 2020 not only because of the pandemic but because of the stringent tax rules imposed by the government against these companies. With the reopening of international borders, LPC expects online gaming operators to slowly return to the domestic market, which could further boost the domestic office sector. “All these events have aligned to support the Philippine office market. Its resurgence this quarter is a strong and clear indicator of recovery,” LPC said. LPC earlier said there were active office requirements for 266,000 sq. m. from various companies.
THE government may lose P33 billion in big ticket investments if it pushes the mandatory collection of value added tax on the domestic purchases of companies operating within the economic zones, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority said over the weekend. PEZA said at least projects were poised to defer their investments in the country, including the P16-billion expansion project of an electronics company, the
SHARE prices are expected to trade sideways this week as investors remain cautious over the surge in COVID-19 cases in some countries due to new virus strains. Analysts said while the Philippines’ COVID-19 cases is on a decline, worries about the spread of new Delta and Lambda variants in other nations are dampening investor sentiments. Regina Capital Development Corp. head of sales Luis A. Limlingan said the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in some countries was stoking investors’ concerns that global recovery would be stalled. Meanwhile, BDO Unibank Inc. chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravelas said the market continues to be vulnerable to sell-off despite hitting the recent high of 7,064.24. “Continue to expect the market to range between the 6,700-7,000 levels in the nearterm. However, a sustained fall below the 6,700 levels could signal that the market could retry the 6,300-6,500 levels and reignite the bears to play,” Ravelas said. The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week plummeted 2.4 percent to 6,834.92, while the broader All Shares Index fell 1.4 percent to 4,234.54. Jenniffer B. Austria
MRT 3 rehabilitation completed December
METRO PACIFIC DONATION. Tanging Yaman Foundation Inc. chairman Fr. Manoling Francisco, S.J. (center) accepts the donation of P1 million each from Metro Pacific Investments Foundation, PLDT-Smart Foundation and One Meralco Foundation in support of the Gulayan Para Sa Community Pantries program. Attending the event are (from left) Smart Communications Inc. group head and first vice president for enterprise risk management Debbie Tan, MPIF president Melody del Rosario, PSF president Esther Santos and OMF president Jeff Tarayao. Spearheaded by Metro Pacific chairman Manuel Pangilinan, the Tulong Kapatid foundations contributed P3 million to TYF, a conduit foundation that continues to bridge donors and beneficiaries during the pandemic.
San Miguel vows to stop building new coal plants By Alena Mae S. Flores
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AN Miguel Corp. said over the weekend unit SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. will avoid building new coal power plants and focus on more renewables in its power portfolio.
“We’re executing on our plans to move away from building new coal facilities, despite new technologies that make them cleaner. It’s a company direction that is in line with all the major sustainability initiatives we have undertaken these past couple of years,”
SMC president Ramon Ang said in a statement. SMCGP is adding more renewables in its power portfolio using technologies to significantly cut carbon footprint while addressing the country’s need for reliable and affordable power. “SMC has always maintained a diverse power portfolio utilizing renewables and traditional, but proven technologies. This is to ensure that as we transition to cleaner sources, we will not undermine our commitment to meet the growing demand for affordable and reliable energy,” Ang said. The company dropped plans to put up three new clean coal power plants in Quezon and Cebu with a capacity of 1,500 MW in favor of new facilities that utilizes cleaner, renewable
energy sources. SMCGP also started its transition to cleaner energy with the construction of 31 battery energy storage system facilities all over the country. The BESS facilities will have a total capacity of 1,000 MW and are set for completion between this year and 2022. Ang said the BESS projects represent SMC’s full-scale solution to fix power quality issues in the grid. He said these would allow for the integration of over 3,000 MW of intermittent renewable power sources to the grid. Ang said SMC, through SMCGP, would put up solar plants in combination with battery storage facilities at 10 locations throughout the country. These will be operational by 2023.
THE Department of Transportation said the rehabilitation of the MRT 3 will be completed by December this year in time for the anticipated return to normalcy. “We addressed the problem they called MRTirik wherein we reduced the breakdown and service disruptions,” Transportation Secretary Art Tugade said. Data from MRT3 showed that MRT3 recorded a zero unloading incidents in January to June this year compared to the 333 unloading incidents in the sane period in 2016. Tugade, which assumed office as DOTr secretary in June 2016, said the operating speed of the MRT3 train has been raised to 60 kilometer per hour from the original 30 kph. The interval or headway between trains, on the other hand, has been reduced to 3.5 minutes, from 9 minutes. “These were made possible by the complete rail replacement works,” Tugade said. Darwin G. Amojelar
Smart, Vodafone tie up to launch 5G roaming
SMART Communications Inc. teamed up with global communications technology company Vodafone to launch 5G roaming services in Germany, Qatar, Ireland and the United Kingdom. “Our massive rollout for Smart 5G roaming supports Smart’s goal to be world-class in digital innovation and customer service. These advances are translated into carefully crafted roaming data plans to support our customers’ passions, as soon as international travel resumes,” Mary Alice Ramos, vice president and head of International Roaming at Smart said. “At the end of the day, making things simple through technology is at the heart of the Smart brand promise,” she added. Smart and Vodafone activated 5G roaming services in Australia in March. As the largest fixed and mobile network operator in Europe, Vodafone also has the biggest and fastest-growing 5G network in the continent. Vodafone also operates fixed networks in 21 countries, and have partners for mobile in 48 more. Darwin G. Amojelar
DA, BCDA bare agro business corner in Clark By Jess Malabanan
FEDERAL LAND MILESTONE. Federal Land Inc. celebrates another milestone with the topping off ceremony of Mi Casa Hawaii Tower. The event marks the structural completion of the first tower of the development. Mi Casa is a tropical-inspired residence that features resort-style amenities and a central location within Metro Park, Federal Land’s master-planned community in Bay Area. At the ceremony are (from left) Aris Cuevas, DMCI vice president and head building business unit; Richard Naval, head of external construction management group at Filinvest Land Inc.; Antonino Aligaen, head of technical execution group of FLI; Cherie Fernandez, head of project development group at FLI; John Cabato, head of Metro Park and Grand Central Park township business unit; Roy Lachica, head of construction management group of FLI; and Allen Mindalano, head of Federal Land sales channel group.
Monetary Board OKs $2.8b in public sector foreign borrowings By Julito G. Rada THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, has approved $2.8 billion in public sector foreign borrowings in the second quarter of 2021, 59 percent lower than $6.84 billion in the same period last year. The BSP said in a statement over the weekend the borrowings consisted of one Euro-denominated bond issuance amounting to EUR2.10 billion and a project loan amounting to $300 million. “These foreign borrowings will fund the National Government’s general financing requirements (EUR2.10 billion); and COVID-19 pandemic response covering vaccine procurement and distribution
($300 million),” it said. Prior approval by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas through the MB is required for all foreign loans to be contracted or guaranteed by the Philippines. The law also requires all foreign borrowing proposals by the national government, state agencies and financial institutions to be submitted for approvalin-principle by the MB before the start of actual negotiations. The BSP promotes the judicious use of resources and ensures that external debt requirements are at manageable levels to support external debt sustainability. The country’s external debt hit $97.05 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2021, a manageable level, according to
the Department of Finance earlier. The country’s external debt stock at the end of the first quarter of 2021 was down 1.5 percent from its end-2020 level. This is equivalent to 26.7 percent of GDP, of which 15.6 percentage points are contributed by the public sector and 11.1 percentage points by the private sector. The recent build-up in external debt was driven by the government’s resource mobilization against the COVID-19 pandemic. “In 2020, the public sector’s external debt increased 35.8 percent but that of the private sector’s external debt actually declined by 1.1 percent. In the first quarter of 2021, public sector debt declined by 2.4 percent; the private sector debt likewise declined by 0.2 percent,” the DoF said.
Collection of VAT on domestic purchases may delay 3 investment projects worth P33b—PEZA By Othel V. Campos
Share prices to trade sideways this week
P11-billion integrated steel project of a Chinese investor and the P6-billion expansion of a consumer durable goods manufacturer. A Swiss company that designs and manufactures connectors and sensors for several industries also has reservations on the 12-percent VAT measure and may not proceed with its investments., according to PEZA. The Swiss firm supplies products to many industries, including automotive, industrial equipment, data communica-
tion systems, aerospace, defense, medical, oil and gas, consumer electronics and energy. The PEZA board recently passed a resolution “supporting PEZA management and its investors to suspend the implementation of the revenue regulation that imposes VAT, in consideration of the pandemic as foreign and domestic enterprises are still struggling to survive and keep the jobs and operations to continue.” By virtue of the recently-approved implementing rules and regulations of
the CREATE law, the Bureau of Internal Revenue crafted and subsequently implemented RR 9-2021, which subjects previously zero-rated goods and services inside the ecozones to 12-percent VAT. “Imposition of the VAT is untimely and inconsistent because the government extended business assistance and reliefs to investors to continue operations and even included the COVID-related expenses be deductible to their 5 percent gross income earned which was supported by the BIR,” PEZA said.
CAPAS, Tarlac—A 50-hectare lot on the New Clark City here will be developed into an agro business corridor by the Department of Agriculture and the Bases Conversion Development Authority following the launching of the National Seed Techo Park Friday. The project will depend on the success of the seed techno park that will serve as a home to laboratory, incubation hubs, a machinery shed, soil and water chemistry and other support facilities, said Mayor Rey Catacutan. He said the BCDA would develop the second phase of NSTP covering 43 hectares dedicated to agribusiness developments, including downstream and upstream linkages in the agricultural value chains. Part of the event was the planting of about 500 indigenous and endemic trees onsite to ensure the biodiversity and sustainability principles of NCC are met. Agriculture Secretary William Dar led the activity, including the unveiling of the project billboard and the ceremonial distribution of seeds to Central Luzon farmers who stand to benefit from the NSTP. “When I took over as the Secretary of Agriculture, we had to thoroughly examine how the Philippines can transform agriculture from a sleeping giant to something that will be considered as a big contributor to the economy. That’s when the vision for NSTP was born. BCDA is one important partner that is making us realize this agricultural industrialization,” said Dar. BCDA President and chief executive Vince Dizon said agriculture sustainability is high on New Clark City’s priority list to help the economy “bounce back better” in the time of crisis. “Today, we plant the seeds for the future, so Filipinos may finally realize the vision of making the country agriculturally sustainable and resilient. The establishment of NSTP is important more than ever, with agriculture being a major driver for the Philippine economy’s recovery from the pandemic,” Dizon said.
12 July 2021, MANILA—The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), marking its 47th Founding Anniversary on 11 July 2021, has completed more than two-dozen of port development and modernization projects in a bid to build seamless interconnectivity of maritime transportation nationwide.
WITH GUIDANCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Improved maritime transport interconnectivity seen as PPA delivers promise to modernize, build more ports
The projects, situated in key locations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, are expected to boost the overall capability of port infrastructure to meet the demands of the local and international supply market particularly in the delivery of essential cargoes amid the global health emergency. PPA General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago said that in an archipelagic country like the Philippines, there can never be a specific number of ports which the country could strive to build to achieve seamless maritime transport interconnectivity. “With the guidance of the Department of Transportation, however, the PPA is doing its best to improve and modernize all the existing port facilities to ease the movement of products and people from one island to another considering also that, a little over 300 days are left to fulfill the promise of comfortable lives for Filipinos,” Santiago said. “While doing this, PPA is likewise identifying the best strategic location for new port projects that can provide sufficient access to other areas which at the moment are not yet connected by a port or a vessel service provider,” Santiago added. “With the current number of port projects that are being carried out by the port agency since the Duterte administration took over in 2016, we can say that we have significantly reduced the gaps and are continually bridging these gaps, through the on-going port project thus, reducing the complexities in our overall maritime transportation chain,” Santiago stressed. “This became evident particularly during this pandemic, where PPA ports remained open despite the lockdown which helped eased up the delivery of essentials even to far-flung areas as well as improved the movement of allowed persons to travel from one island to another,” Santiago explained. As of end 2020, 27 port projects have already been completed, some of which are set to be inaugurated within the year. Some 36 port projects, likewise, are ongoing where 15 are in Luzon, 12 in Visayas and 9 in Mindanao. The completed projects in Luzon include TMO Pasig, Pasig River; Ports of Bulalacao and Bansud in Oriental Mindoro; Port of Carmen in San Agustin, Romblon; and Abra de Ilog in Occidental Mindoro. In the Visayas, there are seven finished improvements wherein two (2) are in the Port of Ormoc Port and one each at Port of Estancia, Iloilo; Port of Dumaguete, Dumaguete City; and Ports of Tagbilaran, Tapal and Ubay in Bohol. PPA likewise guarantees that port users in Mindanao also experience better services through the completed port projects at the Port of Timaco, Cotabato City; Port of Liloy, Lamao, Zamboanga del Norte; Port of Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental; Port of Babak, Samal; Port of Iligan, Iligan City; Port of Benoni in Camiguin; and Cantilan Port in Cantilan, Surigao del Sur. In the first five months of 2021, the PPA already completed seven big-ticket port projects worth about P1 billion. These include the Port of Salomague in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur; Port of Talaga in Mabini, Batangas; the Ports of Legazpi and Tabaco in Bicol; Port of Baybay in Leyte; the Port of Mati in Davao Oriental; and the Port of Sindangan in Zamboanga del Norte. With these completed port projects, PPA is confident that a good support mechanism is already in place to help the country overcome the ill effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. FISCAL PERFORMANCE In only five years under the current administration, the PPA was able to post staggering and sustained financial performance because of its strict fiscal discipline enabling the agency to carry out bigger infrastructure investments as well as software upgrades for better port operations resulting in reduced cost for investors, suppliers, service providers and the spending public. As of end 2020, PPA has already recorded a whopping P17.393 billion in dividend remittance surpassing by more than 110% the dividend remittance from 2010 – 2015 amounting to only P8.271 billion. Due to COVID-19, PPA increased its remittance for 2021 by 7.5% to P3.77 billion—representing 57.5% of the agency’s net income for 2020—to help government in its efforts to curb the further spread of the virus and aide the country to recovery. The agency also paid a total of P14.887 billion in corporate income tax from 2016-2020 with the recorded highest amount paid in 2018 at P5.90 billion.
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12 July 2021, MANILA—The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), marking its 47th Founding Anniversary on 11 July 2021, has completed more than two-dozen of port development and modernization projects in a bid to build seamless interconnectivity of maritime transportation nationwide.
WITH GUIDANCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Improved maritime transport interconnectivity seen as PPA delivers promise to modernize, build more ports
The projects, situated in key locations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, are expected to boost the overall capability of port infrastructure to meet the demands of the local and international supply market particularly in the delivery of essential cargoes amid the global health emergency. PPA General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago said that in an archipelagic country like the Philippines, there can never be a specific number of ports which the country could strive to build to achieve seamless maritime transport interconnectivity. “With the guidance of the Department of Transportation, however, the PPA is doing its best to improve and modernize all the existing port facilities to ease the movement of products and people from one island to another considering also that, a little over 300 days are left to fulfill the promise of comfortable lives for Filipinos,” Santiago said. “While doing this, PPA is likewise identifying the best strategic location for new port projects that can provide sufficient access to other areas which at the moment are not yet connected by a port or a vessel service provider,” Santiago added. “With the current number of port projects that are being carried out by the port agency since the Duterte administration took over in 2016, we can say that we have significantly reduced the gaps and are continually bridging these gaps, through the on-going port project thus, reducing the complexities in our overall maritime transportation chain,” Santiago stressed. “This became evident particularly during this pandemic, where PPA ports remained open despite the lockdown which helped eased up the delivery of essentials even to far-flung areas as well as improved the movement of allowed persons to travel from one island to another,” Santiago explained. As of end 2020, 27 port projects have already been completed, some of which are set to be inaugurated within the year. Some 36 port projects, likewise, are ongoing where 15 are in Luzon, 12 in Visayas and 9 in Mindanao. The completed projects in Luzon include TMO Pasig, Pasig River; Ports of Bulalacao and Bansud in Oriental Mindoro; Port of Carmen in San Agustin, Romblon; and Abra de Ilog in Occidental Mindoro. In the Visayas, there are seven finished improvements wherein two (2) are in the Port of Ormoc Port and one each at Port of Estancia, Iloilo; Port of Dumaguete, Dumaguete City; and Ports of Tagbilaran, Tapal and Ubay in Bohol. PPA likewise guarantees that port users in Mindanao also experience better services through the completed port projects at the Port of Timaco, Cotabato City; Port of Liloy, Lamao, Zamboanga del Norte; Port of Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental; Port of Babak, Samal; Port of Iligan, Iligan City; Port of Benoni in Camiguin; and Cantilan Port in Cantilan, Surigao del Sur. In the first five months of 2021, the PPA already completed seven big-ticket port projects worth about P1 billion. These include the Port of Salomague in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur; Port of Talaga in Mabini, Batangas; the Ports of Legazpi and Tabaco in Bicol; Port of Baybay in Leyte; the Port of Mati in Davao Oriental; and the Port of Sindangan in Zamboanga del Norte. With these completed port projects, PPA is confident that a good support mechanism is already in place to help the country overcome the ill effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. FISCAL PERFORMANCE In only five years under the current administration, the PPA was able to post staggering and sustained financial performance because of its strict fiscal discipline enabling the agency to carry out bigger infrastructure investments as well as software upgrades for better port operations resulting in reduced cost for investors, suppliers, service providers and the spending public. As of end 2020, PPA has already recorded a whopping P17.393 billion in dividend remittance surpassing by more than 110% the dividend remittance from 2010 – 2015 amounting to only P8.271 billion. Due to COVID-19, PPA increased its remittance for 2021 by 7.5% to P3.77 billion—representing 57.5% of the agency’s net income for 2020—to help government in its efforts to curb the further spread of the virus and aide the country to recovery. The agency also paid a total of P14.887 billion in corporate income tax from 2016-2020 with the recorded highest amount paid in 2018 at P5.90 billion.
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06/07/2021 4:24:02 pm
JOB GENERATION As the agency continuously initiates and com-pletes port projects to provide a more convenient and safer maritime transportation, workers from the informal sector were also provided with good source of livelihood due to the vast number of port projects being carried out nationwide. From 2016-2020, a total of 6,935 individuals were given livelihood opportunities through PPA’s Ka-buhayan Program, which prioritizes locals for em-ployment on areas where the port is being con-structed. DIGITALIZATION Along with these infrastructure projects, the PPA are also stepping up its digitalization efforts on its frontline services to reduce human intervention amid the COVID-19 pandemic. These include the full integration of the agency’s Electronic Passen-ger Ticketing System to eliminate queueing of passengers at ticketing booths and the implemen-tation of electronic collection of port dues nation-wide.
“
“
Every one of you is a true gift to the Filipino people. Providing integrity, honesty, and unparalleled public service. Therefore, I challenge every PPA employee to continue to be a blessing to others, and altogether we march towards recovery, healing, and comfort. - DOTr Secretary ART P. TUGADE
MOVING FORWARD Despite being adversely affected by the global health emergency, the PPA is forecasting to slowly rebound this year with growth pegged at about 7% for cargo throughput to 246.790 million metric tons while passenger traffic is forecasted to hover around 25 to 27 million passengers or a growth percentage of about 1 to 2%. The Authority is also set to finish an additional 29 commercial port projects this 2021 and beyond to further improve interisland connectivity as well as offer more gateways to the global business community. These are the construction of the Passenger Terminal Buildings at the Ports of Zamboanga and Calapan that can accommodate about 4,000 and 3,500 passengers at any one time, respectively. Once completed, these two PTBs will occupy the top 2 spots as the biggest PTBs in the country. Also included are the dedicated cruise ship terminal at the Port of Jubang in Surigao del Norte as well as the dedicated cargo terminal at the Port of Doña Helene also in Surigao del Norte. These two ports will address the demands of the tourism island of Siargao. The other ports are Manoc-Manoc in the island of Boracay; Guiuan in Eastern Samar; Alegria in Aklan; Ubay and Tubigon in Bohol; Maguino-o in Calbayog; Balingoan in Misamis Oriental; Iligan in Lanao del Norte; Lipata in Surigao del Norte; Sasa Wharf in Davao; Dapitan in Zamboanga del Norte; Siquijor in the mystic island of Siquijor; Sultan Naga in Lanao del Norte; Maribojoc in Bohol; Currimao in Ilocos Norte, among others.
PPA likewise converted its South Harbor quarantine facility into a full-blown Recovery Center to give hospitals enough breathing room to treat more severe cases of COVID-19.
The Authority’s 25 Port Management Offices likewise continue with its own initiatives to aid strug“The PPA is fortunate to be guided by none other gling Filipinos to have enough support to weather than DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade who is very the current health emergency. supportive to the agency’s projects and initiatives and generously provides inputs that help us in ex- PPA likewise extended support through the proecuting and eventually completing our port proj- vision of essential supplies to typhoon-devasted areas like Tabaco in Albay and Cagayan as well as ects nationwide,” Santiago added. provide help to other Filipinos affected by other calamities. 47TH FOUNDING ANNIVERSARY Today, the PPA is celebrating its 47th Founding Anniversary with a theme, “Sama-sama at Sabay- DOTr Secretary Authur P. Tugade, for his part, congratulated the PPA on its Founding Anniversary. sabay sa paggaling at pagbangon. The commemoration of its founding anniversary highlights the accomplishment of the Authority in helping the country amid the pandemic. Among the notable accomplishments is the setting-up of Quarantine Facility in Bataan to facilitate the crew change movement in the country, fanning its desire to become the crew-change capital of the world.
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“PPA, since Day 1, has shown its desire to help the Government achieve its dream to give Filipinos comfortable lives. PPA has outdid itself and exceed expectations,” Tugade said. “PPA contributed the intangibles and continue to do so up to this time. I could not thank you enough for all of these. As the Secretary of Transportation, you made me proud,” Tugade added.
“I express my gratitude to all PPA personnel who exert extra efforts in fulfilling their sworn duties and responsibilities amid the pandemic with the end goal to meet our commitment to provide seamless maritime transport connectivity nationwide and complement the other initiatives of the DOTr for land, rail and air connectivity.”
- GM JAY SANTIAGO 06/07/2021 4:27:24 pm
Sports
Argentina’s Lionel Messi is thrown into the air by teammates after winning the Conmebol 2021 Copa America football tournament final match against Brazil at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Argentina won 1-0. AFP
McGregor suffers leg injury in TKO loss to Poirier LOS ANGELES—American brawler Dustin Poirier overpowered Conor McGregor on Saturday in Las Vegas, winning their lightweight UFC trilogy fight by a TKO after the Irishman appeared to snap his left leg in the waning moments of the opening round. The fight was officially ruled as a “doctor’s stoppage” at the end of the first round after a bloodied McGregor swung and missed a punch then stumbled backwards, his lower leg grotesquely buckling under him near the edge of the octagon. Poirier then pounced on a helpless McGregor, raining down a series of punches and elbows until McGregor was saved by the bell in front of the capacity crowd at the T-Mobile arena. “This guy was saying he was going to murder me and kill me. I am going to leave here in a coffin,” said Poirier. “Murder is something you don’t clown around with. You don’t talk to people like that. I hope this guy gets home safe to his beautiful family.” Promoters said afterwards that McGregor’s injury was to his lower tibia and that he was expected to undergo surgery on Sunday to repair the damage. The scheduled five-round rubber match was expected to settle the score and complete the trilogy between the former two-weight UFC champ McGregor and his longtime rival Poirier, who now looks set to get a shot at an undisputed title and establish himself as one of the sport’s superstars. There was plenty of bad blood between the two in the lead up to their third fight. McGregor insulted Poirier’s wife in a tweet and told Poirier he was going to leave the ring in the box. Instead McGregor had to be carted out on a stretcher after doctors stabilized his leg. “He fractured it on one of the checks at the beginning, then broke it with the punch,” Poirier said. “I felt something. He was kicking me hard. It was probably cracked then on the twist and punch [it broke].” AFP
PSC to closely monitor 5 PH-based Olympians By Peter Atencio
S
PORTS officials will be closely monitoring the departure of five of the 19 Filipino athletes heading for the Tokyo Olympics.
From their departure to Japan and their stay in Tokyo all the way to their return to Manila, the Philippine Sports Commission will make sure that the five athletes will be on schedule for all their events in the quadrennial meet. National training director Marc Edward Velasco said this as the government sports agency keeps an eye on rower Cris Nievarez, taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa, skateboarder Margielyn Didal, weightlifter Elreen Ando and shooter Jayson Valdez. All five are based in the Philippines, unlike their 14 other counterparts, who will come from countries where they either trained or competed. So far, Nievarez will be coming from Quezon City, while Barbosa will depart from within Metro Manila, Didal and Ando will be coming from Cebu City, and Valdez will be from the Central Luzon area. Golfers Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan, sprinter Kristina Knott and boxer Eumir Marcial will be coming from the United States, Juvic Pagunsan from England, Hidilyn Diaz from
Malaysia, Ernest John Obiena from Italy, and boxers Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam from Thailand. Gymnast Carlos Yulo and judoka Kiyomi Watanabe are based in Japan. Velasco said on a Facebook Live update that the home-based athletes could fall into situations that arise from quarantine protocols and travel restrictions imposed by the government to control the spread of COVID-19. And these problems could result in delays in their schedule. Coordination on their activities are now being done with the support of the Philippine Olympic Committee. Flight arrangements of the athletes and officials of the national delegation to the Olympics are almost done. But the arrangements on quarantine and isolation protocols involving the five will be tricky, as they must coordinate with the different local government units involved on their trip to Manila, the isolation facilities for quarantine and the flight to Japan. “We’re making sure that their RTPCR tests are on schedule and isolation
MARC VELASCO
hotels, pre-departure and post-arrival, are arranged. So, right now, all systems are a go,” added Velasco. Quarantine for the athletes will just be an option, according to Velasco. If an LGU insists that the athletes must isolate, the five athletes will have the option of using a PSC-coordinated hotel, which will make sure that they will not miss their stint in the Olympics. “Ito na ang pinaka-malakas, so far, na grupo na pupunta sa Olympics. And even the legends like Onyok Velasco and Elma Muros, they are proud of them,” said Velasco.
Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor
MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021
D1
Messi ends drought as Argentina tops Brazil RIO DE JANEIRO—When Lionel Messi, already a regular starter for the mighty Barcelona, made his international bow in 2005 as an 18-year-old for a powerful Argentina side he surely never imagined it would take him 16 years to finally claim a trophy with his country. But the six time Ballon d’Or winner had to suffer numerous disappointments, including losing four finals, before leading his country to a 1-0 victory over “eternal rivals” Brazil in the Copa America final at Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Maracana stadium on Saturday. Despite a glittering career that has seen him help Barcelona to win the Champions League four times, La Liga 10 times and the Copa Del Rey seven times, Messi’s hopes of matching that with international success were repeatedly frustrated. In truth he wasn’t as inspired in the final as throughout the tournament, even slipping over when clean through two minutes from time and facing Brazil’s goalkeeper Ederson with a chance to finish the match. But the way his teammates threw him into the air after the final whistle showed how important and appreciated he is within the Argentina camp. “It was my dream. It was what I wanted most in the world,” said Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez following the triumph. “We gave it to Messi, who deserved it the most.” Three times previously -- in 2007, 2015 and 2016 -- his Argentina lost in the final at the Copa while the South Americans were also defeated 1-0 by Germany in the 2014 World Cup final at the Maracana. History would not repeat itself this time around as Messi not only inspired his side but also finished the tournament as top goalscorer and with the most assists. He was named player of the tournament, during which Messi equalled and then broke Javier Mascerano’s record of 147 caps for Argentina, setting a new mark of 151 on Saturday. His four goals during the competition took him to 76 for his country, just one off all-time South American mark set by Pele for Brazil. Winning this tournament was no simple feat for an Argentina that was outclassed by Brazil in the semi-finals two years ago. They had gone 28 years without a major trophy and hadn’t won on Brazilian soil since 1998—in a friendly —while the hosts hadn’t lost at home in 2,553 days. Neymar, who missed Brazil’s victory two years ago through injury, was also seeking his first major title with the Selecao. AFP
Baldwin likes Gilas PH’s progress THE Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team has outperformed all of expectations after a sweep of their matches in Group A of the FIBA Asia Qualifiers last month in Clark, Pampanga and a decent showing in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade. National team head coach Tab Baldwin said this while undergoing quarantine following the national squad’s return to Manila. “I would characterize the team as
having outperformed expectations. And we certainly made progress. And a lot of our progress is probably mental, rather than actual,” said Baldwin. The three-game win that Gilas posted in its remaining games in the FIBA Asia qualifiers made members of the team more determined and tougher. And their two setbacks in Belgrade even added some toughness in their mentality. “From a technical and analytical standpoint, we did not really perform
that well. But I now really trust the determination and toughness of our players,” added Baldwin. The Philippines is now getting ready for the FIBA Asia Cup, which is set from August 17 to 29 in Indonesia. They will be joined by rival Korea, one of the 13 teams which have qualified. Also making it are Lebanon, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Syria, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Peter Atencio
TAB BALDWIN
Galedo, Velasco dominate National Trials’ opening day
BCDA President and CEO Secretary Vince Dizon (second from left) and CDC President and CEO PBGen. Manuel Gaerlan (left), along with BCDA Vice President for Corporate Services Group Arrey Perez (second from right) and two-time Marlboro Tour champion Renato Dolosa (right) flag off Bea Marie Quiamboa for the women’s ITT. Behind is Tour multi-stage winner Neil Barlis.
MARK John Lexer Galedo proved aged doesn’t matter and Kate Jasmine Velasco provided a peek of the future in Day 1 of the PhilCycling National Trials for Road on Saturday at the Clark Freeport Zone Galedo , 35, was in his best in the men’s individual time trial (ITT), winning the gold medal in 32 minutes and 2.2 seconds over the 24.60-km course that started and finished at the Clark Parade Grounds. Velasco, on the other hand, made the Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance team proud with her gold medalclinching ride in women’s ITT, ruling the 17.1-km race in 27:52.814. The 21-year-old Velasco beat teammate Marianne Dacumos, who finished 22.187 seconds behind for the silver medal and Maura Delos Reyes settled for third with 00:28:35.452.
Navyman Jhon Mark Camingao (32:28.0) clinched silver and Joey delos Reyes (33:00.3) bagged the men’s ITT bronze in the event organized by the PhilCycling headed by Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino. Secretary Vince Dizon, president and CEO of co-presentor Bases Conversion Development Authority and Police BGen. Manuel Gaerlan (Ret.), also president and CEO of the Clark Development Corporation, led the ceremonial flag off along with Arrey Perez, BCDA Vice President for Corporate Services Group. Galedo, riding for 7-Eleven Roadbike Philippines and gold medalist in the Myanmar 2013 Southeast Asian Games, however, missed a golden double after overshooting a sharp right-hand bend in the men’s criterium raced at the 2-3-km perimeter of the Clark Parade Grounds
in the afternoon. Go For Gold’s Dominic Perez ruled the double points final 20th lap to pile up 13 points for the criterium gold medal of the event also presented by Smart and MVP Sports Foundation. Navyman Steve Hora (10) and Go For Gold Ronnel Hualda (10) settled for second and third place in the event supported by Go for Gold, Chooks-to-Go, GAC Motor, Gatorade, Versa, 7-Eleven, Le Tour de Filipinas, 7-Eleven, UBE Express Inc., Powerade, Wilkins, Coca-Cola, Shimano, Bike-X and MadCrank. Mathilda Krog, 19, also made her young presence felt in the women’s criterium, and with Velasco, made it 1-2 for Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance with 23 and 17 points, respectively. Avegail Rombaon of Devel was third with six points.
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila
Standard
Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City
10. The PSA between ISELCO II and BKS, contains the following salient features:
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT (PSA) BETWEEN ISABELA II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. AND BKS GREEN ENERGY CORP. WITH PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY AND/OR INTERIM RELIEF AND MOTION FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION
“Article IV. TERM AND RENEWAL 4. The Contract Term for the supply of power under this Agreement shall be for a period of Fifteen (15) Years, commencing on Commercial Operation Date (COD) of the Power Plant on 26 May 2022 to 25 May 2037 (Contract Term), subject to the approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and unless terminated by the Parties in accordance with this Agreement.
ERC CASE NO. 2021-043 RC ISABELA II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (ISELCO II) AND BKS GREEN ENERGY CORP. (BKS), Applicants.
Notwithstanding the end of the Contract Term, the Parties agree to perform any obligations that arise prior to the end of the Contract Term, or by their nature are to be performed after the expiration of this Agreement, or which are expressed herein to survive the termination of this Agreement. xxx
x-------------------------------------------x
NOTICE OF VIRTUAL HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 08 June 2021, Isabela II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ISELCO II) and BKS Green Energy Corp. (BKS) filed a Joint Application dated 03 March 2021 (Application), seeking the Commission’s approval of their Power Supply Agreement (PSA), with prayer for issuance of provisional authority and/or interim relief and motion for confidential treatment of information. The pertinent allegations of the Joint Application are hereunder quoted as follows: 1. Applicant ISELCO II is an electric cooperative duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at Government Center, Alibagu, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 269, ISELCO II holds an exclusive franchise issued by the National Electrification Commission to operate an electric light and power distribution services in the Province of Isabela, particularly in the City of Ilagan and Municipalities of Palanan, Burgos, Gamu, Aurora, San Manuel, Roxas, Maconacon, Divilacan, Mallig, Quezon, Quirino, Sta. Maria, San Pablo, Delfin Albano, Sto. Tomas, Cabagan, Tumauini, Naguilian, Benito Soliven and San Mariano (“Franchise Area”). It maybe served with notices and other processes of this Honorable Commission through its counsel at the address indicated herein. 2. Applicant BKS is a renewable energy generation company duly organized and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines with principal address at Barangay Limbauan, San Pablo, Isabela. It may be served with notices and other processes of this Honorable Commission through its counsel at the address indicated herein. 3. BKS shall construct, own, operate and manage the 5 MW Limbauan Solar Power Project in Barangay Limbauan, San Pablo, Isabela. NATURE OF THE APPLICATION 4. This Application is filed pursuant to Rule 20 (B) of the Energy Regulatory Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedures and other pertinent rules and regulations, for the Honorable Commission’s approval of the Power Supply Agreement between ISELCO II and BKS Green Energy Corp. A copy of the PSA is attached hereto as Annex “B”. STATEMENT OF THE FACTS 5. At present, ISELCO II sources its power requirements from the following suppliers: CONTRACT CAPACITY (MW)
TERM (years)
ERC APPROVAL
Anda Power Corporation
5 MW
13 years until December 1, 2030
ERC Case No. 2016-085RC
SMC Consolidated Power Corporation
18 MW
5 years until December 1, 2024
ERC Case No. 2016-121RC
SUPPLIER
acceptance by the Customer, of power (except if due to the act or omission of the Party seeking to claim a Force Majeure Event, unless otherwise due to a Force Majeure Event). In case of disagreement as to the existence of a transmission failure, the Parties shall secure the necessary certification from the System Operator, which certification shall bind both Parties; and
MATERIAL PROVISIONS AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION OF THE PSA
TODAY
6. Based on the power situation outlook for 2021 and succeeding years, ISELCO II foresees a capacity deficit in its portfolio, particularly peaking requirements due to increased demand. In fact, its 5-year power supply agreement with San Miguel Electric Corporation already expired in 01 December 2019. 7. In order to ensure continuous and reliable supply of electricity for ISELCO II’s customers, there is a need for ISELCO II to source its peaking requirements through bilateral power supply contracts. 8. Under Section 45 (b) of Republic Act No. 9136 (“EPIRA”), it is provided that “Distribution Utilities may enter into bilateral power supply contracts subject to review by the ERC xxx”. 9. Following the conduct of competitive selection process (“CSP”), on 10 November 2020, ISELCO II executed a PSA with BKS, for the purchase of electric energy by its Plant corresponding to 5 MW (net). The conduct of CSP by ISELCO II proceeded as follows: 9.1. On 10 and 20 April 2019, ISELCO II caused the publication of an Invitation to Bid, which contained basic terms of reference, indicating a summary of the process and timelines of the CSP, and inviting power generation companies to submit an Expression of Interest on or before the deadline set out in the said invitation. At the same time, ISELCO II caused the posting thereof on its website and the Department of Energy’s (“DOE”) e-based portal. 9.2. On 7 May 2019, a pre-bid conference was held. Detailed evaluation of bids and post-qualification evaluation were conducted from 17 to 28 June 2019. 9.3. On 16 August 2019, the Third-Party Bids and Awards Committee (TPBAC) convened for the final evaluation of the bids and declared BKS’ bid as the LOWEST EVALUATED AND RESPONSIVE BID as the same “complied with all necessary requirements and conditions of the bidding documents”.
Article V. CONTRACTED CAPACITY AND ENERGY AND CONTRACT RATE 5. The Power Plant subject of this Agreement is a Solar Energy Plant with an installed capacity of 5 Mw. The Power Plant shall be embedded in the Customer’s distribution system. 5.1. On COD onwards, the Supplier shall make available at the Delivery Point, and sell to the Customer the Contracted Capacity and Energy of 5 Mw. The Supplier may make available/sell additional energy upon request of the Customer. 5.2.The Customer shall pay the Supplier for the Contracted Energy made available and delivered on a monthly basis at the Contract Rate FIVE PESOS AND FORTY CENTAVOS per Kilo-watt-hour (Php540/ KWh). The Contracted Rate of FIVE PESOS AND FORTY CENTAVOS PER Kilo-watt-hour (Php54o/ KWh) shall be constant or no indexation over the life of this Agreement and shall decrease by TEN PERCENT (10%) if and when this Agreement is extended upon mutual agreement of the Parties and as may be approved by ERC. Hereunder is the breakdown of Php5.40/KWh, as follows:
9.6. On 20 July 2020, NEA issued a notice informing ISELCO II that it may proceed with the signing of the PSA with BKS Green Energy Corp.
Php 3.967
Fixed O&M
1.410
Variable O&M
0.023 Php 5.400/KW xxx
appropriate actions taken in response to any orders, warnings or advice given by a Governmental Instrumentality or the System Operator for safety reasons to implement emergency shutdown (except if due to the act or omission of the Party seeking to claim a Force Majeure Event, unless otherwise due to a Force Majeure Event). xxx
ARTICLE XX. ASSIGNMENT 20. Either Party may assign or otherwise transfer to a third party, permanently or temporarily, all or part of its rights and obligations under this Agreement subject to prior written consent of the other Party. The Customer may assign, transfer, designate or allocate a part or all its Contracted Capacity and Energy either permanently or for a certain number of Billing Periods, subject to the prior written consent of the Supplier.” 11. From the foregoing and given a certain set of assumptions, the annual effective rate under the PSA is Php 5.40 per kWh (at plant gate), as shown in the rate impact analysis below: Table 1 Impact Rate Analysis on the PSA between ISELCO II and BKS Reference Year 2019 (Actual Data of ISELCO II) Description
Unit
Value
Total kWhr Purchased
kWhr
266,462,770.00
Billing Determinant
kWhr
9,355,860.00
MPSA Rate
Php/kWhr
5.40
BKS Effective Rate
Php/kWhr
4.21
Mix Rate (Other Gen)
Php/kWhr
7.64
Blended Rate (without BKS)
Php/kWhr
7.71
Blended Rate (with BKS)
Php/kWhr
7.52
Total Cost (without BKS)
Php
2,055,708,198.31
Total Cost (with BKS)
Php
2,033,969,801.30
Increase/(Decrease) in Cost
Php
(51,738,397.01)
Increase/(Decrease) in Rate
Php/kWhr
ARTICLE VI. OBLIGATION TO SUPPLY 6. The Supplier shall have the obligation to make available the Contracted Capacity and Energy during the Contract Term. However, the Supplier shall be excused from this obligation during any interruption or reduction due to: (i) an Event of Force Majeure affecting the Supplier or the Customer, (ii) any Scheduled Outage, provided, that, for the Contract Year in which any such outage occurs, the number of days for the Allowable Scheduled Outage are not yet exhausted for such year, or (iii) any Forced Outage, provided, that for the Contract Year in which such outage occurs, the number of days for the Allowed Forced Outage are not yet exhausted; or (iv) Major Maintenance Outage. xxx ARTICLE XI. TAXES AND OTHER CHARGES 11. Governmental Charges. It includes all Energy Tax, and other forms of taxes as may be imposed by the Government, except the Supplier’s own income taxes and Local Business Taxes which shall be for the Supplier’s account, benefits to host communities under DOE ER 1-94, universal charges imposed under RA 9136, and similar taxes and charges imposed by any government authority (Governmental Charges) on or with respect to the delivery of Contracted Capacity and Energy at, before or after the Delivery Point, including taxes on fuel (including supplemental fuel) purchased by the Supplier to generate electricity pursuant to this Agreement, or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. 11.1. Governmental Charges shall be for the account of the Customer. In the event the Supplier is required by Applicable Laws to remit or pay any such Governmental Charges, such amounts will be set forth in the Monthly Bill for the applicable Billing Period and shall be due and payable by the Customer in accordance with Article X of this Agreement.
(.19)
12. Member-consumers of ISELCO II will benefit from the additional supply coming from BKS since the blended generation rate will be reduced by about Php 0.19/kWhr (as seen in the rate impact above) which will result to savings to consumers of around Php 51,738,397.01. 13. The need for additional supply to captive consumers of ISELCO II and the financial closing of the project require the urgent approval for provisional authority and/or interim relief. 14. In support of this Joint Application, and the prayer for provisional authority and/or interim relief, the Judicial Affidavit of Mr. Alexander B. Subaran, Treasurer of BKS is attached as Annex “C”, respectively. 15. Likewise, in support of the instant Joint Application, the Applicants provide the following documents, which underwent pre-filing conference and pre-filing marking of annexes with this Honorable Commission: DOCUMENT
ANNEX
ISELCO II’s Articles of Cooperation and By-Laws
Annex “D”
ISELCO’s Distribution Development Plan
Annex”E”
Write-up on the non-applicability of a Certification by NPC re: whether Transition Supply Contract capacity and energy is expected to be available
Annex”F”
Documents showing ISELCO II’s conduct of CSP
Annex “G series”
BKS’s Certification of Incorporation & By-laws BKS’s Amended Articles of Incorporation
Annex “H” Annex “H1”
BKS’s latest General Information Sheet
Annex “I”
Shareholders’ Agreement
Annex”J”
Certificate of Registration with DOE
Annex “K”
Solar Energy Service Contract
Annex “L”
Environmental Compliance Certificate issued by DENR
Annex “M”
Connection Agreement between ISELCO II and BKS Green Energy Corp.
Annex “N”
Executive Summary of PSA
Annex “O”
Feasibility Study of Limbauan Solar Power Project
Annex”P”
Summary of Technical Parameters (all relevant technical and economic characteristics of the generation capacity: Installed capacity, Mode of Operation, Dependable Capacity, Auxiliary Load, Scheduled and Unscheduled Outages)
Annex “Q”
Financial Model; Generation Rate and Derivation; Cash Flow; Costs analysis related to generation in support of the pricing provisions of the contract
Annex “R series”
c) explosions, fires, earthquakes, lightning, typhoon, tsunami, flood, cyclone, volcanic eruptions, landslides or other natural disasters, acts of God, epidemic, quarantine or plague;
Sources of Funds
Annex”S”
Latest Financial Statement
Annex”T”
Independent Auditor’s Report
Annex “T-1”
d) any action or aggregation of actions or failure to act by a Governmental Instrumentality, including expropriation, requisition, confiscation, nationalization or other compulsory acquisition, export or import restriction or restrictions, rationing or allocations imposed by any Governmental Instrumentality, including closure of ports or rail tracks, docks, or other installations intended for use by maritime or rail transport respectively, or in the provision of services for those activities by any Governmental Instrumentality (in each instance, occurring in the Philippines);
Notes to Financial Statements
Annex “T-2”
xxx ARTICLE XV. FORCE MAJEURE 15.1. Instances of Force Majeure Event. Subject to the provisions of the preceding Sections, the instances of Force Majeure Event shall include, but not be limited to the following: a) acts of war of the public enemy whether war is declared or not; b) public disorder, civil disturbance, insurrection, rebellion, acts or campaigns of terrorism, piracy, embargo, sabotage, blockage, revolution, riots or violent demonstrations;
e) any Change in Applicable Law in the Philippines; f)
9.4. On 12 November 2019, a Notice of Award was issued in favor of BKS. 9.5. On 09 September 2019, ISELCO II’s TPBAC wrote to National Electrification Administration (“NEA”) pursuant to NEA guidelines for the review of the PSA prior to signing.
Capital Recovery Fee
j)
strikes, lockdowns or other collective or industrial action by workers or employees occurring in the Philippines, provided that any Party that seeks to invoke such a strike, lockout or other collective or industrial action as a Force Majeure Event must first utilize all reasonable effort to continue performance of its obligations hereunder;
g) radioactive contamination, ionizing radiation, or toxic or chemical contamination; h) unavailability of power from the Philippine Grid; i)
any system emergency or transmission failure that may affect the delivery by the Supplier, or
Written explanation on the non-submission of the following documents: (i) Certificate of Compliance; (ii) Certificate of Endorsement, and (iii) Certificate of Registration with Board of Investments
Annex “U”
ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY Applicants replead the foregoing allegations and further state that: 16. ISELCO II has an urgent and pressing need for an additional generating capacity since bulk of its supply already expired on 01 December 2019. 17. To prevent delay in the implementation of the PSA, a provisional authority is respectfully prayed for, considering that it is necessary for financial closing. Once financial closing is accomplished, it is estimated that BKS will be able to supply power in accordance with the Effective Date of the PSA. 18. It will also help in promoting the development and utilization of renewable energy resources as tools to effectively prevent or reduce harmful emissions as avowed in Republic Act No. 9513 also known as the Renewable Energy Act of 2008. 19. Public interest as well as the declared government policy encouraging the development and utilization of renewable energy resources therefore compels the immediate issuance of a provisional authority subject to final authority that may be subsequently issued by the Honorable Commission.
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila
Standard ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION FOR
Entertainment
TODAY
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION
20. Under Rule 4 of ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, the Honorable Commission may, upon request of a party and determination of the existence of conditions which would warrant such remedy, treat certain information submitted to it as confidential. Pursuant to such provision, applicant BKS Green Energy Corp. respectfully prays for the issuance of a protective order declaring Annexes “P”, “R series” and “S” as confidential information, since the applicant BKS intends to present them as evidence in this Application. 21. Annexes “P”, “R series” and “S” contain certain non-public information, data and projections involving business operations and financial trade secrets reflecting BKS’s investment and business calculations. They also contain information regarding the debt or equity ratio, capital costs, weighted average cost of capital, among other information. All these information are considered classified business information by applicant BKS, which, if released to the public including its competitors, would place the latter at undue advantage against BKS. In addition, such information falls within the bounds of valuable proprietary interest under “trade secrets” which are entitled to protection under the Constitution, statutes, rules and regulations. 22. Information, which falls within the definition of a trade secret, as defined by jurisprudence is clearly information which merits the confidential treatment provided for under Rule 4 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure. Annexes “P”, “R series” and “S” should therefore be entitled to the protection of confidential information provided under Rule 4 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure. 23. The Applicants hereby submit one (1) copy of each of the foregoing confidential documents in a sealed envelope, with the envelope and each page of the document stamped with the word “Confidential”. PRAYER WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is respectfully prayed that the Honorable Commission: (i) ISSUE an Order treating Annexes “P”, “R series” and “S” as confidential information pursuant to Rule 4, Section 1 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure and prescribing the guidelines for the protection thereof; (ii) Immediately ISSUE a provisional authority and/or interim relief authorizing the applicants to implement the Power Supply Agreement; and (iii) After hearing on the merits, render a decision APPROVING the Power Supply Agreement. Other reliefs, just and equitable, are likewise prayed for. The Commission hereby sets the same for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, Pre-trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on the following dates and online platform for the conduct thereof, pursuant to Resolution No. 09, Series of 20201 dated 24 September 2020 and Resolution No. 01, Series of 2021, dated 17 December 2020 (ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure):2 (This space was intentionally left blank) Date and Time 12 August 2021 (Thursday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 P.M.) 19 August 2021 (Thursday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 P.M.)
Platform
Activity
Microsoft Teams
Determination of compliance with jurisdictional requirements and Expository presentation
Microsoft Teams
Pre-trial Conference and presentation of evidence
Any interested stakeholder may submit its comments and/or clarifications at least one (1) calendar day prior to the scheduled virtual hearing, via electronic mail (e-mail) at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph. The Commission shall give priority to the stakeholders who have duly submitted their respective comments and/or clarifications, to discuss the same and propound questions during the course of the expository presentation. Moreover, all persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission via e-mail at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph, a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) calendar days prior to the date of the initial virtual hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following: 1) The petitioner’s name, mailing address and e-mail address; 2) The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and 3) A statement of the relief desired. Likewise, all other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may likewise file through e-mail at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph, their Opposition or Comment thereon at least five (5) calendar days prior to the initial virtual hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following: 1) The name, mailing address and e-mail address of such person; 2) A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and 3) The grounds relied upon. Any of the persons mentioned in the preceding paragraphs may access the copy of the Application on the Commission’s official website at www.erc.gov.ph. Finally, all interested persons may be allowed to join the scheduled initial virtual hearing by providing the Commission, thru legal.virtualhearings@erc.ph, with their respective e-mail addresses and indicating therein the case number of the instant Joint Application. The Commission will send the access link/s to the aforementioned hearing platform within five (5) working days prior to the scheduled hearing. WITNESS, the Honorable Commissioners ALEXIS M. LUMBATAN, CATHERINE P. MACEDA, FLORESINDA G. BALDO-DIGAL and MARKO ROMEO L. FUENTES, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 17th day of June 2021 in Pasig City.
AGNES VST DEVANADERA Chairperson and CEO
1 2
Entitled: A Resolution Adopting the Guidelines Governing Electronic Applications, Filings and Virtual Hearings Before the Energy Regulatory Commission. Entitled: A Resolution Adopting the Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Energy Regulatory Commission.
M. Standard – July 12 & 19, 2021
MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021
D3
nickie.standard@gmail.com
Elijah Canlas and Kokoy de Santos
C
are Pinoy BL Kings
URIOSITIES are more than aroused. Majority are in bated breath anticipating the arrival of Gameboys. With its promotional posters -- paying homage to iconic motion pictures such as Pretty Woman, Top Gun, Call Me By Your Name, and Brokeback Mountain, to mention a few -- created by master fashion photographer Raymund Isaac, all eyes are locked in Kokoy de Santos and Elijah Canlas starrer, hailed as the Kings of Pinoy BL, finally arriving on ktx,ph by the end of July. How does the young men, who portray Gavreel Mendoza and Cairo Alarcon feel about the impending playdate? De Santos’s swift reply:“I am very excited that finally, people will get to see the movie that we worked hard for. We offered our blood, sweat and tears, our very essence and souls so that this movie comes to fruition.” “It’s always a different level of fulfillment as an artist once you see the output of everyone’s hard work and passion on the screen. I can’t wait for the new audiences and the whole Gameboys fandom to see it as well,” is Elijah’s rejoinder. The dynamic duo cannot deny their eagerness, specifically on what morals their audiences will take home from the motion picture version and how the new fans will react to the larger-than-life cinematic universe of Cai, Gav, and the other major characters. The amazing journey they faced together as friends and co-actors in what is considered now as the alpha Filipino BL series make them beam with a great amount of joy and pride. “Being in Gameboys, as I give life to Gavreel, has opened my eyes to the fact that life is not always sunshiny,”says Kokoy. “Kailangan mo din pagdaanan ang sakit at poot para matamasa ang totoong ligaya.” “This may sound cliché, but nothing really is impossible. Imagine, we were shooting the pilot for the first season over a year ago. With no idea how to work around the process of zoom filmmaking. Shooting remotely inside our homes. Being directed and instructed through zoom. Using our own personal phones as cameras. It’s crazy to think that all of that led us to today. It keeps me going,” adds Elijah. The Pinoy BL royals come clean that they have yet to see the finished movie. How different is the movie then content-wise, from the series? Kokoy addresses the query flippantly: “Alam naman natin na nabitin tayoo nang bongga sa series, tama? Tama! Kaya naman dito itutuloy natin ang nabitin na pagmamahalan. Excited? Very Excited!” Retorts Elijah: “I think the most obvious difference is that the movie is not told through the video call set-up that everyone was accustomed to from the first season. The movie is bolder, braver, and the stakes are just as high if not higher.” Adding more drama and flavor, thus making the phenomenal Pinoy BL more addictive and intoxicating are: Adriana So as Pearl Gatdula, Gav’s ex-girlfriend turned best friend and resident fag hag
Pinoy BL royalties Kokoy De Santos and Elijah Canlas
and problem solver; Kyle Velino as Terrence Carreon, Gav’s shady ex-boyfriend and Cai’s one-time, big time rival; Miggy Jimenez as WesleyTorres, Cai’s childhood friend who has a not so hidden feelings for him anymore; and Kych Minemoto as the femme and fabulous Achilles De Dios, who has an unrequited love episode with Terrence and completes the WesTerAchi bizarre love triangle. Appearances of Sue Prado, Jerom Canlas, Angelli Sanoy, Angie Castrence, and Susan Africa are expected to appear in the movie incarnation. Without a doubt, the Pinoy online series that is Gameboys made Pinoy BL history already and with the arrival of its movie version, it continues to spread its magic and romantic moments, and call for acceptance, understanding, and the full embracing of a different kind of love.
‘Smart Hallyu Hangouts’ brings fans closer to Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin a commercial film back in February. HYUN Bin and Son Yejin of The project marked the first time the the hit Korean drama Crash two superstars were seen together Landing On You will hold since the massive success of Crash a virtual fan meeting for Landing On You. their Filipino fans this July, “As we continue to bring our Smart Communications, Inc. subscribers closer to their pasconfirmed on Wednesday. sions through simple and easy The real-life couple is to headways using our fast and reliline Smart Hallyu Hangouts, a able network, we are launching series of online events where subthe Smart Hallyu Hangouts series scribers can watch their favorite with Son Ye Jin in the first virtual Korean idols. The telecommunishow to give fans the best expecations company described the rience despite the limitations of program as “the closest thing fans the pandemic,” said Jane J. Bacan get to a physical fan meet dursas, SVP and Head of Consumer ing the pandemic.” The Smart Hallyu Hang- ‘Crash Landing On You’ stars Wireless Business at Smart. For both Smart Hallyu outs event will pilot on July 16 and Smart endorsers Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin. Hangouts episodes, Smart Prewith Son Yejin while Hyun paid, Smart Bro Prepaid, and PreBin will take on the Hallyu paid Home WiFi customers who Hangouts stage on July 31. “I may not be able to meet you all in person, register via the link on the microsite and redeem but I’m thankful for this opportunity though any Giga reward using GigaPoints are eligible to virtually. I wish we can all meet with a smile the join the promo. For the complete details on how to score ticksoon, so until then, please stay safe and healthy,” ets to these events, you may visit this link: httSon Yejin said in a video message. It will be recalled that Smart made the inevitable a ps://smart.com.ph/Pages/smart-hallyu-hangreality when Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin teamed up for outs. Maria Katrina Segui
iWantTFC offers free access to over 1,000 titles in PH IWANTTFC users in the Philippines can now Aljon Mendoza, and Karina Bautista). iWantTFC, the home of Filipino stories, has binge-watch 10,000 hours worth of local and international movies and shows and enjoy original also added to its roster proudly Pinoy originals offerings as the streaming service gives free ac- from Brightlight Productions, such as Korina Sanchez’s news magazine and lifecess to its library. style show Rated Korina. Users can By downloading the iWantTFC also get joy and laughter from comapp or visiting iwanttfc.com, users edy shows Oh My Dad and Sunday can now watch the advanced epiKada, and the romcom I Got You. sodes of ABS-CBN’s current primeSoon, the platform will add time shows FPJ’s Ang Probinsyafour more Thai boys’ love series, no, Huwag Kang Mangamba, Init Sa namely Baker Boys, Bad Buddy, Magdamag, and La Vida Lena two Enchante, and Not Me, to its days before their TV broadcast. growing collection of offerings Aside from the existing iWanfrom Thai producer GMMTV. tTFC originals on the platform, Users can also binge-watch users can expect more new tiover a thousand movies, with the tles arriving this year, includnewest ones being Star Cinema’s ing Charlie Dizon’s romance 2020 movies Boyette: Not A Girl drama My Sunset Girl, which Yet and My Lockdown Romance. streams on July 14. Jameson Blake and Charlie Sylvia Sanchez and Ria Dizon starrer ‘My Sunset Girl’ The iWantTFC-exclusive Tripol Trobol, the two-part director’s cut Atayde also make a quirky momis one of the films users can daughter tandem in Mrs. Piggy, access for free on iWantTFC. of the action-packed romcom 3pol Trobol: Huli Ka Balbon! top-billed which examines the joys and by Ai-Ai delas Alas, Jennylyn pains of a rich self-made woman Mercado, and Coco Martin. and her family. Gamers and streamers are also welcome Adrian Lindayag and Keann Johnson are reuniting in the original series Love Beneath the in The Gaming House, Tier One EntertainStars, where they will reprise their roles from ment’s Big Brother-style reality show where ten their hit 2020 MMFF coming-of-age boys’ love aspiring content creators battle it out to become the next big star in the e-sports scene. (BL) movie The Boy Foretold by the Stars. Users in the Philippines can enjoy all of these Hoy Love You also welcomes Ritz Azul in its second season and will continue to explore the for free, while those who would like to bingenext chapter in the lives of Jules, Marge, Charles, watch them without ads can get a premium suband Kara (Joross Gamboa, Roxanne Guinoo, scription worth P119 monthly.
Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray joins ‘SupermodelMe’ as a resident judge.
‘SupermodelMe’ returns with Catriona Gray, star-studded cast REFINERY Media, an award-winning production company renowned for producing compelling content for international networks, is bringing back its popular reality competition series, SupermodelMe. The latest season promises a fresh approach, new challenges, a star-studded cast, and builds off the success of its first five seasons. The original multi-platform show has received several international nominations and has been broadcasted in 13 territories globally. Produced by Refinery Media, with presenting sponsor Subaru Asia and supported by Singapore Airlines Kris Shop, Season 6 was filmed in Singapore in June, with 12 aspiring models from eight markets across Asia (Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam). Themed around female empowerment, this season’s titled SupermodelMe Revolution, aims to provide a fresh take on the modeling reality competition series: one that is modern, edgy, and exemplifies what it means to be a model and a female role model today. SupermodelMe Revolution will also feature familiar and prominent faces in the fashion and modeling industry. Hosted by supermodel and actress Cindy Bishop, she is joined by an esteemed panel of resident judges’ including photographer Yu Tsai, TV host Hanli Hoefer, Singaporean actress Ase Wang, and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray. This season will also feature task masters Monika Sta. Maria - Filipino model and runner-up of Asia’s Next Top Model (Cycle 3) and Dana Slosar - Thai model and winner of Asia’s Next. Originally produced and broadcasted online in 2009, SupermodelMe has transformed since its first foray into multi-platform programming, which featured weekly television episodes alongside online webisodes where viewers could also view behindthe-scenes footage and deleted scenes. SupermodelMe’s cross-platform and unique digital integration efforts received prestigious nominations including “Best Cross-Platform Content” at the Asian Television Awards 2012, “Best Non-Fiction” at the International Digital Emmy Awards in 2013, and “Best Editing” at the Apollo Awards in 2014. The Asian premiere of SupermodelMe Revolution is set to air on Oct. 11 at 7:55 p.m. on AXN Asia, across 10 weekly episodes.
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Bernadette Lunas, Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE
D4
MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021
Dine in with confidence
ServSafe-certified chefs and servers await dine-in guests at Marriott Café.
By Steph Llarena
A
S RESTRICTIONS ease and more citizens get vaccinated, people are regaining their confidence to eat out and enjoy life pre-pandemic. While the experience is not the same as it was before – safety measures must be followed still – adjustments implemented by food and beverage establishments allow diners to sit back, relax, and enjoy their food.
ServSafe-certified servers, for instance, await guests at the recently reopened Marriott Café. The servers tour diners around the restaurant to get a glimpse of the dishes at various stations with sneeze guards that protect the food. Diners may opt to choose their meals through a QR code enabled menu which the chefs will prepare right away and will be served directly to the table. The eat-all-you-can a la carte dining concept of Marriot Manila’s restaurant features “all the finest dishes you missed” including Australian beef rump steak and other carvings, mud crabs, tiger prawns, and other seafood, cheese and charcuterie, and cuisines from around the world. Private rooms are available for intimate celebrations and gatherings. As it welcomes diners again, the restaurant brings back 50 percent off Mondays for lunch and dinner, while Club Marriott members can take advantage of a special 40 percent discount on July 12 (30 percent off applies on other days). Marriott Café is open for lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Monday to Saturday) and dinner from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00
Life
Oori’s sweet and savory offerings include (clockwise, from top left) Dakgangjung, Haemul Denjang Jjigae, sides, Dulce Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich, Bulgogi Bibimbap, and (center) Tteok Bokki.
FOOD
Clockwise, from top left: Oori’s grill features a downdraft ventilation for a smokeless grilling of Korean barbecue; refillable banchan or Korean side dishes; Marriott Café’s savory mud crab dish; fresh salmon sashimi; Pan Roasted U.S. Beef Tenderloin; hand-crafted desserts
p.m. (Monday to Sunday) at P1,950++, and Sunday Brunch from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. for P2,250++. Prior reservation is encouraged. Call 0917-584-9560 to book a table. Meanwhile, those with a hankering for Australian Mulwarra Wagyu 9+ or Duroc Spanish Pork of Sheraton Manila Hotel’s Korean restaurant can enjoy them again. Oori recently reopened for dining
guests, with an assurance that stringent health and safety protocols are observed, including frequent disinfection and sanitation and social distancing. Contactless payment and QR code enabled menu are also available. In addition to grilled meats, the restaurant also serves other favorite Korean dishes and side dishes (banchan), such as Bulgogi, Haemul, and Sisig bibimpap;
Guilt-free vegan desserts
dakgangjung or Korean fried chicken in sweet and spicy sauce; tteok bokki (rice and fish cake); savory pancakes yachae jeun (assorted vegetables) and kimchi jeun; and haemul ramyeun (spicy noodle in seafood broth), among others. Endings are sweet and fresh with the restaurant’s Fresh Mango Bingsu and Fresh Mixed Fruits Bingsu. Oori likewise has private rooms for
family and friends who opt to dine together. VIP rooms that can accommodate four guests can be booked for P5,000, six-person VIP rooms for P8,000, and the VIP room for eight guests is P10,000. The restaurant is open Wednesday to Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Call (02) 7902-1800 or 0956-317-3986 to book a table.
NEW EATS
By Theriz Lizel R. Silvano THESE desserts look so sinful you would think they have eggs, dairy, and other animal products. But they don’t.
Vegan Brownie Cookie Fusion (BCF)
Aigoo Café’s vegan doughnuts
Vegan Choco Butternut Doughnut
Aigoo Café, an all-vegan “virtual café” in Las Piñas, puts a twist to favorite doughnut flavors, like its take on choco butternut sans dairy. Selling like hotcakes, the vegan Choco Butternut doughnut is available in full-size at P60 apiece and bite-size at P135 for a bucket of nine. Go to Aigoo Café on Facebook or @ aigoocafe on Instagram to order.
A brownie-cookie combination might sound like a treat that is too good to be healthy, but Earth Desserts’ version is made with vegan ingredients applesauce, coconut and muscovado sugar, almond milk, coconut oil, and three kinds of vegan chocolate. BCF is a crowd favorite, according to Earth Desserts, as it brings together “the best of both worlds with a little surprise between the layers of brownie and cookie”. Go to beautymnl.com or Earth Desserts on Facebook or @earthdesserts on Instagram to order.
Berde Eats’ Choco Truffles
Power Stash’s Strawberry Shortcake
Vegan Cookie Monster
Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
Power Stash’s vegan Strawberry Shortcake is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, but looks absolutely tempting. It’s available in six inches for P1,500 and nine inches for P2,700. Go to its Facebook page (Power Stash) or Instagram (@powerstash.ph) to order.
Healthy Velights’ bigger-thanyour-palm Vegan Cookie Monster boasts a generous vegan chocolate filling. It’s available in 300 grams for P280 and 600 grams for P450. Go to Healthy Velights on Facebook or @healthyvelights on Instagram to order.
New lunch plates and solo paella served at Las Flores Makati.
Earth Desserts’ Brownie Cookie Fusion
Las Flores launches new menu Vegan Choco Truffles
Online vegan shop Berde Eats advocates a vegan-based diet and offers vegan snacks, drinks, and desserts. Its choco truffles might appear as a chocolate-heavy treat, but it is dairy-free. A 36-piece box of its vegan Choco Truffles is priced at P220. Go to www.berdeeats.com or Berde Eats on Faceboook or @berdeeats on Instagram to order.
Healthy Velights’ Vegan Cookie Monster
SPANISH restaurant Las Flores in Salcedo Village, Makati is serving new items from its kitchen. New additions to its lunch menu include Grilled Tuna with garlic rice (P595) and Roasted Chicken with garlic rice (P595). Both lunch plates are served with a glass of calamansi iced tea and two pieces Chorizo Croquetas. Those who opt for a hearty lunch may choose the 695-peso plate composed of one starter (a choice of tuna tartar, beef carpaccio, grilled vegetables, salmorejo, pumpkin soup, green salad, or Caesar salad) and one main course (Seafood Spaghetti, Canelones, Spanish Omelette, Grilled Salmon, Butifarra, Chicken Paella, or Vegetarian Paella), inclusive of a glass of iced tea. Solo sizes of paellas are also available for lunch. Starting at P395, variants include Paella Negra, Paella Setas, Paella Verduras, Paella Mariscos, Paella Pulpo, and Paella Pollo y Cerdo. Appetizers are priced at P595 (Dos Tapas), P995 (Tres Tapas), and P1,395 (Cuatro Tapas). The Fiesta Bundle in-
Grilled Tuna and Roasted Chicken
cludes two kinds of tapas, a grande Paella Verduras, and a pitcher of red sangria for P1,595. The aforementioned new menu items are available for dine in and delivery. Go to bit.ly/bistronomiaph or contact 0966-331-1351 for table bookings, or order via foodpanda to get 30 percent off on all Sundays and Mondays of the month.